No abstract

Frankliniella occidentalis  (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) is an important pest in vegetable and ornamental greenhouse crops due their direct damage by feeding and indirect damage by vectoring Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TSWV). Also, is very well known that they have an extremely high resistance to a wide range of insecticide. Thus by monitoring thrips population appropriate control plans can be established. Western flower thrips was reported in all greenhouses from Cluj County (Romania). In order to assess thrips population dynamic and color preference we conducted a research in a plastic greenhouse of 8000 m 2 placed outside of Cluj-Napoca where the main cultivated crops were tomatoes ( Solanum lycopersicum ) and the main thrips pest found was western flower thirps. During the sample period pest population was monitored weekly using two methods: by counting thrips trapped on five different colored sticky cards (blue, yellow, white, red and transparent) and by a technique based on leaves tapping. Data analysis showed no correlation between traps and tapping method. Blue and yellow traps had the highest attractiveness compared with all the others colors and between those, blue proved to be the most effective.

Phytophtora infestans, the causal organism of late blight, is the most important fungal pathogen of potato. Utilization of resistant variety is the most important strategy of potato late blight control. For creating new resistant varieties Marker Assisted Selection significantly increase the efficiency of this process. RAPD markers offer the advantage that it requires no preliminary information concerning the DNA sequence of the resistance genes or about expression product of these genes. But in this case molecular markers, defined by a certain polymorphism, have to be attributed to resistance genes by a genetic analysis. The simplest method, rely on co segregation or constantly presence of a polymorphic band in the resistant forms that is absent in the susceptible forms. To achieve that two groups of potato accessions originated from USA and Brasov, Romania, were used, represented of resistant differential lines with known R genes. From the seven primers used some gave amplification product only in resistant differential lines but no in sensitive one, amplification product that could be considered as candidate for molecular markers of resistant genes usable for Marker Assisted Selection of potato resistant to P. infestans.