Turkestan spider mite – signs of appearance, methods of struggle
The Turkestan spider mite is common in the southern regions of Ukraine. It has a wide food specialization, in total it damages more than 240 cultivated and wild plants, but most of all it causes damage to soybeans, melons, fruits, and if developed indoors, then cucumbers.
Turkestan spider mite ((Tetranychus turkestani Ug.et Nik)) – causes damage both at the larval stage and adult insect.
The Turkestan spider mite is difficult to notice due to its small size – 0.3-0.6 mm with 4 pairs of legs. At the same time, males are half the size of females. During the season, 10 generations of the Turkestan spider mite develop, and in southern countries even up to 20. Adult females remain for wintering, which for this they climb under clods of soil, on plant residues, on weeds.
Кліщі висмоктують сік із листя, при цьому вони вкривають його густою павутиною. У результаті погіршується фотосинтез та листя всихає. Якщо чисельність кліща перевищує 20 од на один листок сої, то втрати врожаю можуть складати 30-40%.
Protection measures against Turkestan spider mites
Необхідно застосовувати як агротехнічні, так і механічні та хімічні заходи захисту. Зокрема очищати штамби та скелетні гілки від відмерлої кори та збирати опале листя.A good means of protection is the imposition of trapping belts on tree trunks, where females of the Turkestan spider mite crawl. Then the collected insects should be destroyed. Cultures infected with ticks should be spatially separated from uninfected ones. It is very important to destroy weeds, and not only directly on the site, but also in the surrounding area, since it is a breeding ground for ticks.
If these measures did not help, and you are faced with a massive spread of the Turkestan tick, it is necessary to spray the crops with acaricides. In May, the threshold of harmfulness is 0.5-1 person per leaf, but then it rises in June to 3-5, and in July to 7. During the growing season, the field should be sprayed with one of the following preparations: Vertimek 018 k.e., Polo 500 hp, Karate 050 k.e.
