Interactive effects of irrigation and nitrogen regimes on Rhopalosiphum padi demography in drought-tolerant and drought-sensitive barley cultivars

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Plant Protection, School of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz, I. R. Iran

2 Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, I. R. Iran

3 Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, I. R. Iran

Abstract

Sustainable control of cereal aphids under climate change requires a mechanistic understanding of how water and nutrient management interact with host drought tolerance to shape pest demography. The oat leaf aphid, Rhopalosiphum padi L., is a persistent constraint in cereal systems, yet its responses to combined abiotic and nutritional stress remain unclear. We evaluated irrigation and nitrogen effects on aphid life history across two barley cultivars differing in drought sensitivity. Plants were grown under three soil moisture levels (100%, 75%, and 50% field capacity) and three nitrogen rates (0, 75, and 150 mg N kg⁻¹ soil), and aphid demographic parameters were quantified using the age–stage, two-sex life table. The design quantified non-linear interactions among host drought tolerance, water availability, and nitrogen supply. The drought-tolerant cultivar 'Sararood' constrained aphid development and reproduction, particularly under water deficit, resulting in prolonged development and reduced intrinsic rates of increase (r), from 0.2272 d⁻¹ on 'Afzal' under optimal irrigation to 0.0090 d⁻¹ on 'Sararood' under severe water stress. In contrast, aphids on the drought-sensitive cultivar 'Afzal' showed rapid population growth under full irrigation but showed collapse under drought. Nitrogen effects were context-dependent and interacted with both moisture regime and cultivar physiology; while nitrogen fertilization had negligible effects on developmental duration, it reduced the intrinsic rate of increase under severe drought in 'Afzal'. Notably, moderate irrigation combined with moderate nitrogen on 'Sararood' minimized aphid population growth, a resource-efficient regime. These results highlight co-optimization of cultivar choice with precision irrigation and fertilization as a climate-smart integrated pest management (IPM) strategy.

Graphical Abstract

Interactive effects of irrigation and nitrogen regimes on Rhopalosiphum padi demography in drought-tolerant and drought-sensitive barley cultivars

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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Iran Agricultural Research
Volume 45, Issue 2
Issue in Progress
2026
Pages 36-51

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