Treating hop plants with (Z)-jasmone increases colonization by Phorodon humuli (Hemiptera: Aphididae) spring migrants.

Hop plants were sprayed with (Z)-jasmone, at a rate of 50 g ha(-1), during the spring migration of the damson-hop aphid Phorodon humuli (Schrank) in 2002 and 2003. Numbers of P. humuli spring migrants colonizing hop plants, Humulus lupulus L., 2-6 and 7-11 days after applying this treatment were assessed in both years. During the first five-day period, significantly more spring migrants were found on hop plants treated with (Z)-jasmone, in comparison with control plants, in 2002. By contrast, no significant difference was evident in the second five-day period. Although the migration in 2003 was much lighter than in 2002, greater numbers of migrants were again removed from treated plants. Indeed, more spring migrants were removed from plants sprayed with (Z)-jasmone in this year during both five-day periods (11 and 44%, respectively) compared with the 23% greater numbers removed in the first five-day period in 2002. Therefore, unlike some other species of aphid, where numbers were consistently lower on plots sprayed with (Z)-jasmone, spraying the secondary host of P. humuli with this compound appears to increase colonization by spring migrants.