Management of Strawberry Insect and Mite Pests in Greenhouse and Field Crops

Abstract

Strawberry is an important small fruit crop grown throughout the world due to its rich sources of vitamins and abundance of antioxidants. The US is the world's leading producer of strawberries followed by Mexico. The main strawberry producing states are California followed by Florida, which produce >90% of the strawberries grown in the US. Strawberry production is often threatened by a host of arthropod pests that include insect and mite species. In order for the US to maintain its lead in strawberry production it is vital to develop effective management tools for key insect pests, diseases, and weeds. Some of the major arthropod pests that affect strawberry production include twospotted spider mites, Tetranychus urticae Koch, thrips, Frankliniella and Scirtothrips spp., armyworms, root-boring pests, and many different hemipterans that cause injury to the strawberry leaf and fruit including the tarnished plant bug, Lygus Hesperus, and the seed bug Neopamera bilobata Say. This chapter will summarize some of the key pests that can severely impact strawberry production. We have included some integrated management guidelines to curtail pest's activities during a production season.

Acaricidal activity of essential oil nanoemulsion against the African red mite (Eutetranychus africanus)

“…The African red mite (Eutetranychus africanus [Tucker]) (Actinedida: Tetranychidae) is one of the most significant pest species for some plants (Attia et al, 2013). A wide range of damage caused by this mite pest in various plants, fruits, and a variety of ornamentals has been reported (Liburd and Rhodes, 2019). It is a very important pest in Thailand.…”

Arthropod Pest Management in Strawberry

“…Tetranychus urticae Koch, Tetranychus cinnabarinus Boisduval, Phytonemus pallidus Banks, and Polyphagotarsonemus latus Banks (Trombidiformes: Tarsonemidae) are common mite pests in strawberry, with T. urticae being the most consistently occurring pest of open-field and high tunnel strawberry [ 1 , 25 , 26 , 27 ]. With a round and soft body, T. urticae have a body length of 350 to 1000 µm and are sexually dimorphic, where males can be distinguished from females by the conical tapering of the caudal end and the larger size of females [ 28 ].…”

“…With a round and soft body, T. urticae have a body length of 350 to 1000 µm and are sexually dimorphic, where males can be distinguished from females by the conical tapering of the caudal end and the larger size of females [ 28 ]. Tetranychus urticae have two large dark areas on their abdomen and have variable body color including red, orange, green, and yellow [ 26 ]. These T. urticae adults and nymphs feed on plant cell chloroplasts and typically develop on the adaxial side of leaves where they can form complex webbing.…”

“…It is known to cause a swift decline of T. urticae populations after application. If miticides are applied in conjunction with mite predators, it is recommended that growers wait for 7–10 days before releasing the phytoseiid mites onto strawberry plants [ 26 ].…”

“…Phytonemus pallidus prefer to feed on young foliage and are typically found on strawberry trifoliates that are still folded and developing near the crown [ 37 ]. Feeding causes the plant to have a stunted appearance (compact leaf mass) until the plant eventually turns brown and dies [ 26 ]. Flowers can be damaged at high pest levels, resulting in browning and drying.…”