Observations on the inventory of phytophagous arthropods and phytopathogenic agents from meadows situated in North-eastern Moldavia

Abstract

In most of grassland ecosystems used for grazing, a change of flower composition took place, by invading these areas with weeds that diminish their economic value, both quantitatively and qualitatively. One of the strategies of weed control is using natural limitative factors, which are pests and phytopathogenic agents. Observations were carried out in 2009 on two plots: the first plot situated near Iaşi – Miroslava and the second plot situated near Bârlad – Perieni, 100 km south from Iaşi. The plots were invaded by Lepidium draba. As a result of inventorying phytophagous bodies of invasive plants in the grassland ecosystems of the Central Moldavian Plateau in 2008, we have shown that the species belonged to orders Coleoptera, Heteroptera, Homoptera, Diptera, Lepidoptera and Acari. Among all these species, as potential control agents of Lepidium draba, having a high control rate, there were Ceutorhynchus cardariae Korotyaev, Psylliodes wrasei Leonardi and Arnold., Aceria draba Nal. The signalled micromycetes were Blumeria graminis, found in Perieni (Vaslui) in common meadow grass (Poa pratensis); Puccinia coronifera f. sp. Lolii in Miroslava (Iaşi) in raigrass (Lolium perenne); Puccinia poarum in Perieni (Vaslui) in Poa pratensis; Alternaria alternata was signalled in whitetop (Lepidium draba), alfalfa (Trifolium repens), orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata), raigras (Lolium perenne) sampled in Perieni (Vaslui) on June 10, 2009 and Cladosporium herbarum found in Lepidium draba and raigrass (Lolium perenne) in Miroslava (Iaşi) on July 5, 2009 and in alfalfa (Medicago sativa) in Perieni (Vaslui) on July 25, 2009.