Management of Two-Spotted Spider Mite, Tetranychus Urticae Koch Infesting Gerbera with biopesticides and Predatory Mite

Among various flowers, gerbera holds a prominent place and a good market in India, but it can be attacked by the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch. Indiscriminate use of pesticides has led to the development of resistance in this spider mite species, affected human health and also caused environmental pollution. For safer and more cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative approaches for the management of this pest is desirable. Different combinations of chemical pesticides, plant products, entomopathogenic fungi, and predatory mite, Neoseiulus longispinosus were tested for four years (2017-2020). The results showed that the ctreatment combination of propargite (0.05%) + propargite (0.05%) + propargite (0.05%) was found most effective against spider mite, T. urticae and were followed by the treatment combination of neem oil (0.5%) + neem oil (0.5%) + release of 20 gravid females of predatory mite, N. longispinosus.