Biological Control In The Field

1. Biological Control In TheField Kris Braman University of Georgia

2. Why Use Natural Enemies? • Pests? • Control Alternatives • Why “go biological” ? • The pesticide “treadmill” • Target pest resurgence • Secondary pest outbreaks • Pesticide resistance • Fewer pesticides available • Human health and environmental concerns

3. Know the Enemy- What is a Pest?

5. What is a Pest, really?Some Pests are Bigger than Others!Key Pests

6. Integrated Pest ManagementIPM • Use of all available tactics to maintain pests at acceptable levels including: • Mechanical • Biological • Cultural • Chemical • Regulatory

7. Target Pest Resurgence

8. Secondary Pest Outbreaks

9. Pesticide Resistance

10. Registered Pesticides (1914-1999)‏

11. Key Factors in Successful Pest Management • Scouting • Proper Diagnosis • Deciding on Control Tactic • Implementation • Follow-up Assessment

12. Wolf spider Tiger beetle Parasitoid Big-eyed bug Ground beetles Caterpillars Spittle bugs Grubs Chinch bugs Turfgrass Food Web

13. Ecological Basis of Biological Control Add density dependent mortality factor increase biotic pressure reduced carrying capacity

14. Types of Biological Control

15. Conservation • Protection of existing biological control agents may be accomplished by: • Use of pesticides only when necessary • Spot sprays rather than blanket coverage • Choice of pesticide that is least toxic to beneficials • Avoid or be selective in applying broad spectrum or persistent pesticides • Planting a variety of flowering species to provide nectar and pollen sources and sources of alternative prey for predators • Providing shelter and moisture sources

16. Azalea Lace Bug (Stephanitis pyrioides) Azalea lace bug adult Azalea lace bug nymphs Azalea lace bug eggs

17. ALB feeding through stomates

18. Cell content evacuation in palisade parenchyma layer

20. Parasitic wasp that attacks and kills lace bug eggs Mymarid wasp next to An azalea leaf hair Parasitized lace bug egg next to leaf midrib. Wasp has chewed a circular hole in the lace bug egg and emerged

21. Five emergence peaks per year at 3 sites in a 2-yr study

23. Azalea plant bug (Rhinocapsus vanduzeei) adult and nymph, a predator that feeds on lace bugs, thrips, other small insects and pollen

24. Pest Resistant Plants

26. Azalea growth in response To azalea lace bug feeding Whole plant gas exchange measurements revealed that photosynthesis, carbon use efficiency and growth were not affected by lace bug injury < 13%

30. Augmentation • Release of additional beneficials when existing populations are too low • Inoculative release: small number released into an area of low pest infestation and progeny are sufficient to maintain low pest levels • Inundative release: large numbers of natural enemies are released often several times during a season

31. Augmentation of Natural Enemies

32. Augmentative Releases Augmentative releases of natural enemies Uses in the US: Predaceous mites Increasing in use Improved rearing still based on natural foodsImproved shipping and release systems envelopes with substrate, to place in plants Phytoseid mite consuming a spider mite

34. Mite predators L.Hull PHOTO: Max Verkooy

35. Monitoring for mites

36. Importation (Classical)‏ • Used most often against pests that have been accidentally introduced to the area where they are currently a problem • Natural enemies from the pest’s native region are introduced into the new area

37. Classical- Importation • In 1990 estimated that 722 biocontrol agents previously introduced into the US had resulted in suppression of 63 insect and mite pests • Most complete successes with Homopteran pests

38. PHM Parasite Release Program Media Covering Florida’s First Parasite Release

39. Ornamental Hibiscus Croton Allamanda Anthurium Heliconia Lantana Seagrape Bougainvillea Oleander Ixora Ginger lily Schefflera Ficus Pink Hibiscus MealybugHost Plants Vegetable • Tomato • Pumpkin • Okra • Lettuce • Beans • Cucumber • Peppers • Dasheen • Cabbage • Squash Fruits • Papaya • Sugar-apple • Golden apple • Pigeon pea • Carambola • Soursop • Cherry • Passion fruit • Avocado • Mango • Plum • Grape • Citrus • Breadfruit • Guava • Banana

40. California Mulberry = 96% Carob = 93% Bahamas = 82% (1 year)‏ Florida = 98.7% Haiti = 97.2% Dominican Republic = 96.6% PHM Populations Reduced by Parasitoids • St. Kitts = 91.6 % • US Virgin Islands St. Thomas = 91.2% St. Croix = 97.1% • Puerto Rico = 92% • Culebra = 96.5% • Vieques = 97.8% • Belize = 96.6%

41. Mole Crickets

42. Identification and biology of some important predators • The first step in effectively using biocontrol is to correctly identify common natural enemies and to know what pests they are active against • Generalists vs. specialists • Knowledge of the life cycle is important; many natural enemies attack only a particular stage of a pest (egg, larva)‏

43. Spiders

45. PREDACEOUS MITE

46. Predatory beetles

47. LADY BEETLES

49. Turfgrass Cultivar Influences on Fall Armyworm Parasitism Tigers in the Turf S. Kristine Braman Department of Entomology University of Georgia Kris Braman University of Georgia