University of Florida
Horticultural Science Department
717 Hull Road, 1143 Fifield Hall, PO Box 110690
Gainesville, FL 32611-0690
Phone (352) 392-9905
Greenhouse (352) 392-3841
Integrated Application of
Beneficial Insect for Reduced
Insecticide Use on Strawberry
Biological control of arthropod pests is often disrupted by the use of different pesticides (insecticides and miticides). Pesticides applied to kill pests affect natural enemies directly, by killing them, or indirectly, by killing their natural prey. Application of pesticides can create undesirable characteristics such as pest resistance to the different chemical compounds. The highly intensive cultivated strawberry crop, Fragaria ananassa (Duchesne), requires high chemical inputs which disrupt the population dynamics of the different pests and natural enemies. The effect of pesticides occurs not only on open fields but also in enclose structures such as greenhouses.
The two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Kotch (Acari: Tetranychidae) (Fig. 1), aphids, Aphis spp. (Homoptera: Aphididae) (Fig. 2), and flower thrips, Frankliniella spp. (Thysanoptera: Thripideae) are considered serious pests in open and greenhouse strawberry production areas. In Florida, the two-spotted spider mite can be effectively controlled by releasing the predatory mite Phytoseilus persimilis (Acari: Phytoseiidae) (Vrie and Price, 1994).
The objective of the project is to demonstrate the effectiveness of natural enemies, as part of an Integrated Pest Management program that will reduce the use of pesticides, in the control of strawberry pests on commercial farms. The beneficials under study will be the lady beetle, Coleomegilla maculata fuscilabris (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), the big-eyed bug, Geocoris punctipes (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae), and the minute pirate bug, Orius insidiosus (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) (Fig. 3). All beneficials will be provided by Entomos.
A series of laboratory studies will be carried out the first year of research. During the second year, sampling protocols will be developed for predator and pest population on the field, and a series of trials will be set up on growers' farms in Plant City, Florida.
For more information contact Dr. Silvia Rondon, Dr. Daniel Cantliffe, and/or Dr. James Price.
Van deVrie, M. and J. Price. 1994. Manual for biological control of two-spotted spider mite on strawberry in Florida. Univ. Fla. Dover Res. Rpt. DOV 1994-1.10 pages.
Geocoris punctipes (Say) Orius insidiosus L. Coleomegilla
maculata DeGeer
(Graphics by Alexander P. Diaz).
