Gibberellic acid decreases Melanocallis caryaefoliae (Hemiptera: Aphididae) population density and chlorotic feeding injury to foliage in pecan orchards.

Application of GA3 to the orchard canopy protects foliage from senescence-like physiological responses triggered by M. caryaefoliae. This reduces detrimental leaflet chlorosis, both senescence and abscission processes and horticulturally significant feeding injury. Additionally, the absence of apparent negative side-effects on key natural enemies and return bloom is suggestive of a practical means for efficacious non-insecticidal control of M. caryaefoliae populations in orchards. This novel protective effect of GA3 against aphid-elicited, senescence-like physiological responses may merit investigation as an IPM tool to manage aphid species eliciting similar senescence-like damage to other crop species. Published 2020. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.