‘Predator-In-First’ approach in biological control
In biological control, the ‘Predator-In-First’ (PIF) approach combines aspects of inundative and conservation strategies to establish biological agents on the host plants during the seedling stage or shortly after transplanting and before the arrival of any pests. The PIF Approach uses characteristics of a predators’ ability to survive on food provisioned by the plant (pollen, nectar) and to take advantage of the morphological characteristics of the host plant that provide refugia for breeding, development, and establishment before the initial infestation of pest populations (prey). The current study used pepper plants (Capsicum cultivars 7039 and 7141) and the release of the mite Amblyseius swirskii (Acari: Phytoseiidae - Listed in EPPO PM 6/3 Biological control agents safely used in the EPPO region, Appendix I commercially used biological control agent) on uninfested seedlings before being transplanted for commercial production in the greenhouse or the field in Florida (USA). Results showed a consistent performance of the treatment, when 40 mites were released per plant, in regulating Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae, EPPO A2 List) and Frankliniella occidentalis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae, EPPO A2 List) populations in greenhouse studies, and B. tabaci and Polyphagotarsonemus latus (Acari: Tarsonemidae) under field conditions. During two field seasons, yields were 12.8% and 20.1% higher in capsicum cultivar 7039, and 24.3% and 39.5% higher in cultivar 7141 in the treatment with 40 mites per plant compared to the untreated control. This indicates a benefit of the approach on yield. The PIF approach can be a useful tool for organic vegetable growers and a potential alternative to chemical-based conventional pest management strategies.
Sources
Kumar V, Mehra L, McKenzie CL, Osborne LS (2020) ‘Predator-in-first’: a pre-emptive biological control strategy for sustainable management of pepper pests in Florida. Sustainability 12, 7816. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12187816