Abstract
There is an urgent need to develop biological control methods against the eriophyoid mite, Phyllocoptes gracilis, which causes significant losses in organic raspberry production in Europe. The use of entomopathogenic fungi (EF) is a sustainable alternative to conventional chemical pesticides, reducing the risks of pesticide resistance and other negative environmental impacts of agriculture. The objective of this study was to assess the pathogenicity of three strains of EF, two of Beauveria bassiana and one of Metarhizium anisopliae, on P. gracilis under laboratory conditions. Fungal spore suspensions (1 × 107 spores per mL) were sprayed on detached leaves infested with P. gracilis. Treated mites were kept under controlled conditions (25 ± 3 °C, 72 ± 10% relative humidity and photoperiod of 16:8 (light/dark)) and mite mortality was assessed three, five and seven days after inoculation. At all three measurement points (days after inoculation), the mortality of P. gracilis was highest for B. bassiana strain BB 1.1 and M. anisopliae strain MA 10.1. Our data demonstrate that EFs are promising candidates for the development of biological control agents against P. gracilis in raspberry crops.
Highlights
IntroductionSevere infestations of Phyllocoptes gracilis Nalepa (Acari: Eriophyidae) in Switzerland have had a negative impact on organic raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) production and resulted in severe economic losses [1]
Academic Editor: Giovanni BubiciReceived: 26 January 2021Accepted: 15 March 2021Published: 18 March 2021Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.In recent years, severe infestations of Phyllocoptes gracilis Nalepa (Acari: Eriophyidae) in Switzerland have had a negative impact on organic raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) production and resulted in severe economic losses [1]
Under most raspberry growth conditions, these predatory mites do not seem to prevent a rapid increase in P. gracilis populations
Summary
Severe infestations of Phyllocoptes gracilis Nalepa (Acari: Eriophyidae) in Switzerland have had a negative impact on organic raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) production and resulted in severe economic losses [1]. Predatory mites of the Phytoseiidae family are known to feed on eriophyids and to participate in the control of P. gracilis [3]. Under most raspberry growth conditions, these predatory mites do not seem to prevent a rapid increase in P. gracilis populations. EF are used in classical and augmentative biological control strategies because they have no or low impact on natural enemies and biodiversity and are considered safe in terms of human health [5,6]. EF are efficient biological control agents of a wide range of mites, but none have been identified for the control of P. gracilis populations
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