Influences of Planting Population on Sugarcane Aphid (Melanaphis sacchari) in Grain Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) Brittany Lipsey Mississippi State University Sorghum – Sugarcane Aphid Research Exchange Meeting Dallas, TX January 3 – 4, 2017
Collaborators Name Affiliation Trial Location Plant Date Spray Angus Catchot Mississippi State University Starkville, MS Jeff Gore Stoneville, MS
Objective Determine the influence of plant population and insecticide treatment on sugarcane aphid densities in grain sorghum
Materials & Methods RCB design with a factorial arrangement of treatments replicated 4 times in 2015 and 2016. Factor A= Planting Population Factor B= Treated Plots vs. Untreated Control Plots Treated plots were treated with seed treatment and with foliar insecticide on current threshold. The data were analyzed with regression analysis and analysis of covariance was used to compare slopes. Aphid counts were taken weekly during infestation by examining 15 flag leaves and 15 bottom leaves in each plot and estimating the total number of aphids on each leaf. The center two rows were harvest and adjusted to 13% moisture.
SCA in Treated Plots in 2015 and 2016
Total SCA in Treated Plots 2015 and 2016
SCA in Untreated Plots in 2015 and 2016
Total SCA in Untreated Plots 2015 and 2016
Yield 2015
Yield 2016
Key Learnings We observed a NEGATIVE correlation between aphid numbers and population effect. As population increased aphid populations decreased. Bottom leaves consistently had HIGHER aphid numbers than top leaves. Yield in 2015 positively correlated with population. As we observed an increase in population, we also observed an increase in yield. In 2016, we observed no correlation between plant population and yield but a drastic difference in yield due to seed treatment. We think that the small plot size diminished some of the population effects that would have occurred in field settings (large plot). B. C. Thrash