Abstract
Nesidiocoris tenuis (Hemiptera: Miridae) is a generalist predator commonly used to control the whitefly Bemisia tabaci in Europe. This mirid has been found and established in South Texas, where it was initially observed feeding on nymphs of the psyllid Bactericera cockerelli (Hemiptera: Triozidae) in open tomato fields. B. cockerelli is the vector of the fastidious bacterium “Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum” that causes diseases in several solanaceous crops, including zebra chip (ZC) disease in potatoes. There is a need to better understand how this predator impacts the control of important crop pests, such as potato psyllids. We assessed the interactions between N. tenuis and B. cockerelli in three different environmental settings. First, we estimated the numeric response of N. tenuis preying on B. cockerelli under laboratory and greenhouse conditions. Second, we evaluated the predator–prey interaction under controlled field cage conditions. Then, we exposed N. tenuis under controlled field release conditions to the natural occurrence of B. cockerelli. Finally, we assessed the compatibility between the use of N. tenuis as a biological control agent in a field study and its impact on ZC disease incidence, severity in potato tubers, and potato yield. Laboratory and greenhouse experiments resulted in diverse types of functional model responses, including exponential and linear mathematical models. Our findings revealed a significant predation effect exerted by N. tenuis, resulting in a reduction of more than fourfold in the number of B. cockerelli nymphs per cage. Specifically, the nymphal population decreased from 21 ± 3.2 in the absence of N. tenuis to 5 ± 1.6 when N. tenuis was present. Furthermore, the combination of N. tenuis with a reduced insecticide program increased potato yields, but only reduced ZC tuber incidence in one of two potato cultivars evaluated, and in one season. Findings from these studies indicate that N. tenuis could be effective as a biological control agent for B. cockerelli in potato production in South Texas. This is the first report of N. tenuis preying on immature stages of any psyllid species.
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Claims 6
Claim · model-written summary
Laboratory and greenhouse predator–prey experiments yielded exponential and linear functional response models.
- Interactor
- B. cockerelli
Bactericera cockerellie1pest - Second interactor
- N. tenuis
Nesidiocoris tenuise1biocontrol_agent - Outcome
- functional model responsese0
Not reportedTaxon
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Laboratory and greenhouse experiments resulted in diverse types of functional model responses, including exponential and linear mathematical models.”
e1“N. tenuis and B. cockerelli”
Claim · model-written summary
N. tenuis predation reduced B. cockerelli nymphs per cage more than fourfold, from 21 ± 3.2 to 5 ± 1.6.
- Taxon
- Potato
Solanum tuberosumt0 - Treatment
- N. tenuis was presente0
- Interactor
- B. cockerelliBactericera cockerellie0pest
- Second interactor
- N. tenuisNesidiocoris tenuise0biocontrol_agent
- Outcome
- number of B. cockerelli nymphs per cagee0
- Direction
- reductione0
- Value
- more than fourfolde0
- Qualifier
- 21 ± 3.2e0
- Comparator
- absence of N. tenuise0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Our findings revealed a significant predation effect exerted by N. tenuis, resulting in a reduction of more than fourfold in the number of B. cockerelli nymphs per cage. Specifically, the nymphal population decreased from 21 ± 3.2 in the absence of N. tenuis to 5 ± 1.6 when N. tenuis was present.”
t0“Potato”
Claim · model-written summary
N. tenuis with reduced insecticide increased potato yield.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Treatment
- combination of N. tenuis with a reduced insecticide programe0
- Interactor
- N. tenuisNesidiocoris tenuise0biocontrol_agent
- Outcome
- potato yieldse0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the combination of N. tenuis with a reduced insecticide program increased potato yields”
t0“potato”
Claim · model-written summary
N. tenuis with reduced insecticide lowered zebra chip tuber incidence in only one of two cultivars and one season.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosume0
- Treatment
- combination of N. tenuis with a reduced insecticide programe0
- Interactor
- Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearumCandidatus Liberibacter solanacearume1pathogen
- Second interactor
- N. tenuisNesidiocoris tenuise0biocontrol_agent
- Outcome
- ZC tuber incidencee0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Qualifier
- one of two potato cultivars evaluated, and in one seasone0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the combination of N. tenuis with a reduced insecticide program increased potato yields, but only reduced ZC tuber incidence in one of two potato cultivars evaluated, and in one season.”
e1““Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum” that causes diseases in several solanaceous crops, including zebra chip (ZC) disease in potatoes.”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors suggest N. tenuis could control B. cockerelli in potato production in South Texas.
- Taxon
- potatoSolanum tuberosume0
- Interactor
- B. cockerelliBactericera cockerellie0pest
- Second interactor
- N. tenuisNesidiocoris tenuise0biocontrol_agent
- Outcome
- biological control agent for B. cockerellie0
- Setting
- South Texase0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“N. tenuis could be effective as a biological control agent for B. cockerelli in potato production in South Texas.”
Claim · model-written summary
The study reports N. tenuis predation on immature stages of a psyllid species for the first time.
- Taxon
- PotatoSolanum tuberosumt0
- Interactor
- psyllid speciese0pest
- Second interactor
- N. tenuisNesidiocoris tenuise0biocontrol_agent
- Outcome
- N. tenuis preying on immature stages of any psyllid speciese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“This is the first report of N. tenuis preying on immature stages of any psyllid species.”
t0“Potato”
The same questions in other papers
insecticide · yield · Solanum tuberosum (potato)Results differ
21 papers in the same direction as this paper · 9 in the opposite direction · 1 reporting no difference from an alternative
- no effect
- no effect
- no effect
28 papers more in this group
See all 32 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.