Clover root weevil tolerance of clover cultivars

Clover root weevil arrived in New Zealand about 20 years ago causing major loss of productivity as it progressively spread across the whole country. It is now largely controlled by an introduced parasitic wasp biocontrol agent Microctonus aethiopoides (Irish ecotype). However, management of insect pests should not rely on a single mechanism and clovers resistant or tolerant to this weevil would be a useful augmentation for farmers to have. This investigation reports on the suitability of 22 clover cultivars to attack from the weevil. Results have shown that contrary to popular belief, red clovers are not universally less favourable to the weevil than white clovers and usefully, within both species cultivar differences point to the possibility of resistance to this pest.

[1]  G. Cousins,et al.  Effect of clover root weevil larval feeding on growth of clover progenies from parents selected for tolerance in field trials , 2010 .

[2]  L. Ouyang,et al.  Effects of clover root weevil and moisture stress on subterranean, balansa, Persian, arrowleaf and white clovers , 2008 .

[3]  S. Rasmussen,et al.  Effect of clover root weevil larvae on four annual forage legumes , 2007 .

[4]  D. Hackell,et al.  Interaction between Sitona lepidus and red clover lines selected for formononetin content , 2005 .

[5]  Peter J. Gregory,et al.  Attractive Properties of an Isoflavonoid Found in White Clover Root Nodules on the Clover Root Weevil , 2005, Journal of Chemical Ecology.

[6]  D. Hackell,et al.  Leaf herbivory by clover root weevil adults how much do they eat , 2005 .

[7]  S. Hardwick,et al.  Clover root weevil (Sitona lepidus) in New Zealand: the story so far , 2005 .

[8]  D. Woodfield,et al.  Development of clovers that are tolerant to clover root weevil , 2005 .

[9]  P. Gerard,et al.  FEEDING HABITUATION TO RED CLOVER BY CLOVER ROOT WEEVIL ADULTS , 2003 .

[10]  P. Gerard.  Dependence of Sitona lepidus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) larvae on abundance of white clover Rhizobium nodules , 2001, Bulletin of Entomological Research.

[11]  D. Woodfield,et al.  Searching for clover root weevil ( Sitona lepidus ) resistance / tolerance – A progress report , 2001 .

[12]  S. Hardwick,et al.  The behaviour of adult Sitona lepidus Gyllenhal (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in response to white clover , 2000 .

[13]  S. Hardwick.  Laboratory investigations into feeding preferences of adult Sitona lepidus Gyllenhall , 1998 .

[14]  G. Barker,et al.  SITONA LEPIDUS GYLLENHAL NEWLY ESTABLISHED IN NEW ZEALAND: ASSESSMENT OF DISTRIBUTION IN THE NORTH ISLAND , 1996 .

[15]  P. Murray.  Influence of food source on feeding, longevity and fecundity of Sitona flavescens , a major pest of white clover in the UK , 1996 .

[16]  P. Murray.  Evaluation of a range of varieties of white clover for resistance to feeding by weevils of the genus Sitona. , 1996 .

[17]  G. Barker,et al.  Sitona lepidus Gyllenhal (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), a potential clover pest new to New Zealand , 1996 .

[18]  R. O. Clements,et al.  Investigations of the host feeding preferences of Sitona weevils found commonly on white clover (Trifolium repens) in the UK , 1994 .

[19]  R. O. Clements,et al.  Feeding preferences among eleven cultivars of white clover (Trifolium repens ) by adults of two species of sitona weevils (coleoptera: curculionidae ) , 1993 .