Effect of various hues of yellow as sticky trap color on leafminers in cucumber growing greenhouses

Abstract

Yellow sticky traps are widely used in the management of several insect pests. Many studies were carried out on the effects of some factors such as trap size, vertical and horizontal positioning, and trap location on capturing capacity of traps. However, there is not much information on color characteristics; brightness, hues of the color, and wave length of the reflected light. In this study, it is aimed to find out optimum trap color by determining the most attractive hues of yellow for leafminers. Different hues were chosen from RAIL catalogue and produced in DYO Paint Factory in Bornova (Izmir-Turkey). The traps were hanged in three organically grown cucumber greenhouses in Menderes (Izmir) in 2008. The trials were set up according to randomized block design with eight replicates. Leafminer adults on both sides of the traps were counted two week after the traps were hanged. The data were subjected to one way ANNOVA. Although there was significant variation amongst the replicates, it was found statistically insignificant in terms of mean individual numbers of leafminers on traps colored with different hues of yellow.