Survey and prioritisation of potential biological control agents for prickly acacia (Acacia nilotica subsp. indica) in southern India
Article
Article Title | Survey and prioritisation of potential biological control agents for prickly acacia (Acacia nilotica subsp. indica) in southern India |
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ERA Journal ID | 3334 |
Article Category | Article |
Authors | Dhileepan, Kunjithapatham (Author), Balu, Ayyapillai (Author), Murugesan, Selvaraj (Author), Senthilkumar, Ponnusamy (Author) and Shivas, Roger G. (Author) |
Journal Title | Biocontrol Science and Technology |
Journal Citation | 23 (6), pp. 646-664 |
Number of Pages | 19 |
Year | 2013 |
Publisher | Taylor & Francis |
Place of Publication | United Kingdom |
ISSN | 0958-3157 |
1360-0478 | |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1080/09583157.2013.788689 |
Web Address (URL) | http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09583157.2013.788689 |
Abstract | Prickly acacia, Acacia nilotica subsp. indica (Benth.) Brenan (Mimosaceae), a multi-purpose tree native to the Indian subcontinent, is a weed of national significance, widespread throughout the grazing areas of western Queensland and has the potential to spread throughout northern Australia. Biological control of prickly acacia has been in progress since the early 1980s, but with limited success to date. Based on genetic and climate matching studies, native surveys for potential biological control agents were conducted in 64 sites in Tamil Nadu state and eight sites in Karnataka state from November 2008 to December 2011. Surveys yielded 33 species of phytophagous insects (16 species of leaf-feeders, eight species of stem feeders, four species with leaf-feeding adults and root-feeding larvae, two stem-borers and bark-feeders and three flower-feeders) and two rust fungi. The number of species recorded at survey sites increased with the number of times the sites were surveyed. Using a scoring system based on field host range, geographic range, seasonal incidence and damage levels, we prioritised a scale insect (Anomalococcus indicus Ramakrishna Ayyar), two leaf-webbing caterpillars (Phycita sp. A and Phycita sp. B), a leaf weevil (Dereodus denticollis Boheman), a leaf beetle (Pachnephorus sp.), a gall-inducing rust (Ravenelia acacia-arabica Mundk. & Thirumalachari) and a leaf rust (Ravenelia evansii Syd. & P.) for detailed host specificity tests. The two rusts were sent to CABI-UK for preliminary host-specificity testing. Three insects (A. indicus, D. denticollis and Phycita sp. A) were imported into a quarantine facility in Brisbane, Australia where host-specificity tests are in progress. |
Keywords | Acacia nilotica; agent prioritisation; Australia; field host range; India; native range survey; ECOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; APPLIED ECOLOGY/POLLUTION; Weed and Pest Control; Biological control; Biological and integrated control; Pest, disease and weed control; |
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020 | 300409. Crop and pasture protection (incl. pests, diseases and weeds) |
Public Notes | Files associated with this item cannot be displayed due to copyright restrictions. |
Byline Affiliations | Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Queensland |
Institute of Forest Genetics and Tree Breeding, India | |
Institution of Origin | University of Southern Queensland |
https://research.usq.edu.au/item/q4013/survey-and-prioritisation-of-potential-biological-control-agents-for-prickly-acacia-acacia-nilotica-subsp-indica-in-southern-india
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