Effect of reduced risk pesticides on greenhouse vegetable arthropod biological control agents

Abstract

Arthropod biological control agents (BCAs) are commonly released for greenhouse vegetable insect pest management. Nevertheless, chemicals remain a necessary control tactic for certain insect pests and diseases and they can have negative impacts on BCAs. The compatibility of some formulated reduced risk insecticides (abamectin, metaflumizone and chlorantraniliprole) and fungicides (myclobutanil, potassium bicarbonate and cyprodinil + fludioxonil) used, or with promise for use, in Canadian greenhouses with Orius insidiosus (Say), Amblyseius swirskii (Athias-Henriot) and Eretmocerus eremicus (Rose & Zolnerovich) was determined through laboratory and greenhouse bioassays. Overall, the insecticides and fungicides were harmless as residues to adult BCAs. However, abamectin was slightly to moderately harmful to O. insidiosus and A. swirskii in laboratory bioassays, whereas metaflumizone was slightly harmful to E. eremicus. In general, these products appear safe to use prior to establishment/release of these adult BCAs.