Tuesday, December 12, 2006
D0346

Biology and control of ground pearls in rabbiteye blueberry

James D. Dutcher, jimdutcher@lycos.com and Gerard W. Krewer, gkrewer@uga.edu. University of Georgia, Entomology, 122 S. Entomology Dr, Coastal Plain Experiment Station, Tifton, GA

Ground pearls were found to be highly abundant in the root systems of blueberry farms in southern Georgia. Moderate reductions in cysts were possible with a soil application of pyriproxyfen. Interactions between ants and the cysts were studied in the lab. Some blueberry plants showed signs of significant decline though declining plants and healthy plants had similar densities of the insects infesting the roots.


Species 1: Hemiptera Margarodidae Margarodes (ground pearls)