Document Type : Pest Management
Authors
- Shahriar Asgari 1
- Shahram Farrokhi 2
- Seyed Hassan Malkeshi 3
- Shahram Naeimi 3
- Masoud Arbabi 4
- Shahram Shahrokhi 5
1 Greenhouse Cultivation Research Dept., Tehran Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Varamin, Iran
2 Biological Control Research Department, Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection, AREEO, Tehran, Iran
3 Biological Control Research Dept., Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection, AREEO, Tehran, Iran
4 Zoological Research Dept., Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection, AREEO, Tehran, Iran
5 Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection, sunn pest Research Department
Abstract
In two metal structure cucumber greenhouses (each unit ~1300 m2) in Varamin region, an IPM program based on biological control (treatment) was compared with the conventional pest control method (control) during winter-spring cultivation season (2021-2022). In the treatment greenhouse, pests were controlled by augmenting hunter fly, Coenosia attenuata, population and releasing indoor produced biological control agents of 3 predatory mites species, Neoseiulus californicus, Phytoseiulus persimilis, Amblyseius swirskii. Moreover, air-borne and soil-borne diseases were managed with chemicals and bio-fungicides, respectively. Pest monitoring of two greenhouses was done every other week by 3 methods including a) observational survey and flaging the attacked plants, b) random sampling of 15 plants, and c) recording the number of pests on the sticky card traps. Percentage of plants infested with thrips was high in both treatment (62%) and control (31%) greenhouses. Leaf miners and whiteflies infestations were observed, but well controlled by predatory fly, C. attenuata, in both greenhouses. Predatory mites also stopped the development of spider mite population in the treatment greenhouse. Biological agents had an acceptable control on pests at average daily temperature up to 25°C and humidity of at least 50-60% and therefore, they can be a suitable alternative to conventional chemical control.
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