The use of the predacious Phytoselid mite, Amblyseius cucumeris, and the entomopathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana, for control of western flower thrips in commercial bedding plant production.

View the project final report

Commodities

• Additional Plants: trees, ornamentals

Practices

• Crop Production: agroforestry, forestry, nutrient cycling
• Education and Training: demonstration, display, extension, participatory research, workshop, youth education, technical assistance
• Farm Business Management: new enterprise development, budgets/cost and returns, feasibility study, agricultural finance, value added
• Natural Resources/Environment: afforestation, biodiversity, habitat enhancement, soil stabilization, wildlife
• Pest Management: biological control, cultural control, disease vectors, field monitoring/scouting, genetic resistance, mulches - killed, prevention
• Production Systems: agroecosystems
• Soil Management: soil analysis, nutrient mineralization, soil microbiology, organic matter, soil quality/health
• Sustainable Communities: infrastructure analysis, new business opportunities, partnerships, public participation, urban agriculture, urban/rural integration, community services, employment opportunities, social capital, social networks, sustainability measures

This project will explore potentially efficient, non-toxic methods of controlling the western flower thrip, which is the vector for viruses that can destroy certain bedding plants. Predacious mites and the entomopathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana, will be applied to bedding plants, and these plants will be compared with untreated controls.