Mite Management on Recently Planted Plasticulture Strawberries
ID
2906-1313
Editor’s note: The following segment was taken from Dr. Poling's "Strawberry Advisory on Plasticulture" October 12, 2002, Vol. 3 No. 64. The full text and additional comments can be found at: http://intra.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/berrydoc/oct12/index.htm.
Fall management of mites: Transplants and plugs can arrive with mite problems right off the bat! Be sure to carefully examine the undersides of the leaves (with 10x lens) of your new bare-root and plug plants in the field for the presence of 2-spotted spider mites in the early fall. In checking with Dr. Ken Sorensen late last week on matters related to 2-spotted spider mite control, he indicated the desirability of not starting your fall control program for mites with Brigade (pyrethroids are harmful on predators and natural enemies of 2-spotted spider mites).
Acramite - at the summer pre-plant meetings Dr. Sorensen indicated the desirability of starting a fall program with Acramite 50W (this is manufactured by Uniroyal, and was first mentioned on Berry Agent this past April 24: http://intra.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/berrydoc/april25_2.htm.)
Keep detailed scouting records of mites by plant source and lot number. Continue to monitor for mites every 2 weeks in the fall, especially on the older leaves. When hot dry conditions prevail, leaves should be checked weekly. Information should be recorded on a field map so that hot spots can be watched closely. You can spot treat these hot spots.
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According to the Strawberry Crop Profile Report, when 25% infestation of a 60-leaf sample occurs, chemical control may be warranted. Sample leaves by walking a V-shaped pattern in the field and stopping at 5-10 locations, where the undersides of five leaves should be examined for the presence or absence of 2-spotted spider mites.
Originally printed in Virginia Vegetable, Small Fruit and Specialty Crops – October 2002.
Rights
Virginia Cooperative Extension materials are available for public use, re-print, or citation without further permission, provided the use includes credit to the author and to Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, and Virginia State University.
Publisher
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Virginia State University, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. Rick D. Rudd, Interim Director, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg; Wondi Mersie, Interim Administrator, 1890 Extension Program, Virginia State, Petersburg.
Date
July 22, 2009