Field evaluation of the efficacy of copper nanoparticles against mites associated with orange trees

Abstract

Phytophagous mites are dangerous pests, causing economic losses to the world’s crops. Nanotechnology is a promising field for pests and disease management, and enhancement of agricultural productivity. The aim of the study was to evaluation of the effectiveness of copper nanoparticles (CuNP) against all stages of eriophyid mite, the citrus rust mite, Phyllocoptruta oleivora (Ashmead) (Acari: Eriophyidae) and tetranychid mite, the citrus brown mite Eutetranychus orientalis (Klein) (Acari: Tetranychidae), and Tenuipalpid mite, the false spider mite, Brevipalpus obovatus Donnadieu (Acari: Tenuipalpidae). This includes its impacts on predacious mites, Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot and Euseius scutalis (Athias-Henriot) (Acari: Phytoseiidae), on orange trees under field conditions. Five different concentrations of copper nanoparticles (40, 80, 160, 240, and 320 ppm), as well as the control (well water) were examined. The obtained results indicated that the mortality rate of both phytophagous and predacious mites was associated with an increase in the concentrations of copper nanoparticles. Copper nanoparticles were significantly effective in killing P. oleivora, E. orientalis and B. obovatus with minimal effects on A. swirskii and E. scutalis. The mortality percentage was 15.24, 20.32, 46.32, 78.97 and 86.37% for P. oleivora, 6.87, 9.86, 28.91, 56.30 and 77.52% for E. orientalis and 8.38, 23.50, 48.83, 68.80 and 84.08% for B. obovatus while the mortality percentage was 0.00, 0.56, 5.83, 9.91 and 15.19% for A. swirskii and 0.44, 3.96, 6.93, 8.63 and 21.39% for E. scutalis one week after exposure to 40, 80, 160, 240 and 320 ppm of copper nanoparticles, respectively. Moreover, the results showed that copper nanoparticles caused a reduction in the percentage of eggs hatching. The percentages of larvae hatching from eggs were 96.29, 80.00, 64.13, 45.66 and 32.17% for P. oleivora, 97.38, 83.28, 69.41, 48.01 and 35.29 for E. orientalis and 96.60, 76.92, 56.38, 40.55 and 33.28% for B. obovatus one week after exposure to copper nanoparticles at 40, 80, 160, 240 and 320 ppm respectively, compared with the control (well water). According to the results, the use of copper nanoparticles significant effect on reducing the population of phytophagous mites associated with orange trees, with low detrimental effects on predatory mites.

Effectiveness of Nanoparticle-Based Treatments in Controlling Oligonychus afrasiaticus (McGregor) (Acari Tetranchidae) Infestation in Date Palm Trees

“…This increased contact could lead to a higher uptake of nanoparticles and subsequent toxicity [22]. The results of this study are consistent with many previous studies on several species of mites such as T. urticae mite [23], tomato russet mite Aculops lycopersici and two-spotted mite T. urticae [24] date palm mite (O.afrasiaticus (McGregor)) [10].…”

The miticidal activity of silver nanoparticles towards date palm mite (Oligonychus afrasiaticus (McGregor)): efficacy, selectivity, and risk assessment

“…Quite few investigations were conducted to test the activity of SNP towards phytophagous mites (Jalalizand et al, 2013;Pavela et al, 2017;Al-Azzazy et al, 2019). The current study was dedicated to assessing the activity of SNP against O. afrasiaticus mite, one of the key pests of date palm, and give special focus to one of its natural enemies, the predatory mite N. barkeri in laboratory and in field.…”

Enhancing the Biological Control of Mite Species Infesting Olive Trees through Application of Predatory Mite Agistemus exsertus Gonzalez (Acari: Stigmaeidae) and Eco‐Friendly Natural Compounds

“…The sex ratio of A. exsertus was 0.74 ( T. hassani ), 0.69 ( O. niloticus ), 0.60 ( A. olive ) and 0.65 ( T. urticae ) (females/females+males). T. hassani population multiplied 9.92 times in a generation time of 14.4 days at 31°C and 80% relative humidity (Al‐Azzazy, 2002). In the current study, the net reproductive rate (R 0 ) was 42.1, 38.7, 34.6 and 36.8 females/female/generation, the intrinsic rate of increase (r m ) was 0.27, 0.26, 0.23 and 0.20 females/female/day, the finite rate of increase (e rm ) was 1.89, 1.78, 1.77 and 1.72 population multiplication/day, and the mean generation time (T) was 16.2, 17.1, 18.6 and 17.2 days when a predator consumed T. hassani , O. niloticus , A. olivi and T. urticae , respectively (Table 4).…”

“…(Acari: Tetranychidae) (Alhewairini and Al‐Azzazy, 2020). Chemical pesticides and acaricides, including cypermethrin, thuringiensin, methamidophos, avermectin, fenarimol, dicofol and cyhexatin, have been used to control mite species infesting olive trees and other plant species (Al‐Azzazy, 2002; Kashyap et al ., 2014; Alhewairini and Al‐Azzazy, 2020). However, they revealed harmful impacts on the environment, predators and humans (Alhewairini and Al‐Azzazy, 2020).…”