Conservation biological control: are the phytosanitary products utilized in soybean crops compatible with the predatory mite Neoseiulus idaeus Denmark & Muma (Acari: Phytoseiidae)?

• Grant number: 20/15134-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Effective date (Start): March 01, 2021
• Effective date (End): February 28, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Plant Health
• Principal Investigator: Pedro Takao Yamamoto
• Grantee: Lucas Lorena Godoy
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

One of the biggest limiting factors for the development and production of soybean is the interference of diseases, weeds, and pests. The use of chemicals is still the most widely used method by growers to contain the infestations. Pesticides cause several important harmful effects, especially the damage to biological control agents. Mites are the most diverse arthropod group, and can be a serious pest, decomposers, fungivores or biological control agents. In soybean crop, the predator Neoseiulus idaeus has been found frequently associated with the spider mites as an important controller. The goal of this study is to diagnosticate the lethal and sublethal effects of pesticides used in soybean crop on the predatory mite Neoseiulus idaeus. The lethal and sublethal bioassays will be conducted in the Integrated Pest Management Laboratory (ESALQ/USP), in Piracicaba - SP. In order to evaluate the lethal toxicity level, each insecticide will be sprayed onto the adult female mites that will be analyzed according to their mortality. The evaluated sublethal effects are: oviposition, eggs viability and adult survival. Besides the paternal generation (F0) the same sublethal effects will be observed on the females from the next generation (F1). The classification of pesticides used on the predatory mite will be extremely important for the decision-making within the management of soybean pests.