Control of Broad Mite on ‘Bell’ Pepper With Labelled and Experimental Miticides, 2014

Broad mite can be a serious pest on peppers in Florida and elsewhere, causing the abortion of blooms and the scaring of fruit resulting in the overall decrease of yield and quality. This trial was conducted at the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center in Immokalee Florida in using greenhouse-raised pepper plants transplanted on 1 Mar at 10 inch spacing in 3 beds on 6 ft centers and covered with black polyethylene film mulch. Approximately 50% of the fertilizer was preplant soil incorporated (granular 10-2-10) with the remainder applied as liquid 7-2-7 delivered using a Dosatron via two rows of drip take with eight inch emitter spacing. Plots consisting of 28 plants bordered by a 60-inch buffer were assigned in an RCB design across the three rows and replicated 4 times. Applications were made using a high clearance sprayer operating at 180 psi and 2.3 mph at a volume of 40 GPA on 3, 10, and 17 May. Spray was delivered through two vertical booms fitted with yellow Albuz ATR 80 hollow cone nozzles discharging 10 gpa each. Dyne-Amic at 0.25% vol/vol was added to all spray treatments. Populations of broad mite were monitored on 9, 16, 23 May by collecting 10 terminal leaves from each plot and counting mites and eggs under a stereoscopic microscope (Table 1). Radiant 10.0 oz/acre was applied for thrips control on 21 and 28 Apr and Actara 5.5 oz was applied 19 and 25 Apr for pepper weevil control. Data were analyzed with ANOVA and means separation by LSD contingent on a significant treatment effect (P > 0.05).

All treatments resulted in significantly reduced numbers of broad mites and their eggs on all sample dates (Table 1). No phytotoxic effects were seen in this experiment which was supported by industry gifts of pesticide and research funding.

Author notes