Herbicidal control in relation to distribution of Opuntia aurantiaca Lindley and effects on cochineal populations

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Abstract
Summary: Kivc main points have emerged from this study: (i) populations of the cactus Opuntia aurantiaca Lindley are highly aggregated; (ii) searching efficiency of spray teams applying herbicides is low because they fail to locate small isolated plants; (iii) searching efficiency is positively correlated with aggregation of the target plant; (iv) the presence of the cochineal Dactylopius austrinusDe Lotto is also positively associated with aggregations of the host plant and; (v) consequently, cochineal populations are selectively eliminated by current spraying techniques to the detriment of biological control. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to future strategies for chemical and biological control of the weed.

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