Bernard, E., R. P. Larkin, S. Tavantzis, M. S. Erich, A. Alyokhin, and S. D. Gross. 2014. Rapeseed rotation, compost and biocontrol amendments reduce soilborne diseases and increase tuber yield in organic and conventional potato production systems. Plant Soil 374: 611-627.

Abundance Factors /

Aims Integrating multiple soil and disease management practices may improve crop productivity and disease control, but potential interactions and limitations need to be determined.Methods Three different potential disease-suppressive management practices, including a Brassica napus (rapeseed) green manure rotation crop, conifer-based compost amendment, and three biological control organisms (Trichoderma virens, Bacillus subtilis, and Rhizoctonia solani hypovirulent isolate Rhs1A1) were evaluated alone […]

Bernard, E., R. P. Larkin, S. Tavantzis, M. S. Erich, A. Alyokhin, and S. D. Gross. 2014. Rapeseed rotation, compost and biocontrol amendments reduce soilborne diseases and increase tuber yield in organic and conventional potato production systems. Plant Soil 374: 611-627. Read More »

Lamb, R. J., P. A. MacKay, and A. Alyokhin. 2013. Seasonal dynamics of three coexisting aphid species: implications for estimating population variability. Canadian Entomologist 145: 283-291.

Abundance Factors /

Seasonal patterns of abundance and population variability were determined for Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas), Myzus persicae (Sulzer), and Aphis nasturtii (Kaltenbach) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in potato plots from weekly samples for 28 years. All species showed a single annual peak, but arrived and reached peak abundance at different times. Population variability (PV, a proportion between 0 and 1) for the week of peak

Lamb, R. J., P. A. MacKay, and A. Alyokhin. 2013. Seasonal dynamics of three coexisting aphid species: implications for estimating population variability. Canadian Entomologist 145: 283-291. Read More »

Leppanen, C., A. Alyokhin, and S. Gross. 2012. Competition for aphid prey between different lady beetle species in a laboratory arena. Psyche: A Journal of Entomology 2012: Article ID 890327, 9 pp.

Abundance Factors / ,

Direct competition for aphid prey (Hemiptera: Aphididae) was evaluated between and among several lady beetle species (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). The behavior of three native (Coccinella trifasciata, Coleomegilla maculata, and Hippodamia convergens) and four nonnative (Coccinella septempunctata, Harmonia axyridis, Hippodamia variegata, and Propylea quatuordecimpunctata) lady beetles was observed in laboratory arenas. The beetles were kept alone, paired with conspecifics or paired

Leppanen, C., A. Alyokhin, and S. Gross. 2012. Competition for aphid prey between different lady beetle species in a laboratory arena. Psyche: A Journal of Entomology 2012: Article ID 890327, 9 pp. Read More »

Bernard, E., R. P. Larkin, S. Tavantzis, M. S. Erich, A. Alyokhin, G. Sewell, A. Lannan, and S. D. Gross. 2012. Compost, rapeseed rotation, and biocontrol agents significantly impact soil microbial communities in organic and conventional potato production systems. Applied Soil Ecology 52: 29-41.

Abundance Factors /

Cultural practices such as organic amendments, rotations, and use of biological control organisms are regularly investigated for their effects on controlling plant diseases but their effects on soil microbial populations are often unexplored. In this study, three different sustainable disease management practices, use of compost amendment, biocontrol organisms, and a potentially disease-suppressive rotation, were established

Bernard, E., R. P. Larkin, S. Tavantzis, M. S. Erich, A. Alyokhin, G. Sewell, A. Lannan, and S. D. Gross. 2012. Compost, rapeseed rotation, and biocontrol agents significantly impact soil microbial communities in organic and conventional potato production systems. Applied Soil Ecology 52: 29-41. Read More »

Alyokhin, A., F. A. Drummond, G. Sewell, and R. H. Storch. 2011. Differential effects of weather and natural enemies on coexisting aphid populations. Environmental Entomology 40: 570-580.

Abundance Factors /

Study of mechanisms responsible for regulating populations of living organisms is essential for a better comprehension of the structure of biological communities and evolutionary forces in nature. Aphids (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha) comprise a large and economically important group of phytophagous insects distributed worldwide. Previous studies determined that density dependent mechanisms play an important role in regulating

Alyokhin, A., F. A. Drummond, G. Sewell, and R. H. Storch. 2011. Differential effects of weather and natural enemies on coexisting aphid populations. Environmental Entomology 40: 570-580. Read More »

Lamb, R. J., P. A. MacKay, and A. Alyokhin. 2011. Population variability and persistence of three aphid pests of potatoes over 60 years. Canadian Entomologist 143: 91-101.

Abundance Factors /

Abundance, persistence, and variability of populations of Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas), Myzus persicae (Sulzer), and Aphis nasturtii Kaltenbach (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in potato plots for intervals of 58 years (n=1), 29 years (n=2), 19?20 years (n=3), and 9?10 years (n=6) were compared. The abundance of M. euphorbiae showed no trend among decades and varied 2.4-fold, whereas that of M. persicae and A. nasturtii declined and showed 54-fold and 3700-fold

Lamb, R. J., P. A. MacKay, and A. Alyokhin. 2011. Population variability and persistence of three aphid pests of potatoes over 60 years. Canadian Entomologist 143: 91-101. Read More »

Alyokhin, A. and R. Choban. 2010. Maturity-dependent mortality of Colorado potato beetle eggs treated with novaluron. American Journal of Potato Research 87: 557-560.

Insecticides /

Novaluron is a chitin synthesis inhibitor (a benzoylphenyl urea) that kills larval stages and causes reversible cessation of laying viable eggs in adults of the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say). Previous studies also suggest that it has ovicidal properties, but not on all tested egg masses. We investigated if egg maturity at the time of exposure

Alyokhin, A. and R. Choban. 2010. Maturity-dependent mortality of Colorado potato beetle eggs treated with novaluron. American Journal of Potato Research 87: 557-560. Read More »

Finlayson, C., A. Alyokhin, S. Gross, and E. Porter. 2010. Differential consumption of four aphid species by four lady beetle species. 10pp. Journal of Insect Science 10:31, available online: insectscience.org/10.31.

Abundance Factors / ,

The acceptability of four different aphid species, Macrosiphum albifrons (Essig), Macrosiphum euphorbiae (Thomas), Macrosiphum pseudorosae Patch, and Myzus persicae (Sulzer) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), as prey for four lady beetle species, one native species Coccinella trifasciata L, and three non-native species, Coccinella septempunctata L, Harmonia axyridis Pallas, Propylea quatuordecimpunctata L (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) were tested in the laboratory. The relative field abundance of adults of the same lady beetle species on host vegetation, Lupinus

Finlayson, C., A. Alyokhin, S. Gross, and E. Porter. 2010. Differential consumption of four aphid species by four lady beetle species. 10pp. Journal of Insect Science 10:31, available online: insectscience.org/10.31. Read More »

Alyokhin, A., J. Makatiani, and K. Takasu. 2010. Insecticide odour interference with food-searching behaviour of Microplitis croceipes (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) in a laboratory arena. Biocontrol Science and Technology 20: 317-329.

Insecticides

Response to odours plays an important role in resource location by natural enemies, particularly by parasitoid wasps. While a considerable research effort has been dedicated to studying the effects of insecticide intoxication on natural enemy search behaviour, it is yet unknown if the odours themselves interfere with distant chemoreception. We investigated this issue using the

Alyokhin, A., J. Makatiani, and K. Takasu. 2010. Insecticide odour interference with food-searching behaviour of Microplitis croceipes (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) in a laboratory arena. Biocontrol Science and Technology 20: 317-329. Read More »