Andersoni-system well suited to Spanish raspberries
By adopting this cropping practice, Spanish raspberry growers are successfully extending their harvest calendar, supplying fruit from October through to July.
Spider mite a key challenge
One of the major pest challenges facing Spanish raspberry growers is spider mite.
“Control strategies tend to start with preventative releases of Andersoni-System in combination with Phytoseiulus-System and Swirskii-System,” Biobest Group’s technical advisor Miguel Claros said in a news release. “Our control strategy also recommends introducing Andersoni-System later in the season to augment control; at this stage in combination with our Feltiella-System and Phytoseiulus-System.
Preventative approach
“As well as feeding on a range of mites, andersoni mites are pollen eaters. This means they can effectively be deployed preventatively – helping them establish a good population in the crop before the pest pressure has a chance to build up.”
A highly effective predatory mite, andersoni nymphs prefer to feed on the eggs and young stages of two-spotted spider mite, as well as the European red spider mite, Lewis mite and other mite pests. Meanwhile the adult predators readily eat – and control – all the pest mites’ lifecycle stages.
Highly mobile
“Andersoni also benefits from being highly mobile,” said technical advisor María Parra. “It can spread fast and easily throughout the raspberry crops – particularly where plants are touching.
“Under normal conditions, the predator also has a shorter lifecycle. Taking just 7-8 days at 21° C (45-46° F) to complete a generation, it has the ability to build up a population more quickly than the pest mites.
Withstands temperature fluctuations
“At low temperatures andersoni mites enters diapause (hibernation), re-emerging when conditions improve sufficiently. This means it can remain in the crop, lying in wait, from one crop cycle to the next. Last but not least, our Andersoni-System can usefully withstand large temperature changes – from as low as 6° C to as high as 35° C.
“Well adapted to the crop and the growing conditions in this region of Spain, our Andersoni-System has proved its worth and is playing an increasing role in the prevention and control of a range of mite pests in raspberries.”