Mites as pests of economic importance in the production of tropical fruits
In conventional agriculture, mites were not considered pests of economic importance, but nowadays they have exceeded the damage compared to other insect pests and are one of the main limiting factors in fruit production in most tropical countries.
▶ Fruit production occupies an important place in agricultural production in tropical countries, so it is of vital importance to work on the development of pest control methods that allow good plant development and production of commercial quality.
▶ Credits: Nwdistrict. – [Image of Public Domain]
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There are many pests that limit fruit agriculture, for example in recent decades it has been detected that mites feed on the chlorophyll of the leaves limiting the process of photosynthesis, it has also been found damaging open flowers causing their detachment from the plants or fruit growth with poor aesthetics.
The control of this pest is mainly based on the use of chemical substances, however, strawberries must be free of pesticide residues or below the maximum limit allowed for export and trade. Therefore, it is important to know the chemical ecology of this mite in order to develop specific, environmentally friendly control alternatives that do not compromise the quality of the fruit and human health.
The attack of phytophagous mites can induce plants to produce volatile compounds, which in turn can attract natural enemies. Volatile chemical compounds are emitted from the host-mite complex that act as a kairomone for mite predators. This kairomone is a by-product of a physiological process in the plant and also has a role in the biology of the mite.
Further studies on how they use chemical signals under natural conditions and examine the behavior of predators against plant extracts and mites are needed to focus studies not only on the chemical ecology of mites after they have colonized a crop, but also on the early interactions present in the primary colonization of the pest.
NOTE: Reference material.
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I thought mites have importance in agriculture
They certainly have a level of importance, but not at the level of economic affectation as the effects of microorganisms such as bacteria and viruses, or even more damaging pests such as defoliating insects.
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I know little about this subject, but I do know that when we refer to animals, insects and other tiny living beings, the damage they can do to another larger living being is impressive.
But, from what you propose here in this post, I can see that there is interest in recognizing the way in which these organisms act in order to better understand it.
Probably the interaction of the plants with the mites did not generate so much interest, however, currently there are economic losses at the level of fruit production that began to be controlled more rigorously.
How are mites important in the production of fruits
In the vegetative cycle, mites affect photosynthesis, which delays fruit production. And on the other hand, when the fruits are already formed, the mites form colonies in the form of spots that reduce the quality of the fruits, and in some cases the mites deform the fruits.
So mite are generally not fruit friendly