Ghabeish, I.H.; F.A. Al-Zyoud and D.S. Hassawi

2014

Quantifying key variables of damage to wheat and barley
by Syringopais temperatella Lederer (Lepidoptera: Scythrididae).

Revista Colombiana de Entomología 40: 176-181.

Wheat and barley are the principal food crops for millions of people in the predominantly mixed crop-livestock farming systems. The cereal leafminer, Syringopais temperatella Lederer (Lepidoptera, Scythrididae) is a major biotic constraint to wheat and barley production in Jordan and the region. Three parameters of damage were used to quantify the loss to wheat and barley; grain yield, straw dry mass and leaf area consumed. Forty two (field experiment) and one hundred eighteen (laboratory experiment) accessions of wheat and barley were used to access the average damage; representing different levels of susceptibility to S. temperatella. Equations of three decreasing functions of percentage of infestation versus grain yield &straw dry mass, and number of larvae versus straw dry mass were constructed. The results indicated that average grain yield reduction for both crops due to pest infestation estimated at 72%, but the individual reductions ranged 35-95%. The straw dry mass reduction estimated at 72% for wheat and 59% for barley with individual reductions ranged 77-98%. In addition, one increasing function for number of leafminer larvae versus leaf area consumed was found. The estimated leaf area consumed by one larva is 0.30 cm² and 0.38 cm² for wheat and barley, respectively.