Response of Potato Tuber Yield to Stem Injury by European Corn Borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in the Mid-Atlantic United States

Abstract

The response of potato, Solanum tuberosum L., tuber yield to stem injury by European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner), larvae was investigated in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States for 3 yr. This response was described for 'Superior', 'Atlantic', and 'Snowden' potato, which are early-season, midseason, and late-season maturing cultivars, respectively. To model the yield/injury relationship, a range of corn borer injury levels was established in the field by augmenting the natural infestation with varying densities of laboratory-reared larvae. Linear and nonlinear regression analyses (plateau and second-order polynomial models) were used to describe the relationship between yield of U.S. No. 1 grade tubers and the percentage of stems injured by corn borer larvae. The maturity of the cultivar did not affect the response of potato yield to stem injury. In nine of 14 experiments, potato tolerated high levels of corn borer injury (55-90% of stems injured) without yield loss, suggesting that control of corn borer may not be necessary. Yet, in one of five Superior tests, in two of four Atlantic tests and in two of five Snowden tests, corn borer injury significantly reduced yield. Of the five data sets in which corn borer injury reduced yield, the plateau model fit two data sets and the quadratic model fit one data set. In two of the three cases, these models accounted for nearly identical amounts of total variation in yield as that accounted for by the linear model. The linear model fit four of the five data sets, but the R2 values were low for three of the four tests (0.10, 0.18, and 0.31). The parameter or parameters that interact with corn borer injury to cause tuber yield reduction should be identified before economic injury levels and thresholds are developed.

Dispersal ofTrichogramma ostriniae(Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) in Potato Fields

“…Augmentative releases of the parasitoid have resulted in signiÞcantly reduced damage by O. nubilalis in sweet corn (Wang et al 1999, peppers, and potatoes (Kuhar et al 2004). O. nubilalis is an established and economically important pest in potato in the eastern United States (Kennedy 1983, Nault et al 2001. Larvae tunnel into and within stems damaging tissue and leaving plants susceptible to breakage.…”

Second Generation European Corn Borer Injury and Irish Potato Physiology, Yield, and Quality

“…For example, the bacterial disease potato blackleg, caused by Erwinia carotovora , is spread by first generation ECB as the larvae move from stem to stem (Anderson et al, 1981). However, secondary infection by this disease cannot account for all cases of economic loss attributed to ECB injury (Nault et al, 2001).…”

“…While bacterial infection appears to cause the most significant problems, stem damage from ECB feeding also affects transpiration rates and leads to local wilting of leaves and eventual leaf death (Cranshaw and Radcliffe, 1980; Hare, 1980; Wellik et al, 1981; Kennedy, 1983). Although various studies have been conducted examining first generation ECB injury to potato (e.g., Hanzlik et al, 1997; Kennedy, 1983; Nault et al, 2001; Nault and Kennedy, 1996a), the physiological basis for tuber yield reduction caused by ECB injury remains unresolved.…”

Potato Resistance Against Insect Herbivores

“…Damage by these insects can sometimes increase the incidence of potato pathogens, e.g., corn-borers can increase the incidence of aerial stem rot caused by Erwinia carotovora (Jones) (Kennedy 1983) and moth damage to tubers increases fungal-related tuber-rot (Shelton and Wyman 1979;Sileshi and Teriessa 2001). Overall however, above-ground feeding by lepidopteran larvae rarely causes economic losses as many modern varieties of crop potato appear to have generally high tolerance to above-ground damage (Kennedy 1983;Nault et al 2001;Zeims et al 2008).…”