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Pollen availability for predaceous mites on apple: spatial and temporal heterogeneity.

J A Addison1, J M Hardman, S J Walde

  • 1Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada.

Experimental & Applied Acarology
|May 24, 2000
PubMed
Summary

Early spring pollen availability on apple trees is crucial for predatory mites that control pests. Pollen density, not mite prey, better predicted predatory mite populations, highlighting pollen

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Area of Science:

  • Agricultural Entomology
  • Plant-Insect Interactions
  • Ecology

Background:

  • Generalist predatory mites are vital for controlling spider mite pests in agricultural settings.
  • Early-season food availability for predatory mites is hypothesized to be critical for their population establishment and subsequent pest suppression.
  • Wind-dispersed pollen is a common and abundant early-season food source for many arthropods.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the spatial heterogeneity of wind-dispersed pollen availability on apple trees at various scales.
  • To determine the relationship between early-season pollen abundance and the population dynamics of key predatory mite species.
  • To assess the influence of landscape and management factors on pollen distribution in apple orchards.

Main Methods:

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  • Pollen density and types were quantified on apple leaves shortly after bud break.
  • Spatial variation in pollen abundance was analyzed across different scales: within trees and among orchard blocks.
  • Correlation analyses were performed between early-season pollen density, mite prey abundance, and populations of predatory mites (Typhlodromus pyri and Zetzellia mali).

Main Results:

  • Apple leaves exhibited high pollen loads (> 100 grains/cm2) early in the season, dominated by wind-dispersed tree pollens (Betulaceae, Pinaceae).
  • Significant spatial variation in pollen abundance was observed at small scales (within trees) and large scales (among orchard blocks).
  • Early-season populations of Typhlodromus pyri and Zetzellia mali were more strongly correlated with pollen density than with the abundance of their mite prey (Aculus schlechtendali).

Conclusions:

  • Spatial heterogeneity in pollen availability, influenced by surrounding vegetation and orchard management, likely impacts predatory mite population build-up.
  • Early-season pollen density is a significant factor, potentially more so than mite prey, in determining the establishment of predatory mite populations in spring.
  • Understanding pollen dynamics is essential for optimizing biological control strategies against spider mites in apple orchards.