Abstract
Breeding sachets and their advanced version (sheltered sachets) are commercially used for augmentative biological control of small pest arthropods in crop production. Sheltered sachets excel in not only protecting predatory mites from unsuitable environments (pesticides, drought, rain) but also in releasing more predators. Each sachet system can multiply predatory mites and gradually release them onto nearby plants over several weeks. However, the influence of ambient temperature on predator release by sachet systems remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the numbers of predatory mites (Neoseiulus californicus) released from breeding sachets and sheltered sachets at 12, 17, 22, 27, 32, and 37 ºC under laboratory conditions. Regardless of sachet type, significantly more predators were released at 17, 22, and 27 ºC than at 12, 32, and 37 ºC. More predators were dispersed from sheltered sachets than from breeding sachets at 12, 17, 22, and 27 ºC. These results indicate that both sachet systems, especially sheltered sachets, can perform well at around 17–27 ºC but may be handicapped by extreme temperature conditions. Next, we examined the short-term (one week) influence of the different temperatures on the densities of predators and prey mites (Lepidoglyphus destructor) inside breeding sachets and sheltered sachets. We found that numbers of either predators or prey, or both, began to decrease at 32 and 37 ºC. These results suggest that high temperatures may directly affect the breeding of predators that inhabit these sachet systems or indirectly affect them by reducing prey numbers.
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Acknowledgements
We thank Mrs. Yumi Kanai for helping with the experiments. This study was supported in part by the Science and Technology Research Promotion Program for the Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Food Industry (Grant number: 26070C). We are grateful for the support of all the participants in the Japanese project, especially the members of the following organizations: NARO, Ishihara Sangyo Kaisha, Ltd. (Kusatsu, Shiga, Japan), ISK Biosciences K.K., Daikyo-Giken Kogyo Co., Ltd. (Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan), prefectural research institutes (Gunma, Tokushima, Kochi, Fukuoka, and Kagoshima prefectures), Japan Agricultural Development and Extension Association (Tokyo, Japan), and National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations Zen-noh (Tokyo, Japan).
Funding
This study was supported in part by the Science and Technology Research Promotion Program for the Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Food Industry (Grant number of the Japanese project: 26070C).
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The corresponding author (Takeshi Shimoda) received research support (experimental materials) from Daikyo-Giken Kogyo Co., Ltd. An author (Yoshitake Kagawa: Ishihara Sangyo Kaisha, Ltd., now employed by ISK Biosciences K.K.) has received research support from the two companies. The two authors and the three companies joined the research project. All four authors have no relevant non-financial interests to disclose. Others: Yoshitake Kagawa holds patents “Natural enemy insect breeding device” (JP-Patent numbers: 5681334, 6700100, and 6901098) licensed to Ishihara Sangyo Kaisha, Ltd. and Daikyo-Giken Kogyo Co., Ltd.
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10526_2023_10223_MOESM1_ESM.pptx
Supplementary file1 (PPTX 1348 KB) (a) Two sachet systems (sheltered sachet and breeding sachet) used in this study. (b) A breeding sachet of Neoseiulus californicus, a black felt patch, and five water-absorbed polymers are encased in an outer water-resistant shelter to make a sheltered sachet. (c) A sealed transparent polyethylene bag, which contains a sheltered sachet and a moisture retention container, used in the predator release tests
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Shimoda, T., Kagawa, Y., Yara, K. et al. Influence of temperature on the release of predatory mites from breeding and sheltered sachets. BioControl 68, 591–601 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-023-10223-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10526-023-10223-4