Control of Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) with Bacillus subtilis on strawberry leaves (Fragaria vesca)

Abstract

In Ecuador, feeding of Tetranychus urticae has reported losses between 60 and 80% in strawberry plants, so frequent applications of pesticides are required. In this study the pathogenic activity of different concentrations of B. subtilis (0, 1, 2 and 3 cc.l-1) on 48-h-old T. urticae females was evaluated by using residual contact technique. There was no increase in the mortality of T. urticae females due to the different concentrations of B. subtilis, however these were statistically higher in reference to the control. Additionally, no effect of the different doses of B. subtilis on the oviposition of T. urticae was observed. Based on the results, the application of B. subtilis could be considered as an alternative for the control of T. urticae populations, however validation under field conditions are required to validate these results.