Evaluating the Efficacy of Thistle Tortoise Beetle (Cassida rubiginosa Muller) for Biological Control of Canada Thistle (Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop.)

Document Type : Research Paper

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Abstract

Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) is a noxious weed and one of the most problematic weeds in field crops, orchards, vegetables, pastures and grasslands in Iran. Thistle tortoise beetle (Cassida rubiginosa), an herbivore insect, seems to be an effective agent for suppressing the biomass and survival of Canada thistle. In order to study the efficacy of thistle tortoise beetle for biological control of this weed an experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with five replications, in which the populations 0 (control), 5, 10, and 20 larvae per plants were considered as treatments. Results showed that thistle tortoise beetle controlled Canada thistle significantly in all densities. Feeding 20 insects on each plant reduced total biomass and seed production by 78% and 94%, respectively

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References

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Iranian Journal of Weed Science
Volume 4, Issue 1 - Serial Number 1
September 2008
Pages 15-22

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