Spider Mites and Strawberries
TETRANCHUS URTICAE AND THE GREENHOUSE STRAWBERRY PLANT
Mites belong to the Chelicerata, a branch of arthropods and the second largest group of terrestrial animals. Within the order Acari, spider mites belong to the Acariformes with fossils dating from the Lower Devonian period 410 million years ago (Edgecombe, G. D., 2010). The two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae, is a web-spinning mite. The name refers to their ability to produce silk-like webbing used to create a colonial micro-habitat, protect against predators, communicate via pheromones, and provide a vehicle for dispersal.
Tetranychus urticae represents one of the most polyphagous arthropod herbivores, feeding on more than 1,100 plant species belonging to more than 140 different plant families including species known to produce toxic compounds. It is a major pest in greenhouse production and field crops, destroying annual and perennial crops such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, strawberries, maize, soy, apples, grapes and citrus. This report will concentrate on the greenhouse strawberry host plant.
My management program is based on a 12 foot by 18 foot greenhouse with screened vents, air conditioning, dehumidifier, and two octagonal coliseums with four tiers each holding at least 16 plants, for a minimum 128 plants total. A successful harvest should be 90-100 pints of berries per season.
Strawberry cultivars vary in susceptibility to two-spotted spider mite. Short-day cultivars are generally more tolerant of mite feeding than day-neutral cultivars, particularly later in the fruit-production cycle. Vernalization directly promotes plant vigor. Supplemental cold storage can promote a plant's vernalization. This can be accomplished in the controlled environment of a greenhouse. Plants with low amounts of chilling will have low vigor and will often develop intolerable mite infestations. Starting field berries as well as greenhouse berries in the greenhouse maximizes
Mites belong to the Chelicerata, a branch of arthropods and the second largest group of terrestrial animals. Within the order Acari, spider mites belong to the Acariformes with fossils dating from the Lower Devonian period 410 million years ago (Edgecombe, G. D., 2010). The two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae, is a web-spinning mite. The name refers to their ability to produce silk-like webbing used to create a colonial micro-habitat, protect against predators, communicate via pheromones, and provide a vehicle for dispersal.
Tetranychus urticae represents one of the most polyphagous arthropod herbivores, feeding on more than 1,100 plant species belonging to more than 140 different plant families including species known to produce toxic compounds. It is a major pest in greenhouse production and field crops, destroying annual and perennial crops such as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, strawberries, maize, soy, apples, grapes and citrus. This report will concentrate on the greenhouse strawberry host plant.
My management program is based on a 12 foot by 18 foot greenhouse with screened vents, air conditioning, dehumidifier, and two octagonal coliseums with four tiers each holding at least 16 plants, for a minimum 128 plants total. A successful harvest should be 90-100 pints of berries per season.
Strawberry cultivars vary in susceptibility to two-spotted spider mite. Short-day cultivars are generally more tolerant of mite feeding than day-neutral cultivars, particularly later in the fruit-production cycle. Vernalization directly promotes plant vigor. Supplemental cold storage can promote a plant's vernalization. This can be accomplished in the controlled environment of a greenhouse. Plants with low amounts of chilling will have low vigor and will often develop intolerable mite infestations. Starting field berries as well as greenhouse berries in the greenhouse maximizes