ABSTRACT
This study deals with the evaluation of the biological parameters and population growth of TSSM in strawberry fertilized with different doses and sources of organic fertilizers. Plants were grown in a greenhouse where the treaments were: Bokashi compost, Penergetic®, boiled chicken manure solution at 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, and 10% concentrations; and control (unfertilized plants). The immature duration, adult females longevity, number and viability of eggs were determined through mite rearing on leaf disks taken from the treated plants. Populations of TSSM adult females on strawberry leaves were also recorded in greenhouse. In addition, the levels of nitrogen, potassium and phenolic compounds were determined in leaves. Shorter immature period, higher female longevity, higher number and viability of eggs were obtained for TSSM reared on Bokashi fertilized plants. Denser adult TSSM population was also found on Bokashi fertilized plants in greenhouse. A moderate and positive correlation was observed between nitrogen foliar levels and egg numbers, adult female longevity, as well as between potassium foliar amount and mites density. The leaf content in phenolic compounds was correlated positively with the deutonymph duration and negatively with population density recorded in greenhouse.
Acknowledgments
To the Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento (CNPq), for financial support and the scholarship grant to the first author. To the Universidade Estadual de Londrina (UEL), and Postgraduate Program in Agronomy for support in development research.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).