engleski

Influence of the quarantine pest Aleurocantus spiniferus (Quaintance, 1903) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) on pomological and physicochemical properties of citrus Unshiu

The orange spiny whitefly, Aleurocanthus spiniferus (Quaintance, 1903) is a new quarantine pest in the territory of the Republic of Croatia that can cause significant problems in citrus production. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of the pest on the pomological and physicochemical characteristics of fruits and the mineral composition of Unshiu leaves. The research was conducted in the private orchard of Unshiu 'Owari'. Heavy pest infestation was found in the plantations, which usually colonises the underside of the leaves. By sucking the plant sap, pests secrete abundant honeydew, which is inhabited by sooty fungi, and ultimately leads to reduced respiration and photosynthesis of the plant. Pest infestation significantly affected fruit pomological (weight, fruit height, and width) and physiochemical properties (total acids, soluble dry matter, vitamin C, and total phenols). Analysis of variance revealed a statistically significant difference between the studied characteristics of uninfested and infested fruits. It is an economically important pest that represents a major phytosanitary risk for agricultural production in Croatia, especially for citrus fruits, considering that citrus fruits represent the main fruit and export crop in Croatia. Continuous pest monitoring and agro technical and chemical measures attempts are being made to prevent its further spread to non-infested areas.

mandarin ; fruit ; leaf ; whitefly ; mineral content

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