150
Phytotechnology with Biomass Production
8.3.3.3 Damage
Pest causes damage in the stage of larvae who feed on both the leaves and
the silk of the female inflorescence of corn. Larvae feeding reduced plants’
ability to take water and nutrients. Initially, injured root tips are discolored
or have brown lesions; after some time, primary or secondary roots can be
completely pruned. Western corn rootworm produces a single generation
each year (Yu et al., 2019).
Miscanthus is suitable for larval development for both European (Gloyna
et al., 2011) and the US (Spencer et al., 2009) populations of the western corn
rootworm. Since Western corn rootworm survives on M. × giganteus, it has
economic consequence. Without crop rotation and tillage, the risk of Western
corn rootworm from M. × giganteus as biomass crops into nearby food and
feed crops, including corn may significantly increase. This is especially challenging in upscaling of M. × giganteus production in agricultural and marginal land in intensive monoculture systems.
8.4 Plant Feeding Nematodes Associate with M. × giganteus
The limited number of reported nematodes in M. × giganteus can be
explained by restricted range of researches conducted in this area. Plantfeeding nematodes according to the feeding habits are commonly assigned
to the following trophic groups: obligate plant feeders, facultative plant
feeders that alternatively feed on fungi or bacteria, and fungal feeders that
alternatively feed on plants (Yeates et al., 1993). Plant parasitic nematodes
(PPNs) are a very important group of pests because of economical aspect
of ability to decrease food and feed crops (Bernard et al., 2017). This nematode group is studied most profoundly (Emery et al., 2017). Because of the
relatively small portion of M. × giganteus plantations and short times since
beginning of cultivation, this is still not clear to which extent PPNs can contribute to this crop yield loss.
In the frame of multistate parasitic nematode survey of 37 miscanthus and
48 switch grass plots across Iowa, Illinois, Georgia, Kentucky, South Dakota,
and Tennessee (USA), the following PPNs were present: lesion (Pratylenchus
spp.), needle (Longidorus spp.), dagger (Xiphinema spp.), lance (Hoplolaimus spp.),
stunt (Tylenchorynchus spp.), spiral (Helicotylenchus spp.), and ring (Criconema
spp.) (Mekete et al., 2009; Mekete et al., 2011a, b). The damage thresholds of
M. × giganteus PPNs have not been reported yet. Mekete et al. (2011b) used
values existing for monocotyledon hosts to compare it with recorded PPNs
densities. It was found that population densities of Helicotylenchus, Xiphinema,
Pratylenchus, Hoplolaimus, Tylenchorhynchus, Criconemella, and Longidorus spp.
exceeded threshold value ranges reported for another monocotyledon host.
Phytotechnology with Biomass Production
8.3.3.3 Damage
Pest causes damage in the stage of larvae who feed on both the leaves and
the silk of the female inflorescence of corn. Larvae feeding reduced plants’
ability to take water and nutrients. Initially, injured root tips are discolored
or have brown lesions; after some time, primary or secondary roots can be
completely pruned. Western corn rootworm produces a single generation
each year (Yu et al., 2019).
Miscanthus is suitable for larval development for both European (Gloyna
et al., 2011) and the US (Spencer et al., 2009) populations of the western corn
rootworm. Since Western corn rootworm survives on M. × giganteus, it has
economic consequence. Without crop rotation and tillage, the risk of Western
corn rootworm from M. × giganteus as biomass crops into nearby food and
feed crops, including corn may significantly increase. This is especially challenging in upscaling of M. × giganteus production in agricultural and marginal land in intensive monoculture systems.
8.4 Plant Feeding Nematodes Associate with M. × giganteus
The limited number of reported nematodes in M. × giganteus can be
explained by restricted range of researches conducted in this area. Plantfeeding nematodes according to the feeding habits are commonly assigned
to the following trophic groups: obligate plant feeders, facultative plant
feeders that alternatively feed on fungi or bacteria, and fungal feeders that
alternatively feed on plants (Yeates et al., 1993). Plant parasitic nematodes
(PPNs) are a very important group of pests because of economical aspect
of ability to decrease food and feed crops (Bernard et al., 2017). This nematode group is studied most profoundly (Emery et al., 2017). Because of the
relatively small portion of M. × giganteus plantations and short times since
beginning of cultivation, this is still not clear to which extent PPNs can contribute to this crop yield loss.
In the frame of multistate parasitic nematode survey of 37 miscanthus and
48 switch grass plots across Iowa, Illinois, Georgia, Kentucky, South Dakota,
and Tennessee (USA), the following PPNs were present: lesion (Pratylenchus
spp.), needle (Longidorus spp.), dagger (Xiphinema spp.), lance (Hoplolaimus spp.),
stunt (Tylenchorynchus spp.), spiral (Helicotylenchus spp.), and ring (Criconema
spp.) (Mekete et al., 2009; Mekete et al., 2011a, b). The damage thresholds of
M. × giganteus PPNs have not been reported yet. Mekete et al. (2011b) used
values existing for monocotyledon hosts to compare it with recorded PPNs
densities. It was found that population densities of Helicotylenchus, Xiphinema,
Pratylenchus, Hoplolaimus, Tylenchorhynchus, Criconemella, and Longidorus spp.
exceeded threshold value ranges reported for another monocotyledon host.