Building up predatory mite populations with food supplements. A breakthrough for biocontrol. Felix Wackers Director R&D Biobest Groep

Transcription

1 Building up predatory mite populations with food supplements A breakthrough for biocontrol Felix Wackers Director R&D Biobest Groep

2 - 304 AD: Chinese use BC in citrus (ants) : First use of Encaria formosa in greenhouses : First production of Phytoseiulus persimilis : 230 predators/parasitoids used in augmentative BC

3 This man is fast... New approach: Smart tools to make biocontrol agents perform better This man is faster

4 BC agents have multiple resource requirements Overwintering sites Shelter Oviposition sites Alternative prey Non prey Food 23/09/2014

5 23/09/2014 Feeding Predators?

6 Predators and Parasitoids are Omnivores Non prey Food 23/09/2014

7 Bottleneck: Lack of nectar and pollen in many cropping systems

8 average number parasitized caterpillars Impact of floral resources on biocontrol efficacy Control 1 (N=6) Control 2 (N=5) Nectar 1 (N=6) Nectar 2 (N=6) age wasp [days] Winkler et al., (2006) Basic & Applied Ecol. 7:

9 weeks buckwheat control Van Rijn & Wackers, 2013

10 Applications Non crop vegetation (eg flowering field margins) Enhancing food supplement production by the crop Artificial food sprays

11 Maximizing Flower Power Select plants that optimize biological pest control (Wäckers and van Rijn, 2012) family species Floral Nectar depth Choice Hoverfly E. balteatus Hoverfly E. balteatus Longevity (AFLI) Lacewing C. carnea Parasitoids References parasitoids (species) Apiaceae Ammi majus Geneau et al., unpubl. (Microplitis mediator) Apiaceae Coriandrum sativum /- Vattala et al., 2006 (Microtonus hyperodae) Apiaceae Daucus carota 0 +/ Winkler et al., 2009 (Cotesia glomerata) Apiaceae Foeniculum vulgare Winkler et al., 2009 (Cotesia glomerata) Apiaceae Heracleum spondylium 0 +/- + +/- Winkler et al., 2009 (Cotesia glomerata) Apiaceae Pastinaca sativa /- Foster & Ruessink, 1984 (Meteorus rubens) Polygonaceae Fagopyrum esculentum Winkler et al., 2009 (Cotesia glomerata) Boraginaceae Borago officinalis Nilsson et al., unpubl. (Trybliographa rapae) Ranunculaceae Ranunculus acris Kehrli & Bacher, 2008 (Minotetrastichus frontalis) Caryophyllaceae Gypsophila elegans 1 +/ Asteraceae Matricaria chamomilla 1 +/ Nilsson et al., unpubl. (Trybliographa rapae) Asteraceae Achillea millefolium 1 +/- + +/- - Wäckers 2004 (Cotesia glomerata) Asteraceae L Cichorium intybus Asteraceae Chrysanthemum segetum 2 +/- + + Asteraceae Anthemis tinctoria 2 - +/- +/- Asteraceae Leucanthemum vulgare 2 +/- + - Wäckers 2004 (Cotesia glomerata) Asteraceae Tanacetum vulgare /- Asteraceae Calendula officinalis Rahat et al., 2005 (Trissolcus basalis) Asteraceae Centaurea cyanus (+EFN) 3 +/ /- Winkler et al., 2009 (Cotesia glomerata) Asteraceae Helianthus annuus (+EFN) Asteraceae Cosmos bipinnatus /- + Rahat et al., 2005 (Trissolcus basalis) Malvaceae Malva sylvestris Boraginaceae Phacelia tanacetifolia 4 +/- +/- +/- - Irvin et al., 2007 (Gonatocerus spp.) Fabaceae Medicago sativa Kehrli & Bacher, 2008 (Minotetrastichus frontalis) Fabaceae Vicia sativa (+EFN) Geneau et al., unpubl. (Microplitis mediator) Fabaceae Lotus corniculatus 4 - -

12 The positive spiral More beneficials More biodiversity Fewer pesticides

13 Optimizing Ecosystem Services in Terms of Agronomy and Conservation (ECOSTAC.CO.UK)

14 Mean insects observed Mean insects observed Beneficial insects in field margins June - Sept 2010 Insects observed in flowering field margin Insects observed in grassy margin Hoverflies Bumble bees Parasitoid w asps Ladybirds Beneficial insect group June-Sept 2011 Insects observed in flowering field margin Insects observed in grassy field margin Hoverflies Bumble bees Parasitoid w asps Ladybirds Beneficial insect group

15 Proportional aphid distribution % parasitism Aphids in peas Aphid % distribution % parasitism CF1 - CF2 - CF3 Sample site and date

16 peas (yield in tonnes/ha)

17 wheat (yield in tonnes/ha)

18 carrots (yield in tonnes/ha)

19 23/09/2014

20 Supplementary food sources

21 Artificial nectar sources

22 % parasitism B B A 10 5 Eretmocerus sp. 0 control 1 (no parasitoids) control 2 (parasitoids only) sugar solution honey % egg-adult survivorship A 40 Nasser Mandour Bemisia tabaci control 1 (no parasitoids) B control 2 (parasitoids only) C sugar solution C honey

23

24 Examples of crops with extrafloral nectar

25 Comparison of rose varieties

26 Feltiella acarisuga Rose variety Efficacy of spider mite control Bianca - Delphi - Taxi - Aroma - Costa + Easy Lover + Bi purple + Bi orange +

27 Feltiella acarisuga Rose variety Efficacy of spider mite control Nectar (in μl per 100 leaves) Bianca Delphi - 1 Taxi Aroma - 1 Costa + 1 Easy Lover Bi purple + 5 Bi orange + 5

28 Pollen

29 Many predators are pollen feeders Type Life-history omnivory Plantfeeding stage adult Arthropod examples can be found within: Neuroptera: Diptera: Hymenoptera: Coleoptera: Chrysopidae (green lacewings) Syrphidae (hoverflies) Cecidomyiidae (gall midges) Tachinidea (parasitoid flies) Ichneumonidae, Braconidae, a.o. (parasitoid wasps) Vespidae (social wasps) Formicidae (ants) Meloidae (blister beetles) Type of plant food utilised nectar, pollen nectar, pollen nectar nectar nectar nectar nectar, fruit nectar nectar, pollen juvenile Heteroptera: Pentatomidae (stink bugs) plant-juice Temporal omnivory adult Hymenoptera: Coleoptera: Ichneumonidae, Braconidae, a.o. (host feeding parasitoids) Cicindelidae (tiger beetles) nectar seeds juvenile Araneae: Araneidae (orb web spiders) pollen Permanent omnivory adult & juvenile Acari:Mesostigmat Heteroptera: Neuroptera: Thysanoptera: Coleoptera: Phytoseiidae (predatory mites) Pentatomidae (stink bugs) Miridae (mirid bugs) Geocorinae (big-eyed bugs) Anthocoridae (flower bugs) Chrysopa, Hemerobiidae (brown lacewings) Aeolothripidae, Phlaeothripidae Coccinellidae (ladybirds) Carabidae (ground beetles) nectar pollen plant juice plant juice plant juice pollen nectar, pollen leaves, pollen nectar pollen seeds

30 Bottleneck Lack of food supply: Insufficient prey and/or pollen availability often prevents establishment or population build-up of predatory mites can be a serious bottleneck in biocontrol, mainly in: - ornamental crops - non-pollen bearing vegetable crops - young plant nurseries

31 Pollen improves thrips control with predatory mites Paul C.J. van Rijn1, Y.M. van Houten1,2 & M.W. Sabelis1 Abstract To achieve permanent suppression of western flower thrips in cucumber repeated introductions of predatory mites are usually needed. This suggests that the resulting thrips population levels are too low to maintain a predator population. A solution may be to provide alternative food, such as pollen, to the predatory mites. Pollen, however, is also a food source for thrips. How pollen affects biocontrol of western flower thrips, has been tested experimentally by applying cattail pollen on cucumber crops on which either Amblyseius degenerans or A. limonicus was released. In these two experiments, the predator population increased faster, and the thrips population remained smaller, in the compartments with pollen than in those without pollen. Application of A. limonicus together with pollen even resulted in negligible fruit damage. Pollen for Plant Protection? Promising, but not practiced 23/09/2014

32 23/09/2014 Pollen collecting

33 2013: The solution Nutrimite! What is it? - highly nutritional food supplement - based on specially selected Typha pollen What does it do? - a booster for pollen feeding predatory mites: - to accelerate and enhance population development - to help populations survive periods of low prey density

34 Nutrimite Characteristics - Nutrimite has a well balanced nutrient profile Protein Starch Other Carbs Nutrimite is relatively resistant to mould/high humidity - Nutrimite is not collected by bees - Nutrimite is based on Typha pollen, so no issues with pesticide residues - After application, Nutrimite keeps its nutritional value for two weeks - Nutrimite is relatively unsuitable for thrips - As the pollen grains are large, Nutrimite settles quickly and causes little allergy problems 23/09/2014

35 Potential for Nutrimite as food supplement - Use in combination with predator releases - Use by itself to enhance naturally occuring predators 35

36 Enhancing generalist predatory mites: - Comparing different types of pollen Impact on fecundity of A swirskii Constance Vagne

37 Oviposition increase (eggs/day) Avoiding thrips problems Nutrimite is good for predatory mites; not good for thrips F. occidentalis N. cucumeris pine hazel birch fireweed cattail (Hulshof et al., EEA 2003) Pollen species (Van Rijn & Tanigoshi, EAA 1999b)

38 Enhancing generalist predatory mites: - Comparing different mites responses to Nutrimite - Individual pepper plants with flowers removed - Four pollen feeding predatory mites - Inocculation with 10 predatory mites/plant - Either with/without Nutrimite - Monitoring during 4 weeks after inocculation 23/09/2014 Yves Arijs

39 Comparison of predatory mite responses to Typha pollen Yves Arijs, Biobest Mobile stages without pollen Eggs with pollen 23/09/2014

40 Effect of Nutrimite TM Predatory mites Dynamite -g-system (Euseius gallicus) Nutrimite TM respons A. degenerans A. swirskii +++ A. limonicus + A. montdorensis + A. andersoni + A. californicus +/- A. cucumeris +

41 Nursery project Biobest Spain 30 Results Number of adult swirskii and eggs Two weeks after introduction with/without Typha pollen water fructose pollen + fructose pollen adult swirski eggs 41

42 Effect of Nutrimite on A. swirskii in sweet pepper

43 Effect of Nutrimite on A. swirskii in sweet pepper Pijnakker & Cellier, Biobest

44 Effect Nutrimite in Gerbera Juliette Pijnakker

45 Effect of nutrimite on A. swirskii in Calathea Pijnakker & De Souza, Biobest

46 More with Less Bron: Pijnakker, J., et al. Biobest Belgium Juliette Pijnakker, Biobest Crop: - Cut roses Result: - 2,5 times more predatory mites after 1 x introduction en 3 x Nutrimite as compared to 3 x introductions!

47 Pear Organic app Plum Apple Apricot Control Gallicus Nutrimite Open field Apple/Plum trials Biobest France

48 Experimental design Same design for Aplle and Plum all plots will be separate to ensure that nutrimite won't have a dispersal effect Euseius gallicus + Nutrimite plot Nutrimite plot Control rep 1 rep 2 rep 3 rep 4 rep 5 rep 6 rep 1 rep 2 rep 3 rep 4 rep 5 rep 6 rep 1 rep 2 rep 3 rep 4 rep 5 rep

49 Mean (± SE) of phytoseiids / 5 leaves 14 A B C Control E. gallicus Gallicus + Nutrimite Wild population Nutrimite +Nutrimite Modality Mean of phytoseiids calculated over 4 sampling dates

50 Typha pollen and pest suppression Crop: - cucumber Source: Van Rijn, P et al., (1999). IOBC WPRS Bulletin 22: Result: - Strong increase in predatory mite populations - better control of thrips.

51 Comparison of predatory mite responses to Typha pollen Whitefly control Yves Arijs, Biobest - Individual pepper plants with flowers removed - Pre-inocculation with Bemisia tabaci (50/plant) - After 21 days inocculation with predatory mites (10/plant) - Control without predatory mites - 6 plants per treatment - Monitoring during 3 weeks following predator inocculation 23/09/2014

52 23/09/2014 Comparison of predatory mite responses to Typha pollen Whitefly control Yves Arijs, Biobest

53 Respons to pollen/ Predation on thrips Source: Yves Arijs, Biobest

54 Predation on spider mites Source: Yves Arijs, Biobest 23/09/2014

55 The commercial product Nutrimite TM Packaging Packaging Plastic bottle Type of seal Sprinkler lid Size Content Storage 1 L 500 g 2 year shelf life at -18 C (0,4 F) Cooled, to use within 1-2 days on receipt Before opening/using Nutrimite TM, Wait for it to reach ambient temperature Do not refreeze

56 Application Required for application: 500 g/ha Pollen impact lasts for 2 weeks

57 Breed them where you need them! 23/09/2014

58 CONCLUSIONS Nutrimite is highly effective in helping establish / build up predatory mite populations This allows growers to maintain a standing army of predatory mites This preventative -rather than curative- approach improves the efficacy of biological control It reduces labour and product cost for the growers

59 CONCLUSIONS With Nutrimite: Less is more! Fewer predatory mites needed per release and fewer releases required Yet larger and healthier predatory mite populations Better Biocontrol

60 23/09/2014 RE-THINK

61 Artificial diet A. swirskii Development time Generation 0 Generation 1 Generation Pollen Diet 3 Diet 2 Diet 1 Maria Jose Ramirez

62 CONCLUSIONS A. swirskii is able to develop and reproduce on artificial diets. Artificial diets are often not fully plant based and may contain products that are non food-grade (registration issues) Artificial diets may suffer rapid nutritional degradation and/or moulds

63 Thanks 23/09/2014