Effect of Apple Rootstock on <i>Hoplocampa testudinea</i> (Klug) Host Choice and Larval Performance

<i>Hoplocampa testudinea</i>, the European Apple Sawfly, is an important pest in apple throughout Canada. Losses can be up to 80% in some areas. Adults of <i>H. testudinea</i> are active during the bloom period and larvae are contained with the developing fruitlet, creating a...

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Main Author: Suzanne E. Blatt
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-02-01
Series:International Journal of Plant Biology
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2037-0164/16/1/30
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author Suzanne E. Blatt
author_facet Suzanne E. Blatt
author_sort Suzanne E. Blatt
collection DOAJ
description <i>Hoplocampa testudinea</i>, the European Apple Sawfly, is an important pest in apple throughout Canada. Losses can be up to 80% in some areas. Adults of <i>H. testudinea</i> are active during the bloom period and larvae are contained with the developing fruitlet, creating a challenging management situation. Chemical treatments applied either pre- or post-bloom may not reduce the population sufficiently to prevent damage in the current year. <i>H. testudinea</i> has been shown to exhibit a preference for some apple cultivars over others in Europe and North America, offering a potential host-based option to reduce impact from this pest. In this study, we explored whether rootstock would impact <i>H. testudinea</i> development as demonstrated in cultivar. A selection of rootstocks from within ‘Honeycrisp’ and Modi<sup>®</sup> plantings located at the Kentville Research and Development Centre were selected and the following variables were studied: percentage of clusters with eggs and number of eggs oviposited during bloom, development of the larvae within the fruitlets, titratable acid firmness and soluble solids evaluated at two times during fruitlet development, and damage observed at harvest. Results showed that female <i>H. testudinea</i> did not oviposit significantly more on certain rootstocks over others, even though the percentage of apples showing damage at harvest was significant across rootstock for ‘Honeycrisp’. Percentage of fruitlets showing secondary damage and dropping from the tree was significant across rootstock with a ‘Honeycrisp’ scion in 2021. Secondary damage in this planting correlated with change in acidity. These results suggest that rootstock does not strongly affect <i>H. testudinea</i> performance.
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spelling doaj-art-6d056de1915a4a8fbc2ee3bcffc575732025-08-20T02:11:17ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Plant Biology2037-01642025-02-011613010.3390/ijpb16010030Effect of Apple Rootstock on <i>Hoplocampa testudinea</i> (Klug) Host Choice and Larval PerformanceSuzanne E. Blatt0Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 32 Main Street, Kentville B4N 1J5, NS, Canada<i>Hoplocampa testudinea</i>, the European Apple Sawfly, is an important pest in apple throughout Canada. Losses can be up to 80% in some areas. Adults of <i>H. testudinea</i> are active during the bloom period and larvae are contained with the developing fruitlet, creating a challenging management situation. Chemical treatments applied either pre- or post-bloom may not reduce the population sufficiently to prevent damage in the current year. <i>H. testudinea</i> has been shown to exhibit a preference for some apple cultivars over others in Europe and North America, offering a potential host-based option to reduce impact from this pest. In this study, we explored whether rootstock would impact <i>H. testudinea</i> development as demonstrated in cultivar. A selection of rootstocks from within ‘Honeycrisp’ and Modi<sup>®</sup> plantings located at the Kentville Research and Development Centre were selected and the following variables were studied: percentage of clusters with eggs and number of eggs oviposited during bloom, development of the larvae within the fruitlets, titratable acid firmness and soluble solids evaluated at two times during fruitlet development, and damage observed at harvest. Results showed that female <i>H. testudinea</i> did not oviposit significantly more on certain rootstocks over others, even though the percentage of apples showing damage at harvest was significant across rootstock for ‘Honeycrisp’. Percentage of fruitlets showing secondary damage and dropping from the tree was significant across rootstock with a ‘Honeycrisp’ scion in 2021. Secondary damage in this planting correlated with change in acidity. These results suggest that rootstock does not strongly affect <i>H. testudinea</i> performance.https://www.mdpi.com/2037-0164/16/1/30European apple sawflyrootstocklarval performanceoviposition preferenceapple<i>Malus domestica</i>
spellingShingle Suzanne E. Blatt
Effect of Apple Rootstock on <i>Hoplocampa testudinea</i> (Klug) Host Choice and Larval Performance
International Journal of Plant Biology
European apple sawfly
rootstock
larval performance
oviposition preference
apple
<i>Malus domestica</i>
title Effect of Apple Rootstock on <i>Hoplocampa testudinea</i> (Klug) Host Choice and Larval Performance
title_full Effect of Apple Rootstock on <i>Hoplocampa testudinea</i> (Klug) Host Choice and Larval Performance
title_fullStr Effect of Apple Rootstock on <i>Hoplocampa testudinea</i> (Klug) Host Choice and Larval Performance
title_full_unstemmed Effect of Apple Rootstock on <i>Hoplocampa testudinea</i> (Klug) Host Choice and Larval Performance
title_short Effect of Apple Rootstock on <i>Hoplocampa testudinea</i> (Klug) Host Choice and Larval Performance
title_sort effect of apple rootstock on i hoplocampa testudinea i klug host choice and larval performance
topic European apple sawfly
rootstock
larval performance
oviposition preference
apple
<i>Malus domestica</i>
url https://www.mdpi.com/2037-0164/16/1/30
work_keys_str_mv AT suzanneeblatt effectofapplerootstockonihoplocampatestudineaiklughostchoiceandlarvalperformance