The potential of trap crops as a pest management strategy against the carrot psyllid (Trioza apicalis) - an initial investigation of plant material for use as a trap crop

The carrot psyllid (Trioza apicalis, Förster (Homoptera: Psylloidea: Triozidae)) is a serious phloem-feeding pest of carrots in Scandinavian countries. Carrot fields attacked at a sensitive growth stage can be completely destroyed. A damaged plant typically develops curled leaves and shows stunted growth. In an ongoing scientific project, a pest management strategy is being studied in which a carrot trap crop is used to lure the psyllid away from the main crop. The trap crop is then destroyed before the carrot psyllid has completed its life cycle. Within the scope of this project, the aim was to find cultivars that have the ability to grow quickly during the early growth stages and could be used as a trap crop. A total of 11 carrot cultivars were screened in a greenhouse trial. The time to reach three different development stages - cotyledon, one-true-leaf and two-true-leaf - differed significantly between cultivars. Bolero and Calibra were among the fastest growing cultivars throughout the experiment and therefore appeared appropriate for use as a trap crop in upcoming large-scale field trials.