Phytoparasitica (1996) 24, 217-218

P. Trematerra, F. Fontana and M. Mancini (1996)
Analysis of development rates of Sitophilus oryzae in five different Triticum spp.
Phytoparasitica 24 (3), 217-218
International Conference on Controlled Atmosphere and Fumigation (CAF) in Stored Products, April 21-26, 1996, Nicosia, Cyprus, poster
Abstract: A 'route' to the analysis and comparison of experimental data of Sitophilus oryzae (L.) at a fixed temperature and relative humidity, for five different kinds of cereal grains (Triticum aestivum, T. dicoccum, T. durum, T. monococcum, T. spelta) is proposed. As far as the cumulative curves of the development rate are concerned, we suggest the use of a simple exponential model which is well known in chemical, physical and biological sciences. The model takes into account the evolution of a given system from a stable state (e.g. in our case: no insects at all) to another stable state (e.g. all the insects have reached the adult stage). The main point of our approach lies in the fact that no fitting parameters are required; the only ones required can be measured in a straightforward way from the experimental data. Even if the model used is the same for all experimental sets, different behaviors appear which correspond to different survival strategies, depending on the food available. In all the examined cases a statistical reliability of over 95% of simulated data was reached. The correlation between development rate and food choices has been examined, and preliminary results indicate that the relationship between genetic structure of the cereal grains and development rate curves of the insects is significant.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Database assignments for author(s): Pasquale Trematerra

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
resistance/tolerance/defence of host
general biology - morphology - evolution

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Sitophilus oryzae	Stored grain