Mass production of predatory mite, Neoseiulus longispinosus (Evans) on two spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, using pole bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

Abstract

Mass production of N. longispinosus on T. urticae was studied on pole bean as well as in French bean in polycarbonate house. When the predator mites were released @ 4 per leaflet on spider mites infested 50 days old pole bean plants, a maximum of 25,933.47 predatory mites were recorded from each pole bean plant after 30 days. As a result the total number of predatory mites produced from 27 pole bean plants raised in 9.72 m2 ground area was 7,00,203. Comparatively, a maximum of 1295.35 predatory mites per French bean plant and a total of 1,86,530 predatory mites from 9.72 m2 ground area could be produced from 50 days old French bean plants. It was evident that using pole bean plants 900.47 predatory mites could be produced per m2 per day as against 383.81 predatory mites per m2 per day on French bean. Also there was 2.4 folds increase in the production of predatory mites when pole bean plants were used vis-a-vis French bean plants.