Effects of Chemical, Organic and Bio-Fertilizers on Some Secondary Metabolites in the Leaves of Bell Pepper (Capsicum annuum) and Their Impact on Life Table Parameters of Myzus persicae (Hemiptera: Aphididae)

The green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer), is a polyphagous and a holocyclic aphid that causes severe damage on hundreds of host plants in both fields and greenhouses. In this research, the effects of Zinc sulfate spray and amending the soil with 30% vermicompost, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Glomus intraradices, G. intraradices × B. subtilis, and G. intraradices × P. fluorescens compared with no fertilizer treatments were investigated on secondary metabolites in the leaves of bell pepper and life table parameters of M. persicae. Total phenol contents in the plant leaves varied significantly among different fertilizer treatments. The highest (72.28 mg/ml) value was observed on 30% vermicompost. Life table parameters of M. persicae were significantly affected by different fertilizer treatments. The net reproductive rate (R0) of M. persicae fed on plants treated with different fertilizer treatments varied from 4.38 to 21.93 female offspring, with the lowest and highest values on 30% vermicompost and Zinc sulfate, respectively. The lowest and the highest intrinsic rate of increase (rm) were also observed on 30% vermicompost and Zinc sulfate (0.111 and 0.321 female per female per day, respectively). The longest mean generation time (T) was recorded on 30% vermicompost (13.41 d), and the shortest generation time was observed on Zinc sulfate (9.61 d). Results of this study revealed that amending the soil with 30% vermicompost significantly affected the life table parameters of M. persicae. Thus, it was concluded that amending the soil of bell pepper with 30% vermicompost can provide an environmentally safe and efficient control of this aphid.