FOXGLOVE APHIDS ON CANNA IN THE GREENHOUSE, 2008

In early Jun 2008, locally acquired Canna roots were planted in 10 inch clay pots and placed in a research greenhouse on the campus of Michigan State University. The plants were maintained indoors on a drip irrigation system for the duration of the study. When the plants reached 1 m in ht, they were pruned to 2-3 leaves per stalk, attempting to achieve similar leaf area among the plants. Each plant was manually infested by transferring aphids with a small paintbrush from stock plants. Two wk later, there was a redistribution of aphids among the plants to achieve more uniformity in aphid population per plant. Precounts were taken on 14 Jul, by counting aphids for 2 min on each test plant. A RCB design was used based in the precounts with each treatment replicated six times with each replicate consisting of a single pot. All applications were made on 14 Jul using a hand held spritzer bottle, covering all plant tissue with a fine mist, thereby avoiding any runoff and subsequent loss of aphids. Post treatment counts were taken 17 Jul (3 DAT), 21 Jul (7 DAT), 28 Jul (14 DAT), 4 Aug (21 DAT) and 11 Aug (28 DAT) in the same manner as the pre-counts. An untreated/unsprayed check was included in the test along with a water spritzer check as aphids have been impacted by the sprays of an application alone in earlier aphid trials.