Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7fkt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-03T15:44:58.542Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Resistance to Iris yellow spot virus and onion thrips among onion varieties grown in Kenya

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 May 2014

R.K. Birithia
Affiliation:
International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), PO Box 30772-00100, Nairobi, Kenya Department of Plant Science and Crop Protection, University of Nairobi, PO Box 30197, Nairobi, Kenya
S. Subramanian*
Affiliation:
International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), PO Box 30772-00100, Nairobi, Kenya
J.W. Muthomi
Affiliation:
Department of Plant Science and Crop Protection, University of Nairobi, PO Box 30197, Nairobi, Kenya
R.D. Narla
Affiliation:
Department of Plant Science and Crop Protection, University of Nairobi, PO Box 30197, Nairobi, Kenya
Get access

Abstract

Iris yellow spot virus (IYSV) vectored by Thrips tabaci threatens profitable onion production in eastern Africa. Host plant resistance is considered to be the first line of defence against insect-transmitted virus diseases. Hence, information on resistance to IYSV and T. tabaci among common onion cultivars in Kenya is crucial for the development of integrated pest management strategies. This study evaluated the resistance to thrips and IYSV among widely grown onion cultivars in Kenya, viz. Red Pinoy, Red Creole, Bombay Red, Green Bunching and Texas Grano, over two growing seasons. Straw-coloured, diamond-shaped necrotic lesions typical of IYSV infection were observed 2 weeks after transplantation. Observations on thrips numbers per plant, IYSV disease incidence and severity, and virus intensity were undertaken to assess the resistance. Varieties differed significantly with respect to both IYSV disease incidence and thrips numbers per plant from fourth week to physiological maturity. Red Pinoy, Green Bunching and Red Creole were highly susceptible to the virus and thrips, while Texas Grano and Bombay Red were moderately resistant. There were significant differences among the varieties with regard to IYSV intensity, with the highest and the least virus intensity positively correlated with disease severity being recorded in Red Pinoy and Texas Grano, respectively. Among the varieties, Texas Grano produced the highest yield in both seasons, while Red Pinoy produced the least. Hence, Texas Grano and Bombay Red could be recommended as moderately resistant cultivars to thrips and IYSV to be grown in Kenya for markets where pungency is not preferred and preferred, respectively. Regions with high levels of thrips population and IYSV infestation are not suitable for the cultivation of Red Pinoy.

Type
Research Papers
Copyright
Copyright © ICIPE 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Adam, G., Peters, D. and Goldbach, R. W. (1996) Serological comparison of tospovirus isolates using polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies. Acta Horticulturae 431, 135158.Google Scholar
Alimousavi, S. A., Hassandokht, M. R. and Moharramipour, S. (2007) Evaluation of Iranian onion germplasms for resistance to thrips. International Journal of Agriculture and Biology 5, 897900.Google Scholar
Birithia, R., Subramanian, S., Pappu, H. R., Sseruwagi, P., Muthomi, J. W. and Narla, R. D. (2011) First report of Iris yellow spot virus in onion in Kenya and Uganda. Plant Disease 95, 1195.Google Scholar
Brar, K. S., Sidhu, A. S. and Chadha, M. L. (1993) Screening onion varieties for resistance to Thrips tabaci Lind and Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner). Insect Science 6, 123124.Google Scholar
Chu, Y. (1987) Physical control of thrips. Proceedings of a Symposium on the Biology of Thrips. Chinese Journal of Entomology Special Publication No. 1, pp. 2736.Google Scholar
Coudriet, D. L., Kishaba, A. N., McCreight, J. D. and Bohn, G. W. (1979) Varietal resistance in onions to thrips. Journal of Economic Entomology 72, 614615.Google Scholar
Diaz-Montano, J., Fuchs, M., Nault, B. A. and Shelton, A. M. (2010) Evaluation of onion cultivars for resistance to onion thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) and Iris yellow spot virus. Journal of Economic Entomology 103, 925937.Google Scholar
Fox, J., Ash, M., Boye, T., Calza, S., Chang, A., Grosjean, P., Heiberger, R., Kerns, J., Lancelot, R., Lesnoff, M., Ligges, U., Messad, S., Maechler, M., Muenchen, R., Murdoch, D., Neuwirth, E., Putler, D., Ripley, B., Ristic, M. and Wolf, P. (2009) Rcmdr: R Commander. R package version 1.5-3. Available at: http://CRAN.R-project.org/package = Rcmdr.Google Scholar
Gachu, S. M., Muthomi, J. W., Narla, R. D., Nderitu, J. H., Olubayo, F. M. and Wagacha, J. M. (2012) Management of thrips (Thrips tabaci) in bulb onion by use of vegetable intercrops. International Journal of Agricultural Science 2, 393400.Google Scholar
Gent, D. H., du Toit, L. J., Fichtner, S. F., Mohan, K. S., Pappu, H. R. and Schwartz, H. F. (2006) Iris yellow spot virus: an emerging threat to onion bulb and seed production. Plant Disease 90, 14681480.Google Scholar
Gent, D. H., Schwartz, H. F. and Khosla, R. (2004) Distribution and incidence of Iris yellow spot virus in Colorado and its relation to onion plant population and yield. Plant Disease 88, 446452.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
HCDA (1991) Annual Report. Horticultural Crop Development Authority, Nairobi.Google Scholar
Jaetzold, R. and Schmidt, H. (1983) Farm Management Handbook of Kenya. Vol. II: Natural Conditions and Farm Management Information. Vol. II/B: Central Kenya (Rift Valley and Central Provinces). Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Nairobi. 525 pp.Google Scholar
Kimani, P. W., Kariuki, J. W., Peters, R. and Rabinowitch, H. D. (1993) Influence of the environment on the performance of some onion cultivars in Kenya. African Crop Science Journal 1, 1523.Google Scholar
Kirk, W. D. (1984) Ecologically selective coloured traps. Ecological Entomology 9, 3541.Google Scholar
Lu, F. M. (1990) Color preference and using silver mulches to control the onion thrips, Thrips tabaci Lindeman. Chinese Journal of Entomology 10, 337342.Google Scholar
Malik, M. F., Nawaz, M. and Hafeez, Z. (2003) Evaluation of promising onion (Allium cepa) varieties against thrips infestation in the agro-ecosystem of Balochistan, Pakistan-I. Asian Journal of Plant Sciences 2, 716718.Google Scholar
Martin, N. A., Workman, P. J. and Butler, R. C. (2003) Insecticide resistance in onion thrips (Thrips tabaci) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae). New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science 31, 99106.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McKenzie, C. L., Cartwright, B., Miller, M. E. and Edelson, J. V. (1993) Injury to onions by Thrips tabaci (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) and effects of thrips on bulb onions. Journal of Economic Entomology 80, 930932.Google Scholar
Moritz, G., Brandt, S., Triapitsyn, S. and Subramanian, S. (2013) Pest Thrips of East Africa – Identification and Information Tool, Version Number 1.1. CD-ROM published by QBIT, QAAFI Biological Information Technology, The University of Queensland, Australia. Available at:http://shop.cbit.uq.edu.au/ProductDetails.aspx?productID = 332.Google Scholar
Moritz, G., Mound, L. A., Morris, D. C. and Goldarazena, A. (2004) Pest Thrips of the World – Visual and Molecular Identification of Pest Thrips. CD-Rom published by QBIT, QAAFI Biological Information Technology, The University of Queensland, Australia. Available at:http://www.cbit.uq.edu.au/RDActivities/IdentificationTools/IdentificationKeys/PestThripsoftheWorld.aspx.Google Scholar
Morsello, S. C., Groves, R. L., Nault, B. A. and Kennedy, G. G. (2008) Temperature and precipitation affect seasonal patterns of dispersing tobacco thrips, Frankliniella fusca, and onion thrips, Thrips tabaci (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) caught on sticky traps. Environmental Entomology 37, 7986.Google Scholar
Pappu, H. R., Jones, R. A. C. and Jain, R. K. (2009) Global status of tospovirus epidemics in diverse cropping systems: successes achieved and challenges ahead. Virus Research 141, 219236.Google Scholar
Patil, A. P., Nawale, R. N., Ajri, D. S. and Moholkar, P. R. (1988) Field screening of onion cultivars for their reaction to thrips. Indian Cocoa, Arecanut & Spices Journal 12, 1011.Google Scholar
R Development Core Team (2009) R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna. ISBN 3-900051-070. Available at:http://www.R-project.org.Google Scholar
Rueda, A., Badenes-Perez, F. R. and Shelton, A. M. (2007) Developing economic thresholds for onion thrips in Honduras. Crop Protection 26, 10991107.Google Scholar
Sharma, H. C. and Oritz, R. (2002) Host plant resistance to insects: an eco-friendly approach for pest management and conservation. Journal of Environmental Biology 23, 111135.Google Scholar
Shelton, A. M., Nault, B. A., Plate, J. and Zhao, J.-Z. (2003) Regional and temporal variation in susceptibility to λ-cyhalothrin in onion thrips, Thrips tabaci (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), in onion fields in New York. Journal of Economic Entomology 96, 18431848.Google Scholar
Shock, C. C., Feibert, E., Jensen, L., Mohan, S. K. and Saunders, L. (2008) Onion variety response to Iris yellow spot virus. Horttechnology 3, 539544.Google Scholar
Terry, L. I. (1997) Host selection, communication and reproductive behaviour, pp. 8485. In Thrips as Crop Pest (edited by Lewis, T.). CAB International, Oxon.Google Scholar
Vierbergen, G. and Ester, A. (2000) Natural enemies and sex ratio of Thrips tabaci (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), a major pest of Allium porrum in the Netherlands. Mededelingen – Faculteit Landbouwkundige en Toegepaste Biologische Wetenschappen, Universiteit Gent 65, 335342.Google Scholar
Waiganjo, M. M., Mueke, J. M. and Gitonga, L. M. (2008) Susceptible onion growth stages for selective and economic protection from onion thrips infestation. Acta Horticulturae 767, 193200.Google Scholar
Wu, M., Gotoh, H., Waters, T., Walsh, D. B. and Lavine, L. C. (2013) Identification of an alternative knockdown resistance (kdr)-like mutation, M918L, and a novel mutation, V1010A, in the Thrips tabaci voltage-gated sodium channel gene. Pest Management Science. doi:10.1002/ps3638.Google Scholar
Yousefi, M., Abasifar, A., Fathi, A. H. and Jalali, S. J. (2011) Resistance of eight Iranian onion cultivars to onion thrips (Thrips tabaci Lindeman) in the Markazi Province of Iran. African Journal of Agricultural Research 6, 49254930.Google Scholar