The Infestation and Control of Bulb Mite (Rhizoglyphus robini) on Gladiolus

Abstract

Bulb mite (Rhizoglyphus robini Claparede), the most serious pest on gladiolus, attacks gladiolus corms both in the field and in storage. About 78.6%, 90.0%, 80.0% and 54.2% of the gladiolus corms were found to be damaged by this mite when the plants were at 5-leaf, 7-leaf, corm-mature and corm-harvest stage, respectively. The number of mites found on the damaged corms in the field ranged from 4 to 540. During the corm storage period, 97.9% of the animal pests was the bulb mite. Only 55.5% of the corms were left healthy after stored for three months under laboratory conditions (15-28℃, 51-87% RH). Dip treatment and fumigation treatment were tested for the control of the bulb mite. In dip treatment, chlorobenzilate, dicofol, tetradifon, triazid, azide, propargite, oxythioquinox, cyhexatin, bromopropylate, benzomate, cycloprate, azinphos-methyl, mecarbam, methyl demeton, methomyl, carbofuran, drawin, and oxamyl were tested. Of them, bromopropylate, benzomate, and methyl demeton had the best control effect on bulb mite. Fumigation of the bulb-mite-infested corms with 55% aluminum phosphide tablet (1 tablet: 3 gram) at the dosage of 1 tab/rn3 for 48 hours killed all the bulb mites when the temperature in the fumigation container ranged from 25-38℃. The dosage increased to 2 tab/m^3 when the temperature in the container ranged from 15-20℃.