Evaluation of Trichogramma cacaeciae (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) and Blattisocius mali (Mesostigmata: Blattisociidae) in the Post-Harvest Biological Control of the Potato Tuber Moth (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae): Use of Sigmoid Functions

Yohan Solano-Rojas, Juan R. Gallego, Manuel Gamez, Jozsef Garay, Joaquin Hernandez and Tomas Cabello
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Yohan Solano-Rojas: Department of Ecology and Quality Control, University Centroccidental Lisandro Alvarado, Barquisimeto VE-3001, Venezuela
Juan R. Gallego: Center for Agribusiness Biotechnology Research, University of Almería, La Cañada de S. Urbano, s/n, ES-04120 Almería, Spain
Manuel Gamez: Center for Agribusiness Biotechnology Research, University of Almería, La Cañada de S. Urbano, s/n, ES-04120 Almería, Spain
Jozsef Garay: Center for Ecological Research, Institute of Evolution, Konkoly-Thege M. út, HU-1121 Budapest, Hungary
Joaquin Hernandez: Center for Agribusiness Biotechnology Research, University of Almería, La Cañada de S. Urbano, s/n, ES-04120 Almería, Spain
Tomas Cabello: Center for Agribusiness Biotechnology Research, University of Almería, La Cañada de S. Urbano, s/n, ES-04120 Almería, Spain

Agriculture, 2022, vol. 12, issue 4, 1-11

Abstract: The potato tuber moth (PTM), Phthorimaea operculella , is the main potato pest in the world, having managed to adapt to a wide range of climatic conditions, and causing damage to stored tubers. The effectiveness of a biological control using the parasitoid Trichogramma cacaeciae and the predatory mite Blattisocius mali was evaluated in PTM under conditions that simulated those of tubers in storage. The number of adults found at the end of the trial was significantly higher in the control (181.75 ± 11.00 adults/container) than in treatments where B. mali (24.50 ± 7.22) or T. cacaeciae (102.00 ± 14.61) were released. The biological control’s effectiveness using the Abbot formula was 86.52% for the predator and 43.88% for the parasitoid. In addition, the PTM population data was fitted by logistic models, and the best fit was found for the simple logistic function. Using the data generated from these functions, the control efficiencies for the mite and the parasitoid were 94.85% and 73.77%, respectively. B. mali showed greater potential for being incorporated into integrated PTM management programs than T. cacaeciae . Based on logistic functions, a novel way of estimating the effectiveness of predators and parasitoids is also presented and discussed.

Keywords: biological control; effectiveness; population dynamic; storedpotato; pest (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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