Amblyseius swirskii a new breakthrough in biological control in greenhouses Karel Bolckmans, Yvonne van Houten, Hans Hoogerbrugge, José Belda, Javi Calvo, Mireille Piron ABIM, Lucerne October 23, 2006 Biological control in greenhouses • Commercial biological control with natural enemies started in 1967 in the UK and the Netherlands. • Phytoseiulus persimilis against two- spotted spider mites in greenhouse cucumbers. • Today around 30 different beneficial insects and mites are available Biological control in greenhouses • Standard technique in greenhouse vegetables in North/Central Europe and North America. • Increasingly used in greenhouse ornamentals. • Developing in Mediterranean and Asia. • Main pests: whiteflies, western flower thrips, two-spotted spider mites, aphids, leafminers + minor secondary pests. Biological control of Thrips & Whiteflies • Western Flower Thrips (F. occidentalis) – Amblyseius cucumeris (1985) –Oriusspp. (1991) – Iphiseius degenerans (1994) •Whiteflies(T. vaporariorum, B. tabaci) – Encarsia formosa (1970) – Verticillium lecanii – Eremocerus eremicus (1994) – Macrolophus caliginosus (1994) – Eretmocerus mundus (1996) North vs. South Europe Key contradiction = Pest Pressure vs. Economics Predation of Whiteflies by Phytoseiidae • Teich, Y. (1966) Mites of the family of Phytoseiidae as predators of the tobacco whitefly, Bemisia tabaci Gennadius. Israel J. Agric. Res. 16: 141-142. • Swirski, E., Amitai, S. and Dorzia, N. (1967) Laboratory studies on the feeding, development and oviposition of the predaceous mites Amblyseius rubini Swirski and Amitai and Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot (Acarina: Phytoseiidae) on various kinds of food substances. Israel J. Agric. Res. 17: 101-119. • El-Badry, E.A. (1967) Three new species of phytoseiid mites preying on the cotton whitefly, Bemisia tabaci in the Sudan (Acarina, Phytoseiidae) The Entomologist 100: 106-111. • El-Badry, E.A. (1968) Biological studies on Amblyseius aleyrodis as predator of the cotton whitefly (Acarina, Phytoseiidae) Entomophaga 13: 323-329. • Gameel, O.I. (1971) The whitefly eggs and first larval stages as prey for certain phytoseiid mites. Rev. Zool. Bot. Afr. 84: 79-82. • Meyerdirk, D.E. & Coudriet, D.L. (1985) Predation and developmental studies of Euseius hibisci (Chant) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) feeding on Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae). Environ. Entomol. 14:24-27. • Meyerdirk, D.E. & Coudriet, D.L. (1986) Evaluation of two biotypes of Euseius scutalis (Acari: Phytoseiidae) as predator of Bemisia tabaci (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae). J. Econ. Entomol. 79: 659-663. • Borah, D.C. & Rai, P.S. (1989) Potentiality of Amblyseius ovalis (Acari: Phytoseiidae) as a biological control agent of Bemisia tabaci (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae). In: Progress in Acarology, Vol. 2, G.P. ChannaBasavanna and C.A. Viraktamath (eds.), pp. 375-379. E.J. Brill, Leiden, The Netherlands. • Nomikou, M., Janssen, A., Schraag, R. and Sabelis, M.W. (2001) Phytoseiid predators as biological control agents for Bemisia tabaci. Exp.Appl.Acarol. 25: 270-290. WFT control in cucumbers (Applied Plant Research, Gerben Messelink, Groenten & Fruit, november 2003) numerical response vs. predation capacity 1500 Predatory mites 1200 F. occidentalis larvae 900 600 300 0 T. pyri T. A. ovalis A. Perdentage compared to A. cucumeris A. barkeriA. E. scutalis T. swirskii T. A. limonicus E. finlandicus E. A. cucumeris cucumeris A. A. degeneransA. A. cucumeris DPV cucumeris A. Treatment Amblyseius swirskii •syn.Typhlodromips swirskii • In 1966 described by Y. Teich to feed on whiteflies • Coastal areas of Eastern Mediterranean • Citrus, fruit trees, cotton, … • No diapause • Unable to survive low winter temperatures Sweet pepper: preventive release the Netherlands, field trial • 1 plot of 1.600 m², commercial greenhouse • T. swirskii released in week no. 7 & 10, 2004 •20 + 15 = 35/m² in total •NO release of A. cucumeris, A. californicus or A. degenerans • Spider-mite pest-in-first, O. laevigatus and M. caliginosus •Sulfurvaporized T. swirskii populationon sweet pepper 6,0 Adults 5,0 Nymphs Eggs 4,0 3,0 2,0 Mean number leaf per 1,0 0,0 7 8 9 1011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132 Week number Establishment on plant pollen A. swirksii populationon sweet pepper 6,0 Adults 5,0 Nymphs Eggs 4,0 3,0 2,0 Mean number per leaf 1,0 0,0 7 8 9 1011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132 Week number Sweet pepper: F. occidentalis control the Netherlands, semi-field trial •4 cagesof 3 m² • 5 sweet pepper plants per cage – A. cucumeris (1N/leaf) – A. cucumeris (3x10N/leaf) – T. swirskii (1N/leaf) – Untreated control • F. occidentalis released 3 times 2♀ per plant Predatory mite population 7 A. cucumeris (1N) 6 A. cucumeris (3x10N) 5 T. swirskii (1N) Untreated 4 3 2 Average number per leaf 1 0 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Week number Frankliniella occidentalis larvae on the leaves 7,0 A. cucumeris (1N) 6,0 A. cucumeris (3x10N) T. swirskii (1N) 5,0 Untreated 4,0 larvae per leaf 3,0 2,0 F. occidentalis # 1,0 0,0 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Week number Frankliniella occidentalis (mobile stages) in the flowers 16 A. cucumeris (1N) 14 A. cucumeris (3x10N) T. swirskii (1N) 12 Untreated 10 per flower per 8 6 F. occidentalis 4 # 2 0 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Week number Sweet Peppers : Thrips + Whiteflies Aguilas, Spain, semi-field trial •Experimental tunnel with isolated walk-in cages •20 sweet pepper plants per cage •3 replicates, CRBD •3 treatments •Untreated Control •25 A. swirskii/m2 •100 A. swirskii/m2 Trial Plan 4 Thrips/pl 4 Thrips/pl 4 Thrips/pl 2 B. tabaci/pl 2 B. tabaci/pl 4 B. tabaci/pl Day -6 0 1 8 A. swirskii 25 T.s./m2 100 T.s./m2 Whitefly Population: Nymphs 6060 5050 4040 3030 2020 Number / Leaf Number / Leaf 1010 00 S0S0 S1 S1 S2 S2 S3 S3 S4 S4 S5 S5 S6 S6 S7 S7 S8 S8 ControlControl 2525 ASAS 100100 ASAS Whitefly Population: Adults 1515 1212 99 66 Number / Leaf Number / Leaf 33 00 S0S0 S1 S1 S2 S2 S3 S3 S4 S4 S5 S5 S6 S6 S7 S7 S8 S8 ControlControl 2525 ASAS 100100 ASAS Thrips Population (leaves) 22 1.51.5 11 Number / Leaf Number / Leaf 0.50.5 00 S0S0 S1 S1 S2 S2 S3 S3 S4 S4 S5 S5 S6 S6 S7 S7 S8 S8 ControlControl 2525 ASAS 100100 ASAS Cucumbers: whitefly and thrips control Spain, Semi-field Trial • Date: March – April 2006 • 5 treatments @ 3 replicates (CRBD) •Treatments: –CBT: 30 Bt/plant – CFO: 15 Fo/plant – ASBT: 75 As/m2 + 30 Bt/plant – ASFO: 75 As/m2 + 15 Fo/plant – MIX: 75 As/m2 + 30 Bt/plant + 15 Fo/plant • Infestation 3 weekly releases: B.t (10 + 10 + 10) F.o. (5 + 5 +5) A. swirskii 16 14 12 10 8 Ind / Leaf / Ind 6 4 2 0 S0 S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 CBT CFO ASBT ASFO MIX B. tabaci (Adults) 50 40 30 Ind / Leaf / Ind 20 10 0 S0 S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 CBT CFO ASBT ASFO MIX B. tabaci (Nymphs + Pupae) 250 200 150 Ind / Leaf / Ind 100 50 0 S0 S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 CBT CFO ASBT ASFO MIX Western Flower Thrips 16 12 8 Ind / Leaf / Ind 4 0 S0 S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 CBT CFO ASBT ASFO MIX Sweet Peppers: B. tabaci control Spain, semi-field trial •3 replicates • 2 treatments •E.mundus •E.mundus + A.swirskii •Bemisia tabaci •5 x 10 adults/plant •weekly intervals • E. mundus : •4 x 6/m2, •starting 1 week after 1st release of B. tabaci • A. swirskii •50/m2 •1 release, 1 week after 1st release of B. tabaci Amblyseius swirskii 15 12 9 Ind / leaf 6 3 0 W0 W1 W2 W3 W4 W5 W6 W7 W8 W9 W10 W11 W12 Week E.m. E.m. + A.s. 40 30 20 Bemisia tabaci Ind / leaf 10 2.5 0 W0 W1 W2 W3 W4 W5 W6 W7 W8 W9 Week W10 W11 W12 2 1.5 Red = E. mundus (4x6/m2) Grey = E. mundus (4x6/m2) leaf / Ind 1 + A. swirskii (1x50/m2) 0.5 0 W0 W1 W2 W3 W4 W5 W6 W7 W8 W9 W10 W11 W12 Week Mass-rearing A. swirskii 1. Plant pollen (e.g. Ricinus communis) 2. Factitious rearing host: – Carpoglyphus lactis (“Sugar Mite”, “Dried Fruit Mite”) – PCT Patent Pending (submitted 31-12-2004) The development of a cost-effective mass-rearing method was the key to large scale use. Product Formulations www.allaboutswirskii.com Conclusions •High numerical response to availability of food. •Highly efficacious against western flower thrips, greenhouse whiteflies and tobacco whiteflies. Also an effect on broad mites and two-spotted spider mites. •In combination with standard beneficials • Establishment – Good establishment in peppers and eggplants on pollen – Whiteflies in cucumbers, melons and ornamentals such as gerbera and hibiscus can play the role of pollen in peppers – No good establishment on tomatoes • Good results in North ánd South Europe • Not cold tolerant •Will replace A. cucumeris and A. degenerans. Conclusions •The development of Amblyseius swirskii is a good example of the role of universities, research stations and companies in the development of new biological control agents •Marketed in Europe, USA and Canada for sweet peppers, eggplants, cucumbers, melons, beans and several ornamentals. • Inoculative release in vegetables. Requires very little technical support. • Can be produced at lower cost than parasitoids and predatory bugs. PCT Patent Pending technology. • Will play a key role in the development of economic and user- friendly biological control programs in summer plantings of peppers, eggplants, beans and cucurbits in the Mediterranean. Acknowledgements • Prof. Maus Sabelis, Dr. Arne Janssen, Dr. Maria Nomikou: University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands • ir. Pierre Ramakers, ir. Gerben Messelink, ir. Juliette Pijnakker, Dr. Ellen Beerling: PPO, Naaldwijk, the Netherlands • Dr. Jeff Bale, Dr. Ian Hatherley: University of Birmingham, UK • Dr. Yvonne van Houten, Hans Hoogerbrugge, ir. Elmer van Baal, Sandra Mulder, Marika Kooi, Arno Stam, Bart De Vries: Koppert BV • Dr.