The biological fight against red spider mites (Tetranychusurticae) in citrus fruit holds no secrets for Koppert, thanks to a successful control strategy based on SpicalUlti-Mite, an exclusive weather resistant sachet format that contains the predator mite Neoseiuluscalifornicus. The combination of the mite and the exclusive sachet format has shown to offer the highest level of efficiency and cost-effectiveness, as can be seen by the excellent results in the fields in recent years.
Although in the wild the red spider mite has different enemies, the predator mite selected by Koppert is the most suitable one for biological control in the scientific community’s opinion: it is one of the naturally most abundant mites on citrus fruit farms; it is resistant to high temperatures and low humidity and it has a decisive preference for red spider mites as its food source.
Added to this is the special configuration of the SpicalUlti-Mite sachet, the only one on the market with an outer layer of aluminised material that gives it high weather resistance. This ensures that inside, there are always stable conditions of humidity and temperature, regardless of the exterior conditions, offering a greater yield than any other paper sachet. Each unit can release up to 600 predators and its useful life is up to 12 weeks.
An alternative to chemical acaricides
The significant effectiveness in the fields of SpicalUlti-Mite has turned it into the most efficient and cost-effective biological control product against red spider mites for citrus fruit. It already is the most inexpensive alternative to the use of chemical acaricides, which have seen an important reduction in their efficiency basically due to the resistances acquired by the pests.
Prevention from March
The first introductions of SpicalUlti-Mite should be carried out for preventive purposes at the end of March. Following this, a second reinforcement release should be carried out at the end of May. A third application is only recommended in September on farms with varieties that are particularly sensitive or with very high levels of red spider mites. In order for the strategy to be efficient, 2,000-3,000 sachets/ha and year should be applied, depending on the recommendation of a qualified technician.
