Research Article Open Access

Influence of Host Plant Species and Flush Growth Stage on the Asian Citrus Psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama

Stephen Leong Chan Teck1, Abang Fatimah2, Andrew Beattie3, Roland Kueh Jui Heng1 and Wong Sing King1
  • 1 Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, University Putra Malaysia Bintulu Sarawak Campus, 97008 Bintulu, Sarawak, Malaysia
  • 2 Department of Zoology, Faculty of Resource Science and Technology, University Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia
  • 3 Centre for Plant and Food Science, University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith South DC, New South Wales, 1797, Australia

Abstract

Problem statement: In order to establish the important host range of D. citri, the performance of this psyllid on different rutacous host plants was assessed. Apparent regional differences in host preferences of D. citri as noted above and the need for empirical knowledge of its host preferences in Malaysia where it is lacking. Approach: Experiments on host plant preference between citrus, jasmine orange and curry leaf were conducted over a period of 14 days in the field cage in October 1998 at the agricultural research centre, Semonggok, 15 km from Kuching, Kuching Division, Sarawak in Malaysia. Results: A comparative life cycle study of the Asian Citrus Psyllid Diaphorina citri Kuwayama on three different Rutaceous plant hosts namely citrus, jasmine orange and curry leaf plants was conducted inside the temperature controlled growth chamber maintain at 26 ± 1°C temperature, 75-80% relative humidity with artificial illumination intensity of 10,000 lux equipped with a photoperiod of 14:10 h light: dark regime to permit normal growth. Conclusion: The screenhouse studies confirmed that D. citri can colonise and breed on citrus, jasmine orange and curry leaf plant and that jasmine orange is the preferred host. It is also confirmed that females prefer to oviposit on immature flush 3-10 mm in length. In growth chamber experiments the life cycle of the psyllid was 18.5 days on jasmine orange, 19.0 days on citrus and 23.0 days on curry leaf.

American Journal of Agricultural and Biological Sciences
Volume 6 No. 4, 2011, 536-543

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3844/ajabssp.2011.536.543

Submitted On: 31 December 2010 Published On: 27 December 2011

How to Cite: Teck, S. L. C., Fatimah, A., Beattie, A., Heng, R. K. J. & King, W. S. (2011). Influence of Host Plant Species and Flush Growth Stage on the Asian Citrus Psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama. American Journal of Agricultural and Biological Sciences, 6(4), 536-543. https://doi.org/10.3844/ajabssp.2011.536.543

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Keywords

  • Diaphorina citri
  • flush growth stage
  • life cycle
  • Analysis Of Variance (ANOVA)
  • Least Significant Difference test (LSD)
  • M. paniculata
  • B. koenigii
  • Clausena anisum-olens
  • Asian citrus psyllid
  • host plant
  • nymphal development
  • hypothesis