Tuesday, 16 November 2004
D0289

Biological pest management approaches to control strawberry pests grown under protected structures

S.I. Rondon, srondon@mail.ifas.ufl.edu1, J.F. Price, jprice@mail.ifas.ufl.edu2, and D.J. Cantliffe, djc@mail.ifas.ufl.edu1. (1) University of Florida, Horticultural Sciences, PO Box 110690, Gainesville, FL, (2) University of Florida, Gulf Research and Education Center, 5007 60th St. E, Bradenton, FL

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a holistic approach to pest control in which various pest management practices are implemented, some even before planting the crop. These practices may include sanitation, the use of transplants with reduced associated pests, chemical and biological methods, and generally sound cultural practices. A well-developed management plan is in place for pests such as the twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae). The elements of the plan for mite control include the use of high quality transplants and the release of predatory mites at predetermined thresholds. The cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover (Homoptera: Aphididae), is controlled by means of regular releases of parasitic wasps. The current study was initiated to monitor the population dynamics of natural infestations of the cotton aphid on strawberries grown in a glasshouse in north central Florida and to evaluate the effectiveness of the predator Coleomegilla maculata DeGeer to control aphids. Results from this study indicated that early detection of pests and early intervention result in an effective control.


Species 1: Acari Tetranychidae Tetranychus urticae (twospotted spider mite)
Species 2: Homoptera Aphididae Aphis gossypii (melon aphid, cotton aphid)
Species 3: Coleoptera Coccinellidae Coleomegilla maculata (pink spotted lady beetle)
Keywords: greenhouse, strawberry

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