Friendly predators to help Himachal apples

There8217;s good news for horticulturists in Himachal Pradesh. The growing menace of mites damaging apple crops year after year may soon be a thing of the past.

There8217;s good news for horticulturists in Himachal Pradesh. The growing menace of mites damaging apple crops year after year may soon be a thing of the past.

Thanks to Dr Usha Chauhan, an entomologist at the Dr Y S Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, mites that feed on the harmful species have been identified and work on standardising the techniques of mass multiplication of these predatory mites has begun. A single adult of this predator species can consume about 33 eggs or 27 larvae in 24 hours.

In Himachal, known as fruit bowl of the country, out of many plant feeding mites, the spotted spider mite8212;Tetranychus Urticae Koach8212;has traditionally been the main species affecting the crops.

8220;Predatory mites are one of the most useful species belonging to the family phytosiidae which feed on various harmful mites and small insects like thrips, scales and white flies ,8221; said Dr Chauhan. She said the predatory mites are naturally present in the ecosystem but heavy application of broad spectrum synthetic insecticides has led to their dying in large numbers. The application insecticides certainly help controlling the targeted pests in orchards but at the same time also destroy their natural enemies.

This has also resulted in the development of resistance among the mites. Consequently, the population of these phytophagous mites has reached an alarming low thereby badly affecting the production of horticultural products.

Presently, the European Red Mite has assumed a major pest status in apple crops in the past few years following indiscriminate use of pesticides and insecticides.

8220;The situation needed prevention of imbalance in the environment and best option was to apply ecofriendly control measures involving the use of botanicals and natural enemies of the injurious mites8221;, said Dr Jag Mohan Singh, Vice- Chancellor of the University.