Lucerne aphid effects on 18 pasture legumes in southern Queensland: a glasshouse study

Abstract

The suitability of 18 naturalized or commercial pasture legumes as hosts of the spotted alfalfa aphid (SAA) (Therioaphis trifolii f, maculata (Monell)) and the blue-green aphid (BGA) (Acyrthosiphon kondoi Shinji) and the effects of the aphids on the growth of these legumes were investigated in uncaged pots in a glasshouse trial. The species and cultivars tested were: Medicago sativa cv. Hunter River, M. truncatula var. truncatula cv. Jemalong, M. truncatula var. truncatula cv. Cyprus, M. scutellata cv. Robinson, M. littoralis cv. Harbinger, M. polymorpha, M. minima, M, lupulina, Trifolium repens cv. Ladino, T. repens cv. Grasslands Huia, T, semipilosum var. glabrescens cv. Safari, T, pratense cv. Grasslands Turoa, T, subterraneum cv. Woogenellup, T, glomeratum, Astragalus hamosus cv. loman, Vicia dasycarpa cv. Namoi, Ornithopus compressus cv. Pitman, Macroptilium atropurpureum cv. Siratro. Medicago spp. and Trifolium spp. supported the greatest populations of SAA and BGA, respectively, although high populations of the latter were supported on most legumes. M. scutellata cv. Robinson and M. truncatula cvv. Jemalong and Cyprus supported a low population of SAA while T. semipilosum cv. Safari was the only Trifolium sp. host. BGA developed on all legumes with lowest populations on O. compressus cv. Pitman, M. atropurpureum cv. Siratro and Vicia dasycarpa cv. Namoi. SAA reduced yields of all Medicago spp, except cvv. Jemalong, Cyprus and Robinson ; all M. littoralis cv. Harbinger and most M. polymorpha plants died. BGA reduced yields of all legumes except cv. Robinson, cv. Namoi, cv. Pitman and cv. Siratro; all cv. loman plants died. Treatment with both aphids reduced yields of all legumes except cv. Namoi, cv. Pitman and cv. Siratro and killed all plants of cv. Harbinger, M. polymorpha and cv, loman. Of the legumes examined, V. dasycarpa cv. Namoi, O. compressus cv. Pitman, M. atropurpureum cv. Siratro and perhaps M. scutellata cv. Robinson are the only cultivars of species which may be expected to produce reasonable yields under combined attack