OBSERVATIONS ON THE INFLUENCE OF KEY TREATMENTS ON BEETLE SPECIES IN SUNFLOWER CROPS

Abstract

The observations were made in 2022 in sunflower crops in the western area of Romania, in the town of Adea, Bihor county. In sunflower crops, Barber traps with 2.5% NaCl solution were used, with harvests being carried out periodically between May and October. The collected material was cleaned, preserved and identified in the laboratory.
In variant 1 (conventional system) 428 specimens of 40 species were collected, the richest harvest being the second (123 specimens), and the least the one from 7.08.2022 (8 specimens). The most abundant species were Pterostichus cylindricus, Dermestes laniarius and Pseudophonus pubescens.
In variant 2 (ecological system) 953 specimens of 72 species were collected, with a maximum at the harvest on 12.06.2022 (237 specimens) and a minimum at the harvest on 2.08.2022 (17 specimens). The dominant species were Pseudophonus pubescens, Harmonia axyridis and Pseudophonus griseus.Overall, the organic variant presented a much higher abundance and diversity compared to the conventional variant, confirming the negative impact of chemical treatments on the coleopteran fauna.