Abstract
Foliage of the African spider plant, Gynandropsis gynandra L. (Briq) is traditionally used in rural Eastern Africa as a repellent against livestock ticks, and this characteristic extends to repellence of another Acarid, the two-spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae Koch). The repellent effect on this major, global pest in protected rose cultivation is due to the foliar emission of acetonitrile (methyl cyanide), that is also toxic to the mites if they cannot escape it. Additionally, G. gynandra leaves contain a number of other substances that are toxic to spider mites at low concentrations and are emitted following foliar disruption e.g., from herbivory. The potential of this repellent activity in rose production in temperate regions might be viewed with limited enthusiasm if it involves the need to maintain a repellent plant, G. gynandra, of tropical origin. Consequently, a taxonomically close relative of G. gynandra, Cleome hassleriana Chod., also from the family Cleomaceae and widely-grown in Europe and N. America has been investigated. It has comparable acetonitrile emission and foliar content of miticidal compounds to G. gynandra, indicating their parallel potential to repel spider mites. Either of these plants could be considered as a contributor when constructing spider mite control strategies, apotential source of effective, natural miticides and, possibly, as a potential gene donor for genetic manipulation.
| Original language | English |
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| Journal | Acta Horticulturae |
| Volume | 1064 |
| Pages (from-to) | 299-302 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| ISSN | 0567-7572 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 25 Jan 2015 |
| Event | International Symposium on Rose Research and Cultivation - , Denmark Duration: 1 Jan 2015 → … Conference number: 6 |
Conference
| Conference | International Symposium on Rose Research and Cultivation |
|---|---|
| Number | 6 |
| Country/Territory | Denmark |
| Period | 01/01/2015 → … |