Adom Médétissi, Fening Ken O, Billah Maxwell K, Aigbedion-Atalor Pascal O, Acheampong Mavis A, Wilson David D
African Regional Postgraduate Programme in Insect Science (ARPPIS), University of Ghana, Legon, PMB L. 59, Accra, Ghana.
Soil and Irrigation Research Centre, School of Agriculture, University of Ghana, Legon P. O. Box LG. 68, Accra, Ghana.
J Econ Entomol. 2024 Dec 28;117(6):2567-2576. doi: 10.1093/jee/toae213.
Thaumatotibia leucotreta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) is a major threat to the production and marketing of pepper (Capsicum spp.) in Ghana. To reduce the damage of the pest on pepper farming, it is important to find appropriate control methods, which may include the use of resistant host plants. This study investigated the relative susceptibility of 6 pepper varieties commonly cultivated in Ghana: Legon 18, Bird's eye, Scotch bonnet, Cayenne, KA2, and sweet pepper (Yolo wonder+ variety). Choice and no-choice ovipositional preference tests were conducted and the population growth rate of T. leucotreta was determined by establishing life table parameters including the net reproductive rates (R0), the mean generation time (G), intrinsic rate of natural increase (rm), the population doubling time (T), and the finite rate of increase (λ). In the no-choice test, females exhibited oviposition preference for sweet pepper (12.08 eggs/fruit), while Bird's eye was the least preferred (5.00 eggs/fruit). The same results were observed in the choice test. However, the population growth rate of T. leucotreta was highest on the Scotch bonnet and Cayenne, with rm of 0.124 and 0.127, respectively, while the Bird's eye and sweet pepper recorded the least rm of 0.116. Thus, the tested varieties had varying levels of susceptibility to T. leucotreta infestation. Bird's eye was the least susceptible variety, while Cayenne and Scotch bonnet were the most susceptible varieties. These findings could direct farmers on the choices of pepper varieties for cultivation and proffer potential opportunities to breed new varieties resistant to T. leucotreta infestation.
番茄潜叶蛾（Thaumatotibia leucotreta Meyrick，鳞翅目：卷蛾科）是加纳辣椒（Capsicum spp.）生产和销售的主要威胁。为减少该害虫对辣椒种植的损害，找到合适的防治方法很重要，这可能包括使用抗性寄主植物。本研究调查了加纳常见种植的6个辣椒品种的相对易感性：勒贡18号、鸟眼椒、苏格兰帽椒、卡宴辣椒、KA2和甜椒（约洛奇迹+品种）。进行了选择和非选择产卵偏好试验，并通过建立生命表参数来确定番茄潜叶蛾的种群增长率，这些参数包括净繁殖率（R0）、平均世代时间（G）、内禀自然增长率（rm）、种群加倍时间（T）和有限增长率（λ）。在非选择试验中，雌虫对甜椒表现出产卵偏好（12.08粒卵/果实），而鸟眼椒最不受青睐（5.00粒卵/果实）。在选择试验中也观察到了相同的结果。然而，番茄潜叶蛾在苏格兰帽椒和卡宴辣椒上的种群增长率最高，rm分别为0.124和0.127，而鸟眼椒和甜椒的rm最低，为0.116。因此，受试品种对番茄潜叶蛾侵害的易感性水平各不相同。鸟眼椒是最不易感的品种，而卡宴辣椒和苏格兰帽椒是最易感的品种。这些发现可为农民选择种植的辣椒品种提供指导，并为培育抗番茄潜叶蛾侵害的新品种提供潜在机会。
