Use of a Damage Index To Evaluate the Biological-control of the 2-spotted Spider-mite Tetranychus-urticae Koch (acari, Tetranychidae) On Tomato Crops
(1993) Journal of Horticultural Science — Vol. 68, n° 4, p. 575-580 (1993)
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- Abstract
- In tomato crops protected by the predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis against the two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae foliage damage showed an oscillatory pattern with increasing amplitude, indicating an unstable prey-predator equilibrium. Cyclical declines in predator populations were met with subsequent rapid increases in prey populations, and as a consequence, considerable numbers of predatory mites were needed to control the spider mites: 25,000 to 36,300 predators per 100 m2 for a period of 22 to 26 weeks. Only when the spider mites were colonizing was a stable and satisfactory ratio between the number of released predators and foliage damage observed. The instability of the prey-predator equilibrium was attributed to the intensity of the introduction of the predator on each plant and to the unfavourable abiotic environmental conditions.
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Nihoul, P., & Hance, T. (1993). Use of a Damage Index To Evaluate the Biological-control of the 2-spotted Spider-mite Tetranychus-urticae Koch (acari, Tetranychidae) On Tomato Crops. Journal of Horticultural Science, 68(4), 575-580. https://hdl.handle.net/2078.5/146934 (Original work published 1993)