Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria Enhance Defense of Strawberry Plants Against Spider Mites

Plants mediate interactions between below- and above-ground microbial and animal communities. Microbial communities of the rhizosphere commonly include mutualistic symbionts such as mycorrhizal fungi, rhizobia and free-living plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) that may influence plant growth and/or its defense system against aboveground pathogens and herbivores. Here, we scrutinized the effects of three PGPR, Azotobacter chroococcum, Azospirillum brasilense, and Pseudomonas brassicacearum, on life history and population dynamics of two-spotted spider mites, Tetranychus urticae, feeding on aboveground tissue of strawberry plants, and examined associated plant growth and physiology parameters. Our experiments suggest that these three species of free-living rhizobacteria strengthen the constitutive, and/or induce the direct, anti-herbivore defense system of strawberry plants. All three bacterial species exerted adverse effects on life history and population dynamics of T. urticae and positive effects on flowering and physiology of whole strawberry plants. Spider mites, in each life stage and in total, needed longer time to develop on PGPR-treated plants and had lower immature survival rates than those fed on chemically fertilized and untreated plants. Reduced age-specific fecundity, longer developmental time and lower age-specific survival rates of mites feeding on rhizobacteria treated plants reduced their intrinsic rate of increase as compared to mites feeding on chemically fertilized and control plants. The mean abundance was lower in spider mite populations feeding on PGPR-treated strawberries than in those feeding on chemically fertilized and untreated plants. We argue that the three studied PGPR systemically strengthened and/or induced resistance in above-ground plant parts and enhanced the level of biochemical anti-herbivore defense. This was probably achieved by inducing or upregulating the production of secondary plant metabolites, such as phenolics, flavonoids and anthocyanins, which were previously shown to be involved in induced systemic resistance of strawberry plants. Overall, our study emphasizes that PGPR treatment can be a favorable strawberry plant cultivation measure because providing essential nutrients needed for proper plant growth and at the same time decreasing the life history performance and population growth of the notorious herbivorous pest T. urticae.

Biocontrol in practice in Canadian floricultural greenhouses

The environment inside Canadian prairie greenhouses differs from greenhouses built in other northern latitude locations in terms of lighting, temperature, humidity, and photoperiod. Since the performance of biocontrol agents depends upon several interactive environmental variables, their effectiveness to control pests in a particular crop growing under certain climatic conditions does not directly translate to another crop or location. So, we analyzed research trials assessing the efficacy and compatibility of various biocontrol agents (Amblyseius cucumeris, Amblyseius cucumeris, Phytoseiulus persimilis, Encarsia formosa, Aphidius colemani, Aphidius ervi, and Steinernema feltiae) on key pests (Western flower thrips, two-spotted spider mites, greenhouse whiteflies, and aphids) of spring bedding plants grown in a commercial floricultural greenhouse. Were analyzed several compatible combinations of biocontrol agents and observed a significant reduction in pest densities and plant damage symptoms as compared to untreated control plants. The results demonstrate that P. persimilis controlled two-spotted spider mites successfully in calibrachoa crop. The combination of Amblyseius cucumeris and S. feltiae resulted in significantly better control of Western flower thrips than the use of Amblyseius cucumeris alone in sweet potato vine plants. The application of E. formosa and Amblyseius cucumeris individually reduced greenhouse whiteflies on calibrachoa plants as compared to control, but their combination performed better resulting in a significantly lower number of whiteflies on plants. Another combination of Aphidius colemani and Aphidius ervi controlled green peach aphids and foxglove aphids effectively on the pansy crop. The biocontrol agents were effective for managing a variety of pests in a commercial greenhouse setting.

Cooperative Behaviors in Group-Living Spider Mites

Cooperative behaviors are evolutionary stable if the direct and/or indirect fitness benefits exceed the costs of helping. Here we discuss cooperation and behaviors akin to cooperation in subsocial group-living species of two genera of herbivorous spider mites (Tetranychidae), i.e., the largely polyphagous Tetranychus spp. and the nest-building Stigmaeopsis spp., which are specialized on grasses, such as bamboo. These spider mites are distributed in patches on various spatial scales, that is, within and among leaves of individual host plants and among individual hosts of single or multiple plant species. Group-living of spider mites is brought about by plant-colonizing foundresses ovipositing at local feeding sites and natal site fidelity, and by multiple individuals aggregating in the same site in response to direct and/or indirect cues, many of which are associated with webbing. In the case of the former, emerging patches are often composed of genetically closely related individuals, while in the case of the latter, local patches may consist of kin of various degrees and/or non-kin and even heterospecific spider mites. We describe and discuss ultimate and proximate aspects of cooperation by spider mites in host plant colonization and exploitation, dispersal, anti-predator behavior, and nesting-associated behaviors and conclude with theoretical and practical considerations of future research on cooperation in these highly rewarding model animals.

Mites from the family Phytoseiidae as an element of an anti-resistant strategy for protecting fruit plantations from spider mites

In the last decade, the acarocomplex of apple orchards in the plain-steppe zone of the Crimea was dominated by two species of mites, fam. Tetranychidae - Amphitetranychus viennensis (Zacher) and Panonychus ulmi (Koch). Their share in the complex of phytophagous mites was 52.5 and 32.0%, respectively. Against the background of repeated acaricidal treatments during the season, the emergence of resistant races of phytophagous mites was recorded. The proposed anti-resistant strategy for controlling the number of spider mites on an apple tree involves the use of Phytoseiulus persimilis (Athias-Henriot), Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor), and Amblyseius andersoni (Chant). The combination of methods of seasonal colonization by phytoseiids serves as the building blocks of an anti-resistant defense system.Resettlement in the spring, by flooding, of two species of acariphages, P. persimilis and A. andersoni , contributes to the formation of acarofauna, so that while the first species reduces the number of phytophagous mites (by 50-60%), the second adapts and starts feeding later, and, at the expense of daughter individuals, it allows to reduce the number of pests by the end of the second decade of June to 2-3 individuals / leaf. In summer, a double release of the predatory mite N. californicus with a norm of 30 thousand individuals / ha (150-300 individuals / every 10 trees) reduces the risk of mass reproduction of spider mites at high average daily temperatures and low humidity.

Produs nou biorațional pentru combaterea dăunătorilor în spaţii protejate

The article presents the results of pesticidal activity study of product elaborated on the neem oil base. Bioassays were performed on aphids and spider mites in order to compare the pesticidal activity of new preparative form NEEM-01 with that of the commercial biorational products Pelecol and MatrinBio. The product NEEM- 01at a dose of 10 l/ ha has potential as aphicide and acaricide, although in terms of efficacy in controlling aphids and mites it is different. NEEM-01 was quite effective against the aphid population compared to spider mites, which are more mobile, ceasing to feed on the treated leaf. A higher mortality of pests with higher biological efficacy of NEEM- 01 was achieved after two treat-ments with an interval of 10 days between them. The results are preliminary, the research continues.

Biological Control of Tetranychidae by Considering the Effect of Insecticides

Spider mites (family Tetranychidae) are important pests of many agricultural, medicinal and ornamental plants worldwide. They possess needle-like chelicerae which pierce plant cells, often feeding on chloroplasts on the under surface of the leaf and cause upper leaf surfaces develop whitish or yellowish stippling. Additionally spider mites produce silk webbing which covers the leaves. In this chapter we present common control methods of these mites including biological control with emphasizing on the prey preference, switching behavior and mutual interference of a biological control agent, Phytoseius plumifer (Canestrini and Fanzago). Additionally the side effects of two acaricides, abamectin and fenpyroxymate, on this predator will be discussed.

Patterns of reproductive isolation in a haplodiploid mite, Amphitetranychus viennensis: prezygotic isolation, hybrid inviability and hybrid sterility

Background Evolution of reproductive isolation is an important process, generating biodiversity and driving speciation. To better understand this process, it is necessary to investigate factors underlying reproductive isolation through various approaches but also in various taxa. Previous studies, mainly focusing on diploid animals, supported the prevalent view that reproductive barriers evolve gradually as a by-product of genetic changes accumulated by natural selection by showing a positive relationship between the degree of reproductive isolation and genetic distance. Haplodiploid animals are expected to generate additional insight into speciation, but few studies investigated the prevalent view in haplodiploid animals. In this study, we investigate whether the relationship also holds in a haplodiploid spider mite, Amphitetranychus viennensis (Zacher). Results We sampled seven populations of the mite in the Palaearctic region, measured their genetic distance (mtDNA) and carried out cross experiments with all combinations. We analyzed how lack of fertilization rate (as measure of prezygotic isolation) as well as hybrid inviability and hybrid sterility (as measures of postzygotic isolation) varies with genetic distance. We found that the degree of reproductive isolation varies among cross combinations, and that all three measures of reproductive isolation have a positive relationship with genetic distance. Based on the mtDNA marker, lack of fertilization rate, hybrid female inviability and hybrid female sterility were estimated to be nearly complete (99.0–99.9% barrier) at genetic distances of 0.475–0.657, 0.150–0.209 and 0.145–0.210, respectively. Besides, we found asymmetries in reproductive isolation. Conclusions The prevalent view on the evolution of reproductive barriers is supported in the haplodiploid spider mite we studied here. According to the estimated minimum genetic distance for total reproductive isolation in parent population crosses in this study and previous work, a genetic distance of 0.15–0.21 in mtDNA (COI) appears required for speciation in spider mites. Variations and asymmetries in the degree of reproductive isolation highlight the importance of reinforcement of prezygotic reproductive isolation through incompatibility and the importance of cytonuclear interactions for reproductive isolation in haplodiploid spider mites.

Beneficial Soil Microbes Negatively Affect Spider Mites and Aphids in Pepper

Beneficial soil microbes have long been recognized for their ability to improve plant growth, to antagonize pathogens and to prime plants against biotic stressors. Nevertheless, their ability to enhance plant resistance against arthropod pests remains largely unexplored, especially in crop plants such as pepper. Herein, we assessed the effects of several fungal and bacterial species/strains applied in the soil on the performance of key pests of pepper plants. Specifically, we recorded the impact of pepper inoculation with commercial strains of beneficial bacteria (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Pseudomonas spp.) as well as fungi (Trichoderma spp. and Cordyceps fumosorosea) on the population growth of the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae, and the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae. Furthermore, we recorded the effects of microbial inoculation on plant growth parameters, such as stem and root weight. We found that both pests can be negatively affected by microbial inoculation: spider mites laid up to 40% fewer eggs, and the number of aphids were up to 50% less on pepper-inoculated plants, depending on the microbe. We also recorded a variation among the tested microbes in their impact on herbivore performance, but no significant effects were found on plant biomass. Our results add to the growing literature that beneficial soil microbes may be capable of exerting biocontrol capabilities against aboveground herbivorous pests possibly, among other means, via the elicitation of plant defense responses.