English (United Kingdom)

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/featured_content/oa?rat=en

https://curated-unify.zendy.io/wp-json/zendy-region/v1/highlighted_journal/

Global: Zendy Plus annual

Presents the access of premium content as premium feature

Premium Content

Presents the keyphrase highlighting as premium feature

Keyphrase Highlighting

Presents the summarisation as premium feature

Summarisation

Insights

Presents the pdf analysis as premium feature

PDF Analysis

Presents the zaia usage as premium feature

ZAIA

Global: Zendy Tools annual

Global: Zendy Free Plan

Global: Zendy Tools monthly

Global: Zendy Plus monthly

The invasive tree  Tecoma stans  (L.) Juss. ex Kunth var  stans  (Bignoniaceae) has been targeted for biological control in South Africa since 2003. Plant nutrients contained in fertilizers typically improve host-plant quality, thereby enhancing the fitness of insect herbivores deployed as weed biocontrol agents. We investigated the effect of increasing nutrient levels (fertilizer treatments) on the growth of potted  T. stans  plants and on the subsequent performance of the root-feeding beetle  Heikertingerella  sp. (Chrysomelidae). Enhanced performance of  Heikertingerella  sp. in culture will improve mass-rearing initiatives for releases in South Africa. Ten newly emerged mating pairs of  Heikertingerella  sp. were exposed under glasshouse conditions to caged plants that were treated with four regimes of nitrogen: phosphorus: potassium 2:3:2 (14%) + carbon (8%) fertilizer, namely zero (control), low (5.6 g/m 2 ), medium (9.4 g/m 2 ) and high (13.2 g/m 2 ). Increasing nutrient levels significantly increased leaf production and above – and below-ground biomass accumulation in  T. stans  plants. Similarly, the performance of  Heikertingerella  sp. was improved substantially, with significantly and progressively higher levels of P 1  adult feeding and F 1  progeny production, and significantly and progressively reduced F 1  developmental times, under increasing nutrient levels. While F 1  adult size was significantly increased by fertilizer application relative to the controls, there were no significant differences between the three nutrient levels. Although the high fertilizer application rates were the most suitable for the culturing and mass-rearing of  Heikertingerella  sp. adults, medium fertilizer applications may prove more economical to improve host-plant quality and boost beetle numbers for release.

biocontrol science and technology

Application of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium + carbon fertilizer improves the growth of  Tecoma stans  and the performance of its root-feeding biological control agent,  Heikertingerella  sp.