Population Growth of Lettuce, Nasonovia ribisnigris, on Resistant Butter and Head Lettuce Cultivars

Abstract

Studies to examine lettuce aphid population growth on resistant head and butter lettuce cultivars were conducted in small filed plots at the Yuma Agricultural Center. By artificially infesting plants on several lettuce plantings during the spring, the influence of the resistant lettuce plants were evaluated for their capability of preventing lettuce aphid populations from colonizing plants. Results of five field trials showed that several varieties of head and butter lettuce have been developed that almost completely prevent lettuce aphids from surviving and reproducing on plants during the spring. Although the cultivars tested did not posses marketable characteristic for harvests, they do provide germplasm for breeding new varieties suited for desert production. In addition, these studies also support conclusions drawn from the past several seasons that suggest lettuce aphid population growth is greatest when ambient temperatures average between 65-70 °F.