Browsing by Author "Men, XY"

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Evaluation of Winter Wheat as a Potential Relay Crop for Enhancing Biological Control of Cotton Aphids in Seedling Cotton
(Springer, 2004) Men, XY; Ge, F; Yardim, EN; Parajulee, MN
A 2-year study was conducted to evaluate the role of winter wheat, Triticum aestivum L., as a potential relay crop to conserve arthropod natural enemies and suppress cotton aphids, Aphis gossypii Glover, in seedling cotton. The results suggested that the natural enemies that moved from the adjacent wheat fields to cotton fields with the maturity and harvest of wheat could keep the cotton aphid population at the edges (0-4 m) of cotton fields under the action threshold of 100 aphidS/m(2). Data also suggested that the wheat strip served as a reservoir to conserve arthropod predators and "relayed" its predators to cotton when wheat matured and senesced.
Influence of Pesticide Applications on Pest and Predatory Arthropods Associated With Transgenic Bt Cotton and Nontransgenic Cotton Plants
(Springer, 2004) Men, XY; Ge, F; Edwards, CA; Yardim, EN
The effects of pesticide applications on pests (aphids and acarid mites) and predators (ladybeetles and spiders) were investigated in transgenic Bt cotton and nontransgenic cotton agroecosystems in 1999, 2000 and 2001. Transgenic cotton did not cause changes in populations of acarids and did not reduce numbers of predators considerably; its effects on aphids were inconsistent. Although insecticides were not applied against the main pest cotton bollworm - on transgenic cotton, the total number of insecticide applications in 3 years was no less than the total applied on nontransgenic cotton, because additional applications were required against sucking pests on transgenic Bt cotton. Pesticide applications decreased numbers of aphids, acarids and predatory spiders significantly on both transgenic and nontransgenic cottons. The results suggest that the use of Bt cotton should be evaluated carefully in China.