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Research Project: Exotic Whitefly Pests of Vegetables and Ornamental Plants

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Title: Effect of foliar application of Xxpire on Bemisisa tabaci (MED whitefly) and Amblyseius swirskii, 2016

Author
item KUMAR, VIVEK - University Of Florida
item KAKKAR, GARIMA - University Of Florida
item McKenzie, Cindy
item OSBORNE, LANCE - University Of Florida

Submitted to: Arthropod Management Tests
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/3/2017
Publication Date: 6/1/2017
Citation: Kumar, V., Kakkar, G., McKenzie, C.L., Osborne, L.S. 2017. Effect of foliar application of Xxpire on Bemisisa tabaci (MED whitefly) and Amblyseius swirskii, 2016. Arthropod Management Tests. 42:G tsx077

Interpretive Summary: Bemisia tabaci is a destructive pest of many economically important crops grown worldwide. We evaluated an insecticide called spinetoram and a predaceous mite for whitefly control and assessed the compatibility of the insecticide with the mite. We found that the mite and spintetoram can be used alone for effective whitefly control, but since insecticide had a negative impact on mite population, these should not be used in combination. These treatments are efficient alternatives to neonicotinoid insecticides frequently used by the growers for whitefly control.

Technical Abstract: Bemisia tabaci is a polyphagous pest known to feed upon over 900 plant taxa, and is an effective vector of more than 100 plant damaging viruses. Among different biotypes of this cryptic species complex, MEAM1 and MED whitefly are the two most destructive members posing threats of several crops of economic importance. With the overall goal to integrate the predatory mite Amblyseius swirskii in the management program of MED whitefly, the specific objective of this study was to evaluate Xxpire, a spinosyn derivative for whitefly control, and assess its compatibility with swirskii mite. The trial was conducted on an ornamental host, salvia under greenhouse conditions. In mite only treated plots, a significantly higher mean number of A. swirskii eggs on weeks 1, 4, 5, 6 and motiles on weeks 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 were found compared to rest of the three treatments. Xxpire was effective in suppressing MED whitefly life-stages during the study period. A. swirskii was also effective in reducing whitefly life-stages except for week 2 and 7. Suppression of various stages of whitefly in combination plot, was similar with plots treated with Xxpire and A. swirskii alone treatments, except for week 5 for whitefly eggs and week 4 for nymphs. Overall whitefly mortality in different treatments ranged between 35 and 85% (wk1-wk6) for A. swirskii, 36-96% for Xxpire, and 44-91% (wk1-wk6) for the combination treatments. Based on the insecticide efficacy results, we speculate that the low whitefly (prey) count (lack of sufficient food) and/or the direct application of the insecticide in the combination treatment may have resulted in reduced population of A. swirskii in these plots.