The Effect of Treatment of Triticale with Growth Regulators of Verva and Ecopene on the Reproductive Ability of the Common Grass Aphid (Schizaphis graminum R.)

Cereals are the basis of human nutrition, accounting for more than 50% of the daily calorie intake in the world. A valuable feed crop is triticale, which is successfully used in bakery production in a number of countries. To date, this cereal is the host of more than 40 species of aphids, including the common grass aphid Schizaphis graminum R., one of the most common and most malicious. The main method of regulating the number of sucking pests is the use of pesticides, various fertilizers, and plant growth regulators (PGRs). In this study, the effect of the PGRs Verva and Ecopin on the reproductive ability of S. graminum when feeding insects on spring triticale was investigated. Common grass aphids were planted on 20 samples of spring triticale. Plants with planted aphids were treated once with the PGR Verva at a concentration of 1 mL/L and Ecopin at a concentration of 1 g/10 L. The pest population was assessed on the second and fourth days after planting. A sharp increase in the number of offspring in aphids was detected on 18 samples of treated PGR two days after planting, and by day 4 it had doubled. Only in two of the studied samples of experimental plants, had treatment with the PGR used had practically no effect on the number of pests. Future research should focus on studying the mechanisms of aphid-induced chlorosis and the role of aphid saliva proteins in inducing a physiological response in plants.