Abstract

ARAGON-GARCIA, Agustín; NOCHEBUENA-TRUJILLO, Christian D.; MORON, Miguel Á.  and  LOPEZ-OLGUIN, Jesús F.. Use of fluorescent light traps for management of white grub (Coleoptera: Melolonthidae) in maize (Zea mays L.). Agrociencia [online]. 2008, vol.42, n.2, pp.217-223. ISSN 2521-9766.

White grub (Phyllophaga ravida Blanch) is the pest that causes the most damage to the root system of corn (Zea mays) in the corn growing zones of the state of Puebla. In the central region of the state, the most widely used control method is the chemical, which generates environmental problems, therefore it is necessary to find control alternatives. The objective of the present study was to reduce the population of P. ravida in corn by means of black fluorescent light traps. Traps were distributed in a plot sown with Creole corn in the community of Santa Cruz Alpuyeca, Puebla (plot with traps). A similar plot was used as control (without traps). In the plot with traps 91 486 adult specimens were obtained of 19 species of 14 genera. P. ravida was the most abundant species (90 289 specimens). In the plot with traps, 17 larvae were collected, with predominance of P. vetula. In the control plot 55 larvae were collected, the most abundant being P. ravida. The abundance of white grub was significantly lower (p<0.05) in the section where the traps had been previously placed (treatment) than in the section without traps (control). Dry root weight and stem diameter of the plants of the plot with traps were greater (p<0.05) than those of these variables in the control plot.

Keywords : Phyllophaga ravida; Phyllophaga vetula; control; larva.

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