Direct interaction between micronutrients and bell pepper (Capsicum annum L.), to affect fitness of Myzus persicae (Sulzer)

Abstract

The green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer), is a polyphagous and holocyclic aphid which significantly damages agricultural crops. In the current study, the effects of micronutrients on some secondary metabolites of bell pepper (Capsicum annum L.) leaves and their subsequent influence on the life table parameters of M. persicae were investigated under greenhouse conditions. The flavonoid content in bell pepper leaves significantly changed following micronutrient treatments in the wavelength of 270 nm while there were no significant differences in the wavelengths 300 and 330 nm. The highest anthocyanin content was recorded after Fe treatment (3.811 mg ⋅ ml–1) while the total phenolic content in the bell pepper leaves increased after Mn (541.2 mg ⋅ ml–1) treatment compared to Fe (254.5 mg ⋅ ml–1) and control (216.33 mg ⋅ ml–1), respectively. The highest values of intrinsic (r) and finite rates of population increase (λ) of M. persicae were gained with Zn (0.320 and 1.377 day–1, respectively) treatment although the highest and the lowest values of the mean generation time (T) were found with Fe and Zn (14.07 and 12.63 days, respectively) treatments, respectively. Our findings suggest that Mn, more than Zn micronutrients, decreased ecological fitness of green peach aphid and may help enhance the efficiency of pest control techniques.

Keywords

• life table
• micronutrient
• myzus persicae
• plant-insect interaction
• plant metabolite