Impact of nutrients and herbivory by Eccritotarsus catarinensis on the biological control of water hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes

Coetzee, Julie A; Byrne, Marcus J; Hill, Martin P

Title: Impact of nutrients and herbivory by Eccritotarsus catarinensis on the biological control of water hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes
Creator: Coetzee, Julie A
Creator: Byrne, Marcus J
Creator: Hill, Martin P
Date Issued: 2007
Date: 2007
Type: Article
Identifier: vital:6945
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1011973
Identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0579-5298
Description: Many water hyacinth infestations in South Africa are the symptom of eutrophication, and as a result, biological control of this weed is variable. This study examined the effects of herbivory by the mirid, Eccritotarsus catarinensis, on water hyacinth grown at high, medium and low nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) nutrient concentrations. Water nutrient concentration appears to be the overriding factor affecting plant growth parameters of water hyacinth plants—at high nutrient concentrations, leaf and daughter plant production were more than double than at low nutrient concentrations, while stem length was twice as great at high nutrient concentrations compared to low concentrations. Chlorophyll content was also twice as high at high nutrient concentrations than low concentrations. Conversely, flower production at high nutrient concentrations was less than half that at low concentrations. Herbivory by E. catarinensis did not have as great an effect on water hyacinth vigour as nutrient concentration did, although it significantly reduced the production of daughter plants by 23 ± 9%, the length of the second petiole by 13 ± 5%, and chlorophyll content of water hyacinth leaves by 15 ± 6%. In terms of insect numbers, mirids performed better on plants grown under medium nutrient conditions (99 ± 28 S.E.), compared to high nutrient concentrations (52 ± 27 S.E.), and low nutrient concentrations (25 ± 30 S.E.). Thus, these results suggest that the fastest and most significant reduction in water hyacinth proliferation would be reached by lowering the water nutrient concentrations, and herbivory by E. catarinensis alone is not sufficient to reduce all aspects of water hyacinth vigour, especially at very high nutrient concentrations.
Format: 14 pages
Format: pdf
Language: English
Relation: Coetzee, J.A. and Byrne, M.J. and Hill, M.P. (2007) Impact of nutrients and herbivory by Eccritotarsus catarinensis on the biological control of water hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes. Aquatic Botany, 86 (2). pp. 179-186. Available: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aquabot.2006.09.020

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Coetzee, Julie A (Prof)

RU Department of Botany

Hill, Martin Patrick (Distinguished Professor)

RU Department of Zoology and Entomology

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