Bemisia Tabaci Population Dynamics in the Imperial Valley, California, 1996 To 2002

• Chang-Chi Chu(1), Edward Barnes(2), Eric T. Natwick(3),Tian-Ye Chen(1), Thomas J. Henneberry(1)
• (1) USDA-ARS Western Cotton Research Laboratory, Phoenix, AZ 85040.
  E-mail: cchu@wcrl.ars.usda.gov
• (2) Formerly USDA-ARS Water Conservation Laboratory, Phoenix, AZ 85040.
  Current address: Cotton Inc. Cary, NC 27513.
• (3) University of California Cooperative Research and Extension, Holtville, CA 92250
• The Third International Conference onIPM Role in Integrated Crop management and Impacts on Environment and Agricultural Products. 26-29 November 2005, Giza, Egypt.

Abstract

An outbreak of the sweet potato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius), biotype B occurred in the Imperial Valley, California in 1991. The insects destroyed melon crops and seriously damaged other vegetables, ornamentals, and row crops. We developed a whitefly trap (= CC trap) that could be left in the field indefinitely, avoiding the reduced efficacy of sticky card traps that results from dust and other insect accumulations with long exposures in the field. We used CC traps to monitor the variations occurring in B. tabaci adult populations year-round from 1996 to 2002. The highest number of B. tabaci adults was recorded in 1996, followed by a continued annual decrease in trap catches through 2002. The decline of B. tabaci is attributed to the adoption of an integrated pest management program that include the judicious use of insect growth regulators that conserve natural enemies, clean cultural practices to destroy crop residues soon after harvest, systemic insecticides, and resistance management strategies.