Establishing an inexpensive, space efficient colony of Bemisia tabaci MEAM1 utilizing modelling and feedback control principles.

ABSTRACT: A stable, synchronized colony of whitefly (Bemisia tabaci MEAM1 Gennadius) was established in a single ~30 cu.ft. reach-in incubator and supported on cabbage host plants which were grown in a 2 × 2' mesh cage without the need for a greenhouse or dedicated growth rooms. The colony maintenance, including cage cleaning and rotation of plants, was reduced to less than 10 h per week and executed by minimally experienced researchers. In our hands, this method was approximately 10-fold less expensive in personnel and materials than current typical implementations. A predator-prey model of whitefly colony maintenance that included whitefly proliferation and host plant health was developed to better understand and avoid colony collapse. This quantitative model can be applied to inform decisi

SUBMITTER: Thompson NM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9544070 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature