ADVANTAGES AND APPLICATION OF PUNCTURED EPPENDORF TUBE TECHNIQUE (PETT) ON THE BIOLOGY OF THE BIRD CHERRY-OAT APHID, Rhopalosiphum padi (LINNAEUS)

Abstract

This study demonstrates the advantages and important role of using Punctured Eppendorf Tube Technique (PETT) in different laboratory experiments such as behavioral, biological, bioassay of different small organisms such as Aphids. This technique simulated the natural growth stage of seeds under controlled conditions. PETT require low maintenance, simple, relatively inexpensive and allows monitoring of different small organisms. It depends on using Punctured Eppendorf Tubes as a closed media for seedling roots. The seeds to be germinated in a Petridish containing wetted Cotton or autoclaved soil or nutrient solution or Mulch according to the purpose of the experiment. After germination, the new seedlings to be transferred to Punctured Eppendorf Tubes. The punctured holes should be small to allow only the shoot to come out and not to allow any other organisms to move into the tube contents. The tubes to be filled with the prober media which may vary depending on the purpose of the study (i.e. Sterilized soil and water, nutrient solution…etc) and closed tightly. The units to be placed in ventilated plastic Petridishes covered with a piece of organza cloth to easy supply with normal or physical light and air conditions. Also, the PETT could be put in a closed sterile glass Petridishes for the purpose of pathogenic organisms' studies.Results are closed to reality by using this technique. It allows facilitating similar environment around the host plant and the studied organism as much as natural situation. It reduces the hassle of using detached leaves or leaf discs and the problem of their deterioration over very short time or reduces the need to change them daily. The longer availability of an acceptable food source reduces handling time and disruption of organisms. This technique allows the monitoring of the natural interaction between the organism and its host plant due to the long time of organism existing on the host plant. This technique is prober for using with plant seedlings especially those belonging to Fam.: Gramineae as wheat, barley, rice, cereal weeds…etc. Using this technique make it easy to monitor the investigated organisms and its behavior on its host plant. This technique was used to study the biological aspects and life table parameters of the bird cherry-oat aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi (Linnaeus) at a constant temperature of 30 o C as an example. The obtained results revealed that the life cycle, generation time, longevity and the life span durations were 6.58± 1.50, 7.96 ± 2.73, 13.15± 4.60 and 19.23 ± 4.28 days, while the recorded fecundity rate was 21.77 progeny/ female. Calculated life table parameters showed that the net reproductive rate (Ro), the mean generation time (T), the intrinsic rate of increase (rm) and the Finite rate of increase (exp. rm) values were 10.107, 10.56, 0.22 and 1.24, while the recorded population doubling time (PDT) in this study was 3.166 days.

BIOLOGICAL ASPECTS AND THERMAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE BIRD CHERRY-OAT APHID, Rhopalosiphum padi (LINNAEUS), REARED ON WHEAT SEEDLINGS

“…The number of aphid replicates were 24, 27 and 22 individuals at each temperature, respectively. Wheat seedlings were offered for feeding and maintaining aphids using the new technique of the Punctured Ependorf Tube Technique (PETT) which described by El-Fatih, (2014).…”