ORIGINAL ARTICLE
The effect of different seeding densities of linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) on flax flea beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)
 
More details
Hide details
1
Department of Plant Protection, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Grunwaldzki 24a, 50-363 Wroclaw, Poland
 
2
Department of Zoology, Animal Ecology and Wildlife Management, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka 13, 20-950 Lublin, Poland
 
3
Department of Crop Production, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Grunwaldzki 24a, 50-363 Wroclaw, Poland
 
 
Submission date: 2017-02-09
 
 
Acceptance date: 2017-06-05
 
 
Corresponding author
Jacek Twardowski
Department of Plant Protection, Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Grunwaldzki 24a, 50-363 Wroclaw, Poland
 
 
Journal of Plant Protection Research 2017;57(2):158-166
 
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Linseed, one of the oldest cultivated crops, is again gaining in importance, mainly due to its nutritional benefits and biomedical applications. Therefore, it is expected that herbivores will also exist in greater abundance. Among them the flea beetle, Aphthona euphorbiae Schrank and Longitarsus parvulus Paykull are considered to be serious pests of flax grown for fibre and seeds in Europe. The aim of this study was to determine flax flea beetles’ abundance, species richness and seasonal dynamics on linseed grown at different densities. It was expected that linseed seeding density can significantly affect flea beetle populations. The experiment was carried out in Lower Silesia, Poland, from 2011 to 2013. A genetically modified type of linseed overproducing flavonoids was used. Flea beetles and the damages they caused were determined on plants and also a sweep net was used for the collection of adult beetles. During the three years of the study 15 species of flea beetles were identified from oil flax plants, with A. euphorbiae and L. parvulus being dominant. In terms of the total catch, the tendency was for beetle numbers to decrease with increasing plant density. Flax flea beetles feeding on linseed plants, irrespective of plant density, had two peaks of abundance. Th e first peak was lower and occurred in June, when plants were at the blooming stage. This peak was caused by overwintering adults who colonized crops in spring. The second, higher peak of abundance was recorded in the second half of July, when plants were at the ripening stage. This peak was formed by adults of the new generation. Each year, at the higher population peak of abundance, the flea beetles were most numerous on plants grown at the lowest density. There was one period, lasting either from mid-May to the first few days of June, or from the beginning of June to mid-June, during which the number of holes and damage on plants of each treatment were highest. During the three years of the study there were several cases of significantly higher numbers of flea beetle feeding symptoms on plants grown at the lowest density as compared to the medium and highest densities.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors have declared that no conflict of interests exist.
 
REFERENCES (26)
1.
Afonin A.N., Greene S.L., Dzyubenko N.I., Frolov A.N. 2008. Interactive Agricultural Ecological Atlas of Russia and Neighboring Countries. Economic Plants and their Diseases, Pests and Weeds. Available on: http://www.agroatlas.ru[Access...: 20.01.2017].
 
2.
Alphonse P.A.S., Aluko R.E. 2015. Anti-carcinogenic and anti-metastatic effects of flax seed lignin secolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG). Discovery Phytomedicine 2: 12–17. DOI: 10.15562/phytomedicine.2015.24.
 
3.
Borowiec L., Ś cibior R., Kubisz D. 2011. Critical check-list of the Polish Chrysomeloidea, except Cerambycidae (Coleoptera: Phytophaga). Genus 22 (4): 579–608.
 
4.
Cherry R., Wang Y., Nuessly G., Raid R. 2013. Journal of Entomological Science 48 (1): 52–60. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18474/074....
 
5.
Demirbas A. 2009. Production of biodiesel fuels from linseed oil using methanol and ethanol in non-catalytic SCF conditions. Biomass and Bioenergy 33 (1): 113–118. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biom....
 
6.
Fischer K., Ulber B. 2006. Larval parasitism of Ceutorhynchus napi Gyll. and Ceutorhynchus pallidactylus (Mrsh.) in plots of different crop density of oilseed rape. Integrated Control in Oilseed Crops, IOBC/WPRS Bulletin 29 (7): 203.
 
7.
Flenet F., Guerif M., Boiffin J., Dorvillez D., Champoliver L. 2006. The critical N dilution curve for linseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) is different from other C3 species. European Journal of Agronomy 24: 367–373. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eja.....
 
8.
Halpern S.L., Bedner D., Chisholm A., Underwood N. 2014. Plant-mediated effects of host plant density on a specialist herbivore of Solanum carolinense. Ecological Entomology 39 (2): 217–225. DOI: 10.1111/een.12088.
 
9.
Heller K., Sheng Q.C., Guan F., Alexopoulou E., Hua L.S., Wu G.W., Janauskienė Z., Fu W.Y. 2015. A comparative study between Europe and China in crop management of two types of flax: linseed and fibre flax. Industrial Crops and Products 68: 24–31. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indc....
 
10.
Jacobsz M.J., van der Merwe W.J.C. 2012. Production Guidelines for Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.). Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Republic of South Africa, 28 pp.
 
11.
Jhala A.J., Hall L.M. 2010. Flax (Linum usitatissimum L.): current uses and future applications. Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences 4 (9): 4304–4312.
 
12.
Kurt O. 2010. Effects of chilling on germination in flax (L. usitatissimum L.). Turkish Journal of Field Crops 15 (2): 159–163.
 
13.
Neumann N., Ulber B. 2006. Adult activity and larval abundance of stem weevils and their parasitoids at different crop densities of oilseed rape. Integrated Control in Oilseed Crops IOBC/WPRS Bulletin 29 (7): 201.
 
14.
Otway S.J., Hector A., Lawton J.L. 2005. Resource dilution effects on specialist insect herbivores in a grassland biodiversity experiment. Journal of Animal Ecology 74: 234–240. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2005.00913.x.
 
15.
Ralph C.P. 1977. Effect of host plant density on populations of a specialized, seed-sucking bug, Oncopeltus fasciatus. Ecology 58 (4): 799–809. DOI: 10.2307/1936215.
 
16.
Rodriguez E., Peco B., Gurrea M.P. 2012. Effect of Scotch broom, Cytisus scoparius, pod size and patch density on Exapion fuscirostre (Coleoptera, Apionidae) seed weevil oviposition. Australian Journal of Entomology 51 (2): 127–132. DOI: 10.1111/j.1440-6055.2011.00848.x.
 
17.
Rodriguez-Leyva D., Weighell W., Edel A.L., LaVallee R., Dibrov E., Pinneker R. 2013. Potent antihypertensive action of dietary flaxseed in hypertensive patients. Hypertension 62 (6): 1081–1089. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1161/HYPERT....
 
18.
Shim Y.Y., Gui B., Arnison P.G., Wang Y., Reaney M.J.T. 2014. Flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum L.) bioactive compounds and peptide nomenclature: A review. Trends in Food Science and Technology 38 (1): 5–20. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs....
 
19.
Turner T.D., Mapiye C., Aalhus J.L., Beaulieu A.D., Patience J.F., Zijlstra R.T. 2014. Flaxseed fed pork: n-3 fatty acid enrichment and contribution to dietary recommendations. Meat Science 96 (1): 541–547. DOI: 10.1016/j.meatsci.2013.08.021.
 
20.
Wise I.L., Soroka J.J. 2003. Principal insect pests of flax. p. 142–145. In: “Flax the genus Linum” (A.D. Muir, N.D. Westcott, eds.). London, New York, 299 pp.
 
21.
Yamamura K. 1999. Relation between plant density and arthropod density in cabbage. Researches on Population Ecology 41 (2): 177–182. DOI: 10.1007/s101440050020.
 
22.
Zając T., Oleksy A., Klimek-Kopyra A., Kulig B. 2012. Biological determinations of plant and crop productivity of flax (Linum usitatissimum L.). Acta Agrobotanica 65 (4): 3–14.
 
23.
Zuk M., Kulma A., Dyminska L., Szoltysek K., Prescha A., Hanuza J., Szopa J. 2011. Flavonoid engineering of flax potentiate its biotechnological application. BMC Biotechnology 11: 10. DOI: 10.1186/1472-6750-11-10.
 
24.
Zuk M., Richter D., Matuła J., Szopa J. 2015. Linseed, the multipurpose plant. Industrial Crops and Products 75, Part B: 165–177. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indc....
 
25.
Żurańska I. 1965a. Dynamika występowania Aphthona euphorbiae Schr. i Longitarsus parvulus Payk. na uprawach lnu w województwie olsztyńskim w zależności od niektórych czynników ekologicznych [Dynamics of the occurrence of Aphthona euphorbiae Schr. and Longitarsus parvulus Payk. on linseed crops in the Olsztyn province depending on some environmental factors]. Zeszyty Naukowe WSR Olsztyn 19: 485–489. (in Polish).
 
26.
Żurańska I. 1965b. Pchełki (Halticinae) występujące na uprawach lnu w województwie olsztyńskim i ich gospodarcze znaczenie [Flea beetles (Halticinae) occurring on lineseed crops in the Olsztyn province and their economic importance]. Zeszyty Naukowe WSR Olsztyn 19: 475–483. (in Polish).
 
eISSN:1899-007X
ISSN:1427-4345
Journals System - logo
Scroll to top