Influence of Environmental Factors on the Overwintering Survival of Eurytoma amygdali Enderlein Larvae in Almond Orchards

Subject Areas : Almond

Kamal Ahmadi ¹ , Somayeh Nikooei ²

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Received: 2024-10-29 Accepted : 2025-01-29 Published : 2025-05-07

Keywords: Almond seed wasp, Irrigation, Overwintering, Soil depth, Soil texture, Survival, Temperature,

Abstract :

Almond is one of the oldest nut crops and currently holds the largest share in nut production. The almond seed wasp (Eurytoma amygdali Enderlein) is a significant pest of almond trees in Iran. Given the importance of this pest and the insufficient information on factors affecting its population dynamics, this study aimed to investigate the environmental factors influencing the survival of overwintering larvae of the almond seed wasp in a region of Bardsir (Kerman province). Several experiments were conducted in this area. In the first experiment, the effect of temperature on the survival rate of the almond seed wasp was examined, revealing that higher air temperatures correlated with increased survival rates (96.55±3.45%). The second experiment assessed the impact of soil depth (up to 30 cm) on larval survival, finding no significant differences across various depths within this range. The third experiment studied the influence of irrigation on the larvae's survival, indicating that reduced or absent irrigation resulted in lower larval survival rates (17.24±7.14%), while excessive irrigation increased survival rates (55.17±9.4%). Finally, the fourth experiment examined soil texture, demonstrating that decomposed animal manure (82.76±7.14%) plays a critical role in retaining moisture, thereby enhancing the survival of the pest's larvae. These findings provide valuable insights into the environmental conditions that favor E. amygdali survival, suggesting potential strategies for pest management in almond orchards.

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