Method for breeding predatory mite neoseiulusreductus

Abstract

FIELD: agriculture.SUBSTANCE: method for breeding the predatory mite Neoseiulus reductus involves the use of a substance and a feed mite for its reproduction, wherein wheat plants are used as the substance, and the spider mite Oligonychuspratensis is used as the feed mite, the process is carried out by growing wheat hydroponically for 8–9 days until the 2-leaf phase, followed by populating the wheat plants with the Banks grass mite Oligonychuspratensis at a rate of 10 females per plant and releasing the predatory mite Neoseiulusreductus onto the wheat plants in the third leaf phase at a rate of 10 females per plant, maintaining the resulting mite composition at a temperature of 25–27 °C and air humidity of 70–80% until the tillering phase and the collection of predatory mites Neoseiulusreductus.EFFECT: creation of an effective method for breeding the predatory mite Neoseiulusreductus of the Phytoseiidae family, which makes it possible to obtain a high number of the predatory mite Neoseiulusreductus.1 cl, 3 tbl, 2 ex

Description

[0001] The invention relates to the field of agricultural biotechnology and is a method for breeding beneficial invertebrates - chelicerate arthropods, in particular, a method for breeding the predatory mite Neoseiulus reductus (Wainstein) of the family Phytoseiidae. The invention can be used in a biological method for protecting agricultural crops from harmful arthropods. Beneficial invertebrates of the phylum Arthropoda, subphylum Chelicerata, class Arachnidae, in particular predatory mites Phytoseiidae (superorder Parasitiformes, order Mesostigmata) are currently used as a biological agent in integrated crop protection systems, in particular, vegetable, fruit and berry, ornamental and industrial crops worldwide.The use of artificially propagated predatory phytoseiid mites in biological control of harmful arthropod populations reduces the use of agricultural pesticides, decreases agrochemical residues in plant products, prevents resistance development, and improves agricultural production and the quality of grown crops. The breeding of beneficial predatory mites and their subsequent release (colonization) onto protected agricultural crops is a globally recognized, environmentally friendly biological pest control method, particularly important for the production of environmentally friendly organic products. This method offers significant potential for the practical application of entomophagous and acariphageous mites. About 20 species of predatory phytoseiid mites, which are effective entomophages and acariphages, are currently used in integrated crop protection systems.For this purpose, predatory phytoseiid mites are pre-cultured in large numbers on natural (prostigmatic) or alternative (astigmatic) food mites. The beneficial invertebrates used, namely various species of phytoseiid mites, naturally inhabit countries with Mediterranean or tropical climates and are essentially adventitious elements in the Russian Federation. Introducing indigenous phytoseiid mite species into laboratory culture requires specialized approaches to collecting natural populations on cereals and forbs, for subsequent adaptation to artificial conditions. A method for breeding predatory mites from temperate climates is described in patent literature (RU 2824407 C1, 07.08.2024).As shown in the patent, the formation of a stable age structure in a population of phytoseiid mites, necessary for year-round laboratory cultivation on natural food, requires the selection of a large number of female predatory mites in natural habitats while maintaining their reproductive potential and genetic diversity. According to this selection method, various species of phytoseiid mites from temperate climates were introduced into laboratory culture, namely, Amblyseius obtusus (Koch), Amblyseius microorientalis Wainstein et Begljarov, Neoseiulus agrestis (Karg), Neoseiulus reductus (Wainstein), Neoseiulus marginatus (Wainstein), Neoseiulus mistassini (Chant et Hansell), Neoseiulus bicaudus (Wainstein), Neoseiulus graminis (Chant), Euseius ucrainicus (Kolodochka), and Transeius herbarius (Wainstein). Prostigmatic mites from the tetranychian group were used for breeding these predatory mites.Several methods are known for culturing various species of phytoseiid mites using artificially grown plants under optimal hygrothermal conditions with supplemental lighting. This method of culturing predatory phytoseiid mites allows for the off-season production of large numbers of entomoacariphages for use in integrated greenhouse crop protection systems against dangerous herbivorous arthropods (harmful mites and insects). Cultivating phytoseiid mites on vegetative plants using natural food has been shown to result in a short preimaginal development period, a long lifespan of females, and a high reproduction rate of the predatory mite population.

[0002] A method is known for breeding the subtropical predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot using a herbivorous mite, in particular the red spider mite Tetranychus cinnabarinus (Boisduval), as food (CN 101331869 A, 31.12.2008). The essence of the method lies in the use of a host plant (moon-shaped bean Phaseolus lunatus L., cultivated peanut Arachis hypogaea L.), grown on a soil mixture of vermiculite and turf soil in a ratio of 7:3, populating with spider mites Tetranychus cinnabarinus at a rate of 10-20 individuals per plant, upon reaching 300-500 individuals, Phytoseiulus persimilis is released in a predator: prey ratio of 1: 30 ÷ 50, technical collection of the predatory mite after 10 days. Growing and breeding of the mite composition takes place at a temperature of 26 ° C, a relative humidity of 80%, and a lighting duration of 16 hours. During a 25-day cycle, up to 10,000 predatory mites are produced from 1 m 2Useful area. Collected predatory mites are separated from the host plant, placed in containers with vermiculite, cooled, and transported to the release sites. The predatory mite species used in this cultivation method, Phytoseiulus persimilis, is an arthropod of subtropical origin and is an adventitious species in Russia. Another disadvantage of this cultivation method is the high phytosanitary risk, namely the risk of colonization of greenhouse crops by the dangerous phytophagous red spider mite Tetranychus cinnabarinus, which can lead to unintentional crop damage and subsequent yield reduction.

[0003] A method for breeding the tropical predatory mite Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor) is also known, which involves feeding it with the cotton spider mite Tetranychus turkestani (Ugarov et Nikolski), (CN 103210881 A, 24.07.2013). The method involves growing the host plant (Vigna unguiculata Walp.) in a 5-7 cm thick soil layer consisting of a 1:1 mixture of vermiculite and perlite, populating the unifoliate plants with the spider mite Tetranychus turkestani and maintaining its population growth for 15 days to 150-300 individuals per plant, followed by populating the host plant with the predatory mite Neoseiulus californicus at a rate of 5-10 individuals per plant with a waiting period of 15-20 days. Growing and breeding the mite composition takes place at a temperature of 25±1°C, a relative air humidity of 40-50%, and a light duration of 16 hours.The predatory mite Neoseiulus californicus is an arthropod of tropical origin and is an adventitious species in Russia. Furthermore, a drawback of this method is that the cotton spider mite Tetranychus turkestani poses a pest risk to most crops grown in protected areas.

[0004] It is obvious that the use of the above-mentioned species of prostigmatic mites (Tetranychus cinnabarinus, Tetranychus turkestani) as feed for mass breeding of the predatory mite Neoseiulus reductus is inappropriate, as it creates phytosanitary risks when growing greenhouse agricultural crops.

[0005] The autochthonous predatory mite Neoseiulus reductus (Wainstein), unlike currently commercially used phytoseiid mites of subtropical and tropical origin, is native to temperate climates. Neoseiulus reductus exhibits higher predatory activity at moderate temperatures, especially when growing vegetable, ornamental, and fruit crops in protected soil. We have found that this species of phytoseiid mite is capable of feeding not only on spider mites and tarsonemid mites, but also on thrips, whiteflies, and pollen from various plants. Due to its polyphagous diet and ability to reproduce at moderate temperatures, Neoseiulus reductus exhibits high predatory activity against harmful arthropods in protected soil conditions when growing vegetable, ornamental, and fruit crops.

[0006] A method for culturing a polyphagous predatory mite species from the phytoseiid group, namely Neoseiulus reductus, is known (WO 2021133368 A1, 01.07.2021) and is considered a prototype. According to this method, the predatory mite Neoseiulus reductus is cultivated in a loose substrate consisting, for example, of wheat bran, buckwheat or rice husks, or wood shavings. The predatory mite is fed on astytatic mites, in particular the narrow mite species Thyreophagus entomophagus (Laboulbene et Robin). The disadvantage of this breeding method is that long-term maintenance of the predatory mite Neoseiulus reductus on artificial food, which is the astigmatic mite Thyreophagus entomophagus, on which the predatory mite Neoseiulus reductus does not feed in natural conditions, leads to a deterioration in the basic vital indicators of the population and genetic degeneration.Artificial selection during mass rearing (cultivation) of predatory mites for rapid development and maximum fecundity on non-specific food sources significantly reduces genetic diversity based on trophic specialization. Consequently, this leads to low efficiency in the artificial rearing of the predatory mite Neoseiulus reductus. To overcome the negative aspects of this rearing method, additional measures are required during rearing to maintain genetic diversity in predatory mite populations. The technical objective of the proposed invention is to increase the productivity of Neoseiulus reductus predatory mite rearing by enhancing female fecundity, juvenile survival, and increasing the lifespan of adult stages.The stated technical problem is achieved by the proposed method of breeding the predatory mite Neoseiulus reductus, which includes the use of a substance and a feed mite for its reproduction and is characterized in that wheat plants are used as a substance, and the spider mite Oligonychus pratensis is used as a feed mite, and the process is carried out by growing wheat hydroponically for 8-9 days until the 2-leaf phase, followed by populating the wheat plants with the meadow spider mite Oligonychus pratensis at a rate of 10 females per plant and releasing the predatory mite Neoseiulus reductus onto the wheat plants in the third leaf phase at a rate of 10 females per plant, maintaining the resulting mite composition at a temperature of 25-27°C and air humidity of 70-80% until the tillering phase and collecting the predatory mites Neoseiulus reductus for their subsequent use in a protected or open ground.

[0007] The solution to the problem, unlike the above-mentioned method of breeding the predatory mite Neoseiulus reductus in a loose substrate on the astigmatic mite Thyreophagus entomophagus, which is artificial food, is a method of breeding the predatory mite Neoseiulus reductus on wheat plants using the prostigmatic mite Oligonychus pratensis as food, which is a natural food. A significant difference of the proposed method is that the predatory mite Neoseiulus reductus, native to temperate climates, is bred on wheat plants, such as winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).with a constant source of mite nutrition, where the meadow spider mite Oligonychus pratensis serves as a natural food source, which leads to a guaranteed production of a large number of predatory mites, satisfying the needs of integrated plant protection systems for the cultivation of vegetable, ornamental, and fruit and berry crops in greenhouse production, taking into account the minimization of risks when using herbivorous mites.

[0008] The present invention utilizes a method for breeding predatory mites by feeding them live natural food, in particular, the meadow spider mite Oligonychus pratensis, which belongs to the prostigmatic mites. The proposed method for artificially breeding predatory mites from the Phytoseiidae family, genus Neoseiulus, namely Neoseiulus reductus, makes it possible to obtain a population significantly adapted to predation on plant mites of the Tetranychidae family, genus Tetranychus, in particular the species Tetranychus urticae, Tetranychus cinnabarinus, Tetranychus atlanticus, Tetranychus turkestani, Tetranychus sawzdargi, Tetranychus przevalskii, z. also herbivorous thrips Thrips tabaci, Frankliniella ssp. and whiteflies Trialeurodes vaporariorum for further use in the production of flower seedlings, garden strawberries or vegetables to protect against harmful arthropods (spider and tarsonemid mites, thrips, whiteflies) in mid-latitude conditions.The proposed breeding method enables high populations of the predatory mite Neoseiulus reductus to be obtained within an optimal timeframe, which offers significant economic benefits. In particular, the practical use of biological plant protection products, particularly the indigenous predatory mite Neoseiulus reductus, enables cost-effective, high yields of healthy plant products in the absence of pesticide contaminants, and also prevents the development of insectoacaricide resistance in harmful phytophagous populations.

[0009] The essence of the present invention is a method for breeding the predatory mite Neoseiulus reductus, which makes it possible to improve the method of biological protection of agricultural plants in order to eliminate resistant populations of harmful arthropods, which increases the effectiveness of protective measures in the context of the abolition of hazardous pesticides or their replacement with safe alternatives for the environment and humans in the context of sustainable agricultural development.To maintain the beneficial ecological and biological properties of Neoseiulus reductus predatory mites, they must be cultured on natural food sources that support rapid population reproduction due to optimal timing of individual development and high fertility of females, who receive adequate nutrition from naturally occurring food sources. These food sources pose no risks to protected agricultural crops (cucumber, tomato, pepper, eggplant, rose, strawberry, chrysanthemum, and flower seedlings). This breeding method allows for the formation of an effective mite composition to optimize reproduction within the Neoseiulus reductus phytoseiid mite population by creating a triotrophic system: a plant (e.g., soft winter wheat Triticum aestivum) - the meadow spider mite Oligonychus pratensis - the phytoseiid mite Neoseiulus reductus.

[0010] Plants with the mite composition are grown indoors in a controlled-hygrothermal environment at an optimal air temperature of 25-27°C and a relative humidity of 70-80%, with artificial lighting for 16 hours per day. Table 1 shows the artificial cultivation scheme for the predatory mite Neoseiulus reductus on wheat plants.

[0011]

[0012]

[0013] The proposed method of breeding the predatory mite Neoseiulus reductus shows high reproduction in the population when feeding on a natural prey species - the meadow spider mite Oligonychus pratensis on wheat plants.

[0014] The intensity of reproduction of the Neoseiulus reductus population by the method of breeding on wheat plants using the prostigmatic mite Oligonychus pratensis as feed is presented in examples of the implementation of the present invention. Embodiments of the invention

[0015] Example 1. Laboratory cultivation of the phytoseiid mite Neoseiulus reductus was carried out on racks with artificial lighting using plastic containers. The wheat seeding rate was approximately 1000 seeds per 1 m. 2 Plants were grown at a temperature of 25°C and an air humidity of approximately 70%. Meadow spider mites (Oligonychus pratensis) were introduced into the two-leaf stage at a rate of 10 individuals per plant. Six days later, predatory mites were released onto winter wheat in the third leaf stage at a rate of 10 females per plant. Predatory mite numbers were counted on days 10 and 15 after release.

[0016] Table 2 shows the population accumulation of the predatory mite Neoseiulus reductus in a triotrophic system using wheat and the feeder mite Oligonychus pratensis at a temperature of 25°C and a humidity of about 70%.

[0017]

[0018] It was found that the population growth rate of Neoseiulus reductus at 25°C is on average 6.9 times on the 10th day and 13.6 times on the 15th day after the release of the predatory mite on wheat plants.

[0019] Example 2. Laboratory cultivation of the phytoseiid mite Neoseiulus reductus was carried out on racks with artificial lighting using plastic containers. The wheat seeding rate was approximately 1000 seeds per 1 m. 2Plants were grown at a temperature of 27°C and a relative humidity of up to 80%, achieved using plastic film. Meadow spider mites (Oligonychus pratensis) were introduced into the two-leaf stage at a rate of 10 individuals per plant. Five days later, predatory mites were released onto the three-leaf stage wheat at a rate of 10 females per plant. Predatory mite numbers were counted on days 10 and 15 after release.

[0020] Table 3 shows the population accumulation of the predatory mite Neoseiulus reductus in a triotrophic system using wheat and the feeder mite Oligonychus pratensis at a temperature of 27°C and a humidity above 80%.

[0021]

[0022] It was found that the population growth rate of Neoseiulus reductus at 27°C was on average 7.5 times on the 10th day and 19.2 times on the 15th day after the release of the predatory mite on wheat plants.

[0023] Thus, the results of the experiments, presented in Tables 2 and 3, show that the predatory mite Neoseiulus reductus, when fed with the meadow spider mite Oligonychus pratensis, is capable of significantly increasing the reproduction of the population, which makes it possible to further use the developed method of breeding the predatory mite Neoseiulus reductus in relation to integrated systems for protecting agricultural plants grown in greenhouse conditions or in open ground.

[0024] The technical result of the proposed invention is the creation of an effective method for breeding the predatory mite Neoseiulus reductus of the Phytoseiidae family, which allows obtaining a high number of the predatory mite Neoseiulus reductus by increasing the fertility of females and the survival rate of juvenile and adult individuals on wheat plants, i.e. during a 15-day period of breeding the predatory mite Neoseiulus reductus at a temperature of 25-27 ° C, it is possible to produce approximately 135 to 180 thousand individuals from 1 m 2 (the population growth rate of Neoseiulus reductus is 13.6-19.2).

Claims

A method for breeding the predatory mite Neoseiulus reductus, including the use of a substance and a feed mite for its reproduction, characterized in that wheat plants are used as a substance, and the spider mite Oligonychus pratensis is used as a feed mite, and the process is carried out by growing wheat hydroponically for 8-9 days until the 2-leaf phase, followed by populating the wheat plants with the meadow spider mite Oligonychus pratensis at a rate of 10 females per plant and releasing the predatory mite Neoseiulus reductus onto the wheat plants in the third leaf phase at a rate of 10 females per plant, maintaining the resulting mite composition at a temperature of 25-27°C and an air humidity of 70-80% until the tillering phase and collecting the predatory mites Neoseiulus reductus.

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