Oviposition site preferences by Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae): effect of season and density on distribution of eggs on plants | Zitsanza, E. S. | 2006 |
KeywordsAfrican bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera, oviposition sites, tomato AbstractIn an attempt to improve field sampling of the African bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), oviposition behaviour of the pest on tomato plants was investigated. From limited studies conducted in the past, variation in oviposition sites preferences by H. armigera is thought to be seasonally related. This phenomenon has been hypothesized as being associated with seasonal variation in leaf nutritional composition. To further our understanding of the oviposition behaviour of the pest, field studies were conducted to determine oviposition site preferences, the effects of season and infestation density on the distribution of eggs on tomato plant parts. Experimental tomato crops were grown on replicated plots in spring (August to November) and in summer (February to April). Oviposition behaviour was determined by weekly sampling for eggs on tomato crops grown during the above seasons. The second and third compound leaves from the terminal bud and flower clusters at the third inter-node were the most preferred egg laying sites. Chi-square tests indicated that significantly higher percentages of eggs (P < 0.01) were laid on flower clusters in summer compared to spring. As infestation densities increased from low to high, significantly higher proportions of eggs (P < 0.01) were deposited on flower clusters but this relationship was only observed during the first year. AuthorsZitsanza, E. S., Giga, D. P. and Knight, J. D. Year Published2006 PublicationSouth African Journal of Plant and Soil LocationsDOI10.1080/02571862.2006.10634744 This article contributed by:
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A family of stochastic models for droughts | Zucchini, W. | 1991 |
KeywordsDrought, rainfall, simulation, stochastic model AbstractThere is no single quantitative definition of a drought; what constitutes a drought depends both on water needs and on storage capabilities. In this paper a family of models is proposed which is sufficiently flexible to cover a range of different situations; the user may select some of the parameters to suit his particular application. The input to the model is a sequence of rainfall values which in turn may be generated by a stochastic model, thus enabling the simulation of a long sequence of rainfall data which allow the user to study the distribution of droughts of any given duration or severity. Several of illustrative examples are given. AuthorsZucchini, W., Adamson, P. T. and McNeill, L. Year Published1991 PublicationSouth African Journal of Plant and Soil LocationsDOI10.1080/02571862.1991.10634835 This article contributed by:
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