The search for sources of the relative resistance of vegetable crops, including carrots to harmful organisms, is necessary to assess the economically valuable traits of the crop. Resistance to pests allows not only increasing the yield of the crop but also excluding chemical treatments [3, 4].
Willow-carrot aphid Cavariella aegopodii (Scop.) is one of the main aphids damaging carrots and other umbelliferous plants, including parsnips, dill and parsley. It belongs to dioecious species, in the spring and autumn, it feeds on willows (Salicaceae), and in the spring-autumn period — on representatives of the celery genus (Apicaceae) and on some other plants.
The purpose of our research is to study the biological characteristics of willow-carrot aphids and assess the relative resistance of garden carrots varieties to this pest.
Experimental studies were carried out during 2016–2018 as a part of the stationary fi eld experiment of the Bryansk State Agrarian University, in the educational and scientific laboratory for plant protection of the Department of Agronomy, Breeding and Seed Production. The object of research is varieties of table beet selection by the Federal Scientific Centre for Vegetable Growing and Poisk Agricultural Holding.
Seeding of varieties of table beet was carried out manually. During the growing season, inter-row cultivation was carried out using the MTZ-80 tractor and the KRN-4.2 cultivator. In the course of the vegetation season, phenological observations, biometric measurements, and morphological descriptions of plants were carried out [1, 2]. The area of the carrot plot was 10 m2. The pest colonization on garden carrot varieties was assessed by the method of yellow cups (Merike vessels), according to the degree of plant colonization and females’ fertility for five days. The average weight of the root crop, its technological qualities were established before harvesting on the accounting areas of all plots and repetitions. For this purpose 10 plants were dug from each row along both diagonals of the plot. Then the total weight of plants in the sample, the weight of root crops and leaves were determined. The harvest was taken into account from the entire area of the plot.