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Cabbage whitefly is a pest that is becoming increasingly difficult to control on kale and Brussels sprout crops in particular. It is not clear why this is the case, although outbreaks appear to be more severe in hot, dry years (2003, 2006 and 2010). Research on the basic biology and ecology of cabbage whitefly was undertaken in the late 1930s and this provides very useful background information. More recently, there has been research on the overwintering status of cabbage whitefly (females overwinter in a state of ovarian diapause) and on development times on, and preferences for, different cultivars of susceptible brassica crops. Most recently, research in the UK has focused on insecticidal control and a recent paper provided strong evidence that certain whitefly populations in the UK are resistant to pyrethroid insecticides (Springate & Colvin, 2011).
The overall aim of this project is to improve understanding of the biology and ecology of cabbage whitefly to help growers minimise the size of infestations and to control unacceptable whitefly infestations effectively. The project will consist of continuous monitoring of whitefly populations in the field, and laboratory, field and greenhouse experiments to 1) identify periods of rapid population increase and decline, 2) determine the main causes of population decline and increase, 3) produce a simple model of whitefly development 4) identify the life-cycle stages and periods in the year when whitefly are most susceptible to applied control methods (insecticidal, biological, physical) and 5) determine the factors influencing survival on, and preference for, different host plants. There are excellent laboratory, field and greenhouse facilities for work on pest insects at Warwick Crop Centre on the Wellesbourne Campus http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/lifesci/wcc/ and there will also be opportunities to visit commercial brassica growers to sample their crops.
The project is funded by the Horticultural Development Company http://www.hdc.org.uk/ and there will be plenty of opportunity for regular interaction with members of the horticulture industry at grower meetings and through written communications, such as posters, articles and reports.
Key experimental skills involved:
Training in the assimilation, analysis and summary of information from a variety of sources, design and execution of field and laboratory experiments, insect rearing techniques, writing and presentation skills.
Keywords: Cabbage whitefly, Aleyrodes proletella, insect biology, insect ecology, integrated pest management.
Funding Notes:
The Studentship will cover full tuition fees at the UK/EU level and will pay the student a stipend equivalent to UK Research Councils (at least £13,590 per annum).
References:
Butler, C.G. (1938a). On the ecology of Aleurodes brassicae Walk. (Hemiptera) . Trans. R. Ent Soc. Lond. 87, 291-311.
Nebreda, M., Nombela, G. and Muñiz, M. (2005). Comparative Host Suitability of Some Brassica Cultivars for the Whitefly, Aleyrodes proletella (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae). Environmental Entomology 34(1): 205-209.
Springate, S. & Colvin, J. (2011). Pyrethroid insecticide resistance in British populations of the cabbage whitefly, Aleyrodes proletella. Pest Management Science (published on-line)
Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) 2008 Results