Impact of Halotydeus destructor on crop seedlings at different plant developmental stages and levels of moisture stress

Abstract

Tolerance and compensatory ability after invertebrate damage are important components of plant defense and are affected by various endogenous and exogenous factors. Here, we examine the impact of feeding damage caused by different densities of the redlegged earth mite (Halotydeus destructor Tucker) on the performance and recovery of canola and wheat seedlings at different plant developmental stages, and when grown under three levels of moisture stress. Both canola and wheat were susceptible to feeding damage caused by H. destructor at early growth development stages (canola - cotyledon, first and second true leaf stage; wheat - GS10 and GS12), but tolerated damage at the later growth stages ..