Use of a damage index to evaluate the biological control of the two-spotted spider miteTetranychus urticaeKoch (Acari; Tetranychidae) on tomato crops
(1993) Nigerian Journal of Horticultural Science — Vol. 68, n° 4, p. 575-580 (1993)
Files
nihoul1993.pdf
Open Access - Adobe PDF
- 662.73 KB
Details
- Authors
- 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.
- Affiliations
Citations
Nihoul, P., & Hance, T. (1993). Use of a damage index to evaluate the biological control of the two-spotted spider miteTetranychus urticaeKoch (Acari; Tetranychidae) on tomato crops. Nigerian Journal of Horticultural Science, 68(4), 575-580. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221589.1993.11516387 (Original work published 1993)