Composition and variation of an entomofauna specific to five fast-growing willow genotypes as a function of the period of the summer season and regionality

Sunday, November 13, 2022

2:18 PM – 2:30 PM PT

Location: Vancouver Convention Centre, Meeting Room 204

Presenting Author(s)

AM

Alexandre A. Michaud

Maîtrise en entomologie
CÉROM
Longueuil, Québec, Canada

Co-Author(s)

ML

Michel Labrecque

Professor at the University of Montreal
Université de Montréal
Montréal, Québec, Canada
SO

Snizhana Olishevska

Coordinator of the Network of bio-industrial plants of Quebec (RPBQ)
CÉROM
Saint-Mathieu-de-Beloeil, Québec, Canada
SB

Sébastien Boquel

Researcher
CÉROM
Saint-Mathieu-de-Beloeil, Québec, Canada

The production of fast-growing willows (FGW) is increasing in Quebec, due to the high bioenergy yield and environmental benefits of this crop. However, FGW face a multitude of insect pests inflicting potentially harmful damage and impacting yield. For this reason, it is essential to know the susceptibility of different willow genotypes to these pests to select for resistance. It is also important to better understand the composition and variation of the insect pest and beneficial communities that constitute the entomofauna of these crops. Using sweeps net and visual observations, this study aims to determine how the insect community of different FGW genotypes varies depending on regions (climatic conditions), time (months) and space (plot distribution). Preliminary results show that the abundance and occurrence of insects found in FGW varies primarily with regionality and over time. The diversity of entomofauna also appears to vary greatly between the different FGW genotypes. This knowledge will improve the understanding of the interaction between insect communities and cultivars used in phytoremediation.