Plants (2022) 11 (19 - 2493)
Yohan Solano-Rojas, Juan R. Gallego, Manuel Gamez, Inmaculada Lopez, Patricia Castillo and Tomas Cabello (2022)
Effect of relative humidity on the population dynamics of the predator Amblyseius swirskii and its prey Carpoglyphus lactis in the context of slow-release sachets for use in biological control in greenhouses
Plants 11 (19 - 2493)
Abstract: Amblyseius swirskii is a predatory mite that is widely used for biological control in greenhouses. One way this predator is released is in a formulation in slow-release sachets. These sachets are prepared with the predatory mite, the factitious prey mite Carpoglyphus lactis, and a food substrate for the latter. The objective of the present study was to study the effects of microclimatic conditions in this type of formulation on the population dynamics of mites inside the sachets and on the release of predatory mites. These experiments were conducted under laboratory conditions in two trials. The ambient relative humidity affected the water content of the food substrate of the prey mite inside the sachets, with an initial value of 21.49 ± 0.42%, which was reduced to values of 4.7 ± 0.25%, 10.87 ± 1.03% and 17.27 ± 0.82% after 21 days of trials when they were exposed to low, medium and high ambient relative humidity levels, respectively. Relative humidity significantly altered the dynamics of the populations of both species inside the sachets and the exits of the predator from the sachets to the external environment.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Full text of article
Database assignments for author(s): Tomas Cabello
Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
environment/habitat manipulation
Pest and/or beneficial records:
| Beneficial | Pest/Disease/Weed | Crop/Product | Country | Quarant.
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carpoglyphus lactis | Spain (continental) | |||
| Amblyseius swirskii (predator) | Carpoglyphus lactis | Spain (continental) |
