ERA-NET C-IPM: Unification of IPM Forces to Control Mites in Berries, Soft Fruits and Woody Ornamentals (UNIFORCE)

• Forschungsstelle: BLW
• Projektnummer: 12.04_3
• Projekttitel Englisch: ERA-NET C-IPM: Unification of IPM Forces to Control Mites in Berries, Soft Fruits and Woody Ornamentals (UNIFORCE)

Schlüsselwörter (Deutsch)

Milben, Gartenbau, integrierter Pflanzenschutz

Schlüsselwörter (Englisch)

mites, horticulture, integrated pest management

Schlüsselwörter (Französisch)

acariens, horticulture, protéction des plantes intégrée

Kurzbeschreibung (Englisch)

Blackberry, currant, raspberry, strawberry and azalea are attacked by mites of the families Eriophyidae Tarsonemidae and Tetranychidae. These mites have similar life styles, they are tiny, often hidden and difficult to monitor until damage is conspicuous. An efficient, sustainable and integrated way to control these mites in-field is missing. As the target crops are minor crops in most countries, cooperation between multiple European research organisations will boost each country’s limited and separate capacities. UNIFORCE will tackle problems by combining the individual experience of each partner. The goal is to develop in-field solutions within the 2 year project term. UNIFORCE research structure will focus on the tritrophic interactions between plant, pest and beneficials. We will characterize harmful and predatory mites via experience, field surveys and literature. Sampling techniques will be optimized to allow fast early detection and monitoring. Besides predatory mites, other natural enemies found in association with pest mites will be identified as potential biological control agents. Direct and indirect plant defence in specific cultivars for each crop will be studied. Jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA) pathways, as well as mite responses to plant volatiles related to these defence pathways will be characterized. Possibilities of integrating these natural defence mechanisms into biological-control based IPM programs will be explored. IPM programs including the use of predatory mites will be developed. Commercial and newly found predators will be evaluated. Efficiency and conservation of predators will be optimized based on knowledge of the pest life cycle, dose and timing of releases of predatory mites and methods to support them (e.g. pollen, mulch layers). Control methods with predatory mites will also be tested with selective pesticides (e.g. sulphur) or biopesticides that can potentially work synergistically. Furthermore, potential applications of plant volatiles will be studied. Part of this research will be elaborated in close collaboration with growers in different European countries to translate UNIFORCE research into directly applicable IPM strategies. Finally, project results will be summarized into a tool with practical advice for growers on how to identify, monitor and control the most important mites in the target crops.

Publikationen / Ergebnisse (Englisch)

Blackberry, currant, raspberry, strawberry and azalea are attacked by mites of the families Eriophyoidae (as the blackberry mite, Acalitus essigi, and the black currant gall mite Ce-cidophyopsis ribis), Tarsonemidae and Tetranychidae. These mites have similar life styles, they are tiny, often hidden and difficult to monitor until damage is conspicuous. An efficient, sustainable and integrated way to control these mites in-field is missing. As the target crops are minor crops in most countries, the cooperation within the uniforce project resulted in a boost in each country’s limited and separate capacities.

Thanks to uniforce a broad range of samples could be taken in the selected crops (blackberry, raspberry, strawberry, currant and azalea. This gave a nice overview of the pest mites which occur on the different crops and resulted in a better understanding of where, when and how the different mite species can be most fluently detected. For azalea it gave us a deeper insight in de the different tarsonemid species which occur on different varieties of azalea and how this relates to damage symptoms.

On the level of plant defense a focus was put on the analysis of stress related hormones linked to differences in mite susceptibility between plant cultivars. For different plant species: strawberry, raspberry and azalea cultivar differences in mite susceptibility were analyzed. Levels of salicylic acid (SA) or jasmonic acid (JA) could be attributed to resistance or susceptibility of the different cultivars. Also volatile compounds involved in the stress hormone pathway were analyzed.

For direct control of the pest mites different commercially available predatory mites have been evaluated and strategies based on regular input of predators were compared to strategies with limited input of predators but the addition of extra (pollen) feed to support their population build-up. In 2018 this work will be continued.

The knowledge gained in the uniforce project resulted in an interesting exchange of methods and protocols for researchers as well as practical information for growers on monitoring and control of hazardous pest mites of the families Eriophyoidae, Tarsonemidae and Tetranychidae. This knowledge will continue to be disseminated through the brochure, which summarizes the project results in practical way for growers as well as on different events and during workshops and courses for growers and advisors. This will also be a basis to build on in further research projects in the near future