Effect of Alyssum on Trichogramma cacoeciae Efficacy

Natural enemies need to support in Environment for additional food and refuges. Additional food resources can improve their efficacy. Food resource provision could increase longevity and fecundity of natural enemies. Planting cover crop adjacent to the main crop in one of the methods to provide food resource like nectar and pollen. In current study, the effect of Alyssum on efficacy of T. cacoeciae in laboratory condition, greenhouse and apple orchard were assessed. The result shows an improvement in longevity and parasitism rate of T. cacoeciae feeding on Alyssum and sugar solution comparing to control treatments in laboratory condition (9.6, 5.2 and 3.3 days and 50.7, 42 and 28 blacked eggs respectively). In greenhouse, longevity and parasitism rate of T. cacoeciae enhanced in Alyssum cages compare with sugar solution and no feed despite the complex structure of Alyssum plant (12.5, 9.6 and 7.8 days and 377.8, 364.3 , 214.3 blacked egg respectively) . Result in apple orchard using Alyssum pots in apples rows showed a significant difference parasitism in sentinel eggs compare with control (16.5% and 6.23 % respectively). The parasitism also recorded for longer time in plots with Alyssum (5 days) in compare with control (one day only). In total Alyssum can provide parasitic wasp, a suitable and available food source and probably considered a suitable cover crop with good quality and accessible to enhance T. cacoeciae efficacy.