Susceptibility of five cucumber (Cucumis sativus) cultivars to attack by Diaphania nitidalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22458/urj.v18i1.6742Keywords:
herbivory, genotype, varietal selection, galleries, non-marketable fruits, economic damageAbstract
Introduction: The cucumber is one of the most widely cultivated and profitable vegetables worldwide due to its high demand and fast economic return. However, its production is limited by various pests, especially during fruiting. Among them, species of the genus Diaphania stand out because of the damage they cause by boring into the fruits, reducing their commercial value and promoting secondary pathogen infections. Objective: To evaluate the susceptibility of five cucumber (Cucumis sativus) cultivars to attack by Diaphania nitidalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). Methods: We conducted the research at the Santa Cruz Experimental Farm (University of Costa Rica) during the 2022 rainy season. We evaluated five commercial cucumber cultivars using a randomized complete block design with five treatments and eight replicates. We managed the crop without insecticide applications and, during five weeks of harvest, quantified total fruit production, categorizing the fruits into healthy and damaged by D. nitidalis. We analyzed the data using Welch's ANOVA and the Games-Howell test (p ≤ 0.05), utilizing the statistical software RStudio version 4.5.1. Results: Cucumber productivity was influenced by the evaluated variety. Modan and Numu 18 presented the highest yields and the highest production of healthy fruits, while Monalisa showed the lowest performance. Although all varieties recorded a similar amount of fruits damaged by D. nitidalis, only Modan and Numu 18 produced significantly more healthy than damaged fruits. Conclusion: Cucumber variety influences productivity and tolerance to D. nitidalis. Modan and Numu 18 were the cultivars with the best performance, producing more healthy fruits under a similar pest pressure; therefore, they are recommended options for the evaluated conditions.
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