A grower-friendly method to transfer predacious mites to commercial orchards

• Published in: Phytoparasitica Vol. 33; no. 5; pp. 515 - 525
• Main Authors: Bostanian, N. J., Lasnier, J., Racette, G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Nature B.V 01.10.2005
• Subjects: Apples; Branches; Foliage; Leaves; Mites; Orchards; Pest control; Pesticides; Pests; Predators; Pruning; Summer; Trees; Winter; Wood
• ISSN: 0334-2123; 1876-7184
• DOI: 10.1007/BF02981401

The establishment of predacious mites in commercial orchards may be accelerated by the transfer of pruned wood in winter and summer from donor orchards to release orchards. Following winter pruning, 3-year-old and older wood is collected and transported as soon as possible in bundles to a release orchard for distribution. If the release orchard is composed of dwarf trees, then one or two bundles of 5 kg each are placed vertically at the base of the trunk of every tree in the block (0.5 to 1 ha); if the trees are of standard size, then four or five bundles used. Following summer pruning, annual shoots and suckers are distributed immediately in a release orchard composed of dwarf trees by placing 12–15 branches on the foliage of fruit-bearing branches; if the release orchard is composed of standard trees, then 50 branches are used. The pruned wood should have 20–25 leaves and not less than one predator per leaf. The release orchard should have a light infestation (two or three mites per leaf) of pest tetranychids. These phytophagous mites would serve as food and help establish the predators. The release orchard grower should develop a pest management program based on the same groups of pesticides used in the donor orchard.