Green peach aphid [Myzus persicae (Sulzer)] and tobacco mosaic virus are the primary causes of disease in flue-cured tobacco in China and in many other regions of the world. Control of tobacco diseases and pests relies primarily on chemical agents. However, serious problems related to chemical control have emerged. A field experiment was conducted to determine the effects of genetic diversity on pest and disease control in a tobacco ecosystem. In 2012 and 2013, the Minyan 38 and K326 flue-cured tobacco varieties were intercropped in Wuping County, in Longyan City in Fujian Province, P.R. China. Tobacco disease caused by green peach aphid and tobacco mosaic virus was significantly affected by the intercrop system. The green peach aphid density, tobacco mosaic incidence rate and disease severity index decreased by 60.61%, 34.76% and 0.05, respectively, in 2012 and by 61.89%, 23.51% and 0.01, respectively, in 2013 in the intercropped fields relative to monoculture stands. The tobacco yield and monetary value of the tobacco leaves increased from 0.81% to 0.98% and from 1.15% to 2.45%, respectively, with intercropping. The serious problems associated with control of this pest and the virus diseases it vectors might be avoided using this approach and consequently a greener protection of tobacco may well be realized.
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