BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF STRAWBERRY MITE: A CASE STUDY
The results of a farm scale study on biological control of strawberry mite Phytonemus pallidus with a phytoseiid mite Amblyseius cucumeris are presented.
The aim of the study was to evaluate the integration of biological and chemical control in different fields on a single farm.
The total of 10-20 predatory mites/plant or 367 000 mites/ha were introduced.
The development of strawberry mite and predator popu-lations were followed at 2-4 weeks intervals.
The effect of predatory mites in fields with a history of high strawberry mite infestation in the previous year was not satis-factory.
In newly planted fields the results were better.
The use of A. cucumeris was considered economically reasonable as there are no other effective means to limit the increase of strawberry mite during flowering or harvesting.
In organic cultivation biological control has better chances to succeed than in IP- or conventional fields, where the pesticides sprayed before and during flowering either kill the predators or cause delay in the introduction of predators to avoid harmful residual effects.
Tuovinen, T. (2002). BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF STRAWBERRY MITE: A CASE STUDY. Acta Hortic. 567, 671-674
DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2002.567.146
https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2002.567.146
DOI: 10.17660/ActaHortic.2002.567.146
https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2002.567.146
predatory mites, inundative release, cyclamen mite, Phytoseiidae, Phytonemus pallidus, Amblyseius cucmeris
English