ISHS Acta Horticulturae 525: International Conference on Integrated Fruit Production
INTEGRATED CONTROL OF THE STRAWBERRY MITE (PHYTONEMUS PALLIDUS) IN THE NORDIC MULTI-YEAR GROWING SYSTEM |
| Author: | T. Tuovinen |
| Keywords: | Biological control, predatory mites, Amblyseius cucumeris, Anthoseius rhenanus, hot water treatment, methiocarb |
| Abstract:
The strawberry mite has become an increasing problem in Nordic strawberry production. This is partly due to the recent rejection of endosulfan, which has been commonly used to control the strawberry mite. The long 4–6 year growing period enables an initially low strawberry mite population to increase to a very harmful level of over 50–100 mites/leaf. The effect of predatory mites on the strawberry mite was studied in 1997. An imported phytoseiid Amblyseius cucumeris was introduced in early June and it prevented the harmful increase of the strawberry mite in an experimental field. Also, a native species, Anthoseius rhenanus, is considered as an effective biocontrol agent. In laboratory tests the fungicides iprodion and triadimefon were not harmful, tolylfluanid diminished fecundity and chinomethionate killed the females of A. rhenanus. The integrated control of the strawberry mite consists of controlled healthy plant production, taking care of isolation and hygiene in plant production on farms, hot water treatment of runner plants, location of new fields apart from infested fields, monitoring of infestation levels, introduction of predatory mites, careful use of pesticides to prevent harmful effects on predatory mites, removing of scattered heavily infested plants, and post harvest treatment by methiocarb. Generally, a shorter strawberry growing cycle is needed in Nordic production, and not only because of the strawberry mite. | |
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