Spatiotemporal distributions of wheat stem sawfly eggs and larvae in dryland wheat fields

2005 ◽  
Vol 137 (4) ◽  
pp. 428-440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Nansen ◽  
Tulio B. Macedo ◽  
David K. Weaver ◽  
Robert K.D. Peterson

AbstractThe wheat stem sawfly, Cephus cinctus Norton (Hymenoptera: Cephidae), is the most serious insect pest of dryland wheat (Triticum aestivum L.; Poaceae) in the southern Canadian Prairies and the northern Great Plains of the United States. We characterized the spatial distribution pattern of C. cinctus eggs and larvae throughout the adult flight period in three dryland winter wheat fields in Montana. Cephus cinctus females laid eggs in wheat stems until a few weeks before wheat maturity, and most wheat stems received only one egg. Wheat stem samples collected along the field edges represented 12%–16% of the samples but 40%–95% of the infested stems. The highest numbers of C. cinctus eggs and larvae found in a single wheat stem were 16 and 4, respectively. On a field scale, both C. cinctus eggs and larvae were significantly aggregated along field edges in most of the sampling events. A comparison of indices of aggregation revealed that C. cinctus larvae were significantly more spatially aggregated than C. cinctus eggs. Based on our spatiotemporal analysis, we speculate that the majority of the eggs are initially laid along field edges, and ovipositing C. cinctus females do not distinguish between previously infested and uninfested wheat stems. Gradually, these eggs hatch and the larvae begin feeding; at the same time, the later emerging C. cinctus females oviposit farther into the wheat fields. One explanation is that ovipositing C. cinctus females avoid stems containing feeding larvae. The analysis of the temporal changes in the spatial distribution patterns of C. cinctus eggs and larvae is discussed in the context of possible integrated pest management strategies.

2005 ◽  
Vol 137 (4) ◽  
pp. 497-500 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tuilo B. Macedo ◽  
Paula A. Macedo ◽  
Robert K.D. Peterson ◽  
David K. Weaver ◽  
Wendell L. Morrill

The wheat stem sawfly, Cephus cinctus Norton (Hymenoptera: Cephidae), is an insect pest in dryland wheat cropping systems in the southern Canadian Prairies and the northern Great Plains of the United States (Morrill 1997). Yield losses caused by C. cinctus are due to reduced head weight (Holmes 1977; Morrill et al. 1992) and lodging, which decreases harvest efficiency. Estimates of yield losses in Montana alone are about US$25 million per year.


2005 ◽  
Vol 137 (2) ◽  
pp. 202-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Nansen ◽  
David K. Weaver ◽  
Sharlene E. Sing ◽  
Justin B. Runyon ◽  
Wendell L. Morrill ◽  
...  

AbstractThe wheat stem sawfly, Cephus cinctus Norton, is a major insect pest in dryland wheat (Triticum L. spp.; Poaceae) fields in the northern Great Plains of the United States and in southern regions of the prairie provinces of Canada. Field infestations by this pest commonly show a distinct “edge effect”, with infestation levels highest at the field edge and declining inwards. In this study, we characterized the edge effect of C. cinctus infested wheat fields in Montana at four locations in two separate years. "Infestation level" refers to the average proportion of wheat stems infested with C. cinctus in samples collected in a given wheat field. The gradual decrease in C. cinctus infestation towards the centre of wheat fields is referred to as the “infestation slope”, and it was presented as a proportion of infestation level at field edges. We showed that (i) for most of the fields bordering grassland or fallow wheat, a simple exponential decline curve provided a significant fit to the infestation slope; (ii) the infestation slopes in different fields and in different directions within fields were similar and appeared to be independent of the overall infestation level; and (iii) the relationship between infestation level and the proportion of samples infested followed an asymptotic curve, which indicates a high level of dispersal of ovipositing C. cinctus females. The general perception has been that the edge effect of C. cinctus infestation is a result of ovipositing C. cinctus females being both weak flyers and short-lived, but our results do not fully corroborate this perception. Currently, the only reliable way to detect C. cinctus infestations is to dissect individual stems and look for developing instars. However, this type of sampling is extremely time consuming and labor intensive and therefore impractical for wheat growers. Increasing the understanding of the spatial patterns in C. cinctus infestations is a first step towards development of an optimal sampling plan for this important field pest. Thus, the results presented are relevant for researchers involved in sampling designs and integrated pest management procedures for field pests. We discuss behavioral and evolutionary factors that may contribute to the edge effect of C. cinctus infestations.


2001 ◽  
Vol 133 (2) ◽  
pp. 215-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.B. Runyon ◽  
R.L. Hurley ◽  
W.L. Morrill ◽  
D.K. Weaver

The wheat stem sawfly, Cephus cinctus Norton (Hymenoptera: Cephidae), has been the most economically important insect pest of wheat in the northern Great Plains since cultivation began (Weiss and Morrill 1992). The wheat stem sawfly was first reported from wild grasses where populations were often highly parasitized by a number of parasitoids, including Bracon (= Microbracon) cephi (Gahan) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) (Criddle 1923; Ainslie 1929). A similar species, Bracon lissogaster Muesebeck, was later reported to also attack C. cinctus larvae (Muesebeck 1953; Somsen and Luginbill 1956). These parasitoids are now prevalent in wheat in some regions of Montana (Morrill et al. 1994, 1998; Morrill 1997). The life histories and phenologies of these sympatric idiobiont ectoparasitoids are similar. The ability to distinguish B. cephi from B. lissogaster is essential in elucidating their effects on populations of C. cinctus. We examined 159 females and 123 males of B. cephi from Chouteau, Hill, Stillwater, Teton, and Toole counties in Montana; Burke, Burleigh, Rolette, and Williams counties in North Dakota; Rock County in Minnesota; and southem Alberta (Rockyford and Consort). The 254 females and 215 males of B. lissogaster examined were from Chouteau, Hill, Teton, and Toole counties in Montana. Holotypes were compared to verify identifications.


Plant Disease ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 96 (12) ◽  
pp. 1712-1728 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcia McMullen ◽  
Gary Bergstrom ◽  
Erick De Wolf ◽  
Ruth Dill-Macky ◽  
Don Hershman ◽  
...  

Wheat and barley are critical food and feed crops around the world. Wheat is grown on more land area worldwide than any other crop. In the United States, production of wheat and barley contributes to domestic food and feed use, and contributes to the export market and balance of trade. Fifteen years ago, Plant Disease published a feature article titled “Scab of wheat and barley: A re-emerging disease of devastating impact”. That article described the series of severe Fusarium head blight (FHB) epidemics that occurred in the United States and Canada, primarily from 1991 through 1996, with emphasis on the unparalleled economic and sociological impacts caused by the 1993 FHB epidemic in spring grains in the Northern Great Plains region. Earlier publications had dealt with the scope and damage caused by this disease in the United States, Canada, Europe, and China. Reviews published after 1997 further described this disease and its impact on North American grain production in the 1990s. This article reviews the disease and documents the information on U.S. FHB epidemics since 1997. The primary goal of this article is to summarize a sustained, coordinated, and collaborative research program that was put in place shortly after the 1993 epidemic, a program intended to quickly lead to improved management strategies and outreach implementation. This program serves as a model to deal with other emerging plant disease threats.


2006 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas G. Shanower ◽  
Debra K. Waters

The wheat stem sawfly, Cephas cinctus Norton, the wheat stem maggot, Meromyza americana Fitch, the Hessian fly, Mayetiola destructor (Say), the wheat jointworm, Tetramesa tritici (Fitch), and the wheat strawworm, Tetramesa grandis (Riley), have long been considered wheat pests in the northern Great Plains. This paper reports results of surveys for these pests conducted over 3 yrs in parts of Montana (10 counties), North Dakota (14 counties), South Dakota (1 county), Nebraska (4 counties) and Wyoming (1 county). Fields were randomly selected and a mean of 191 stems were sampled from each field. The percentage of stems infested with each pest was recorded. The percentage of parasitized wheat stem sawfly larvae also was noted. The wheat stem sawfly, wheat stem maggot, and Hessian fly were the most commonly encountered pests, recorded in nearly every county. Wheat stem sawfly density was twice that of wheat stem maggot (7% vs 3.2%) in infested fields. Wheat stem sawfly densities exceeded 10% in 4 counties: Daniels and Wibaux in MT, Golden Valley, ND and Goshen, WY. Wheat stem sawfly parasitism was low and positively correlated with sawfly infestation. Wheat stem maggot infestations were low (<11% for all fields), averaging 3.2% among infested fields. Hessian fly densities were much lower (2.2% among infested fields) than reported elsewhere in the U.S. The wheat jointworm and strawworm were absent from most fields and only occasionally found at low levels (<1% and <3.5% respectively, among infested fields). This information will help to prioritize wheat insect pest management research and extension programs in this region.


2011 ◽  
Vol 143 (2) ◽  
pp. 105-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
B.L. Beres ◽  
L.M. Dosdall ◽  
D.K. Weaver ◽  
H.A. Cárcamo ◽  
D.M. Spaner

AbstractThe wheat stem sawfly, Cephus cinctus Norton (Hymenoptera: Cephidae), is historically one of the most important economic insect pests in the northern Great Plains of North America. Within this geographical region, the areas subjected to greatest attack are southern Alberta and Saskatchewan, southwestern Manitoba, eastern and northern Montana, North Dakota, northern South Dakota, and western Minnesota. Cumulative grain-yield losses and annual economic losses associated with this pest can exceed 30% and $350 million, respectively. Solid-stemmed cultivars of common wheat, Triticum aestivum L. (Poaceae), tolerant of infestation, are critical for C. cinctus management, but outbreaks of this pest continue to occur even after six decades of cultivar development. Furthermore, chemical control (a primary control option for other cereal (Poaceae) insect pests) has proven ineffective; this underscores the need to integrate resistant cultivars into a comprehensive integrated pest management program. We provide overviews of wheat stem sawfly biology, recent advances in applied research, the efficacy and integration of cultural and biological management strategies, and future directions for global research activities to manage wheat stem sawfly.


2007 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
H.B. Goosey ◽  
A.W. Lenssen ◽  
G.D. Johnson ◽  
S.L. Blodgett ◽  
G. R. Carlson ◽  
...  

The wheat stem sawfly, Cephus cinctus Norton, is the primary arthropod pest of wheat, Triticum aestivum Thell, in the Northern Great Plains. Yet, information is unavailable on wheat stem sawfly infestation potential of currently grown spring durum cultivars. Field trials were conducted in 1998 and 1999 to determine wheat stem sawfly susceptibility of 13 spring durum cultivars and one hard red spring wheat. Preharvest infestations ranged from 2–55%. Postharvest larval infestations of stubble ranged from 1–9.5%. Three durum cultivars ‘Lloyd’, ‘Plenty’, and ‘Sceptre’ appear to offer potential, as a rotational crop, for management of wheat stem sawfly.


2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 255-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward S. DeKeyser ◽  
Lauren A. Dennhardt ◽  
John Hendrickson

AbstractKentucky bluegrass was introduced into the present-day United States in the 1600s. Since that time, Kentucky bluegrass has spread throughout the United States and Canada becoming prolific in some areas. In the past century, Kentucky bluegrass has been a presence and often a dominant species in some prairies in the Northern Great Plains. Sometime within the past few decades, Kentucky bluegrass has become the most-common species on the untilled, native prairie sites of much of North and South Dakota. In this article, we hypothesize how Kentucky bluegrass has come to dominate one of the most endangered ecosystems in North America—the prairie—through a historical, ecological, and climatological lens. We urge others to start addressing the invasion of Kentucky bluegrass with both new research and management strategies.


1977 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 729-733 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. C. DARLINGTON ◽  
D. E. MATHRE ◽  
R. H. JOHNSTON

Isolates of Claviceps purpurea (Fr.) Tul. originally isolated from many different grass hosts in the northern Great Plains and several other areas in the United States and England were tested for their pathogenicity to selected cultivars or lines of male-sterile wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). While there was a great range in the level of virulence, no clear-cut evidence of specific races was obtained. A few isolates were weakly virulent on two cultivars of male-sterile spring wheat but were highly virulent on the other two cultivars tested. Wheat and barley breeders are advised to use a mixture of isolates in screening germ plasm for resistance to ergot.


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