Amblyseius swirskii in greenhouse production systems: a floricultural perspective

The predatory mite Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot is a biological control agent that has the potential to play an important role in pest management in many greenhouse crops. Most research on this predatory mite has focused on its use and efficacy in greenhouse vegetables. However, an increasing number of growers of greenhouse ornamental crops also want to adopt biological control as their primary pest management strategy and find that biological control programs developed for vegetables are not optimized for use on floricultural plants. This paper reviews the use of A. swirskii in greenhouse crops, where possible highlighting the specific challenges and characteristics of ornamentals. The effects of different factors within the production system are described from the insect/mite and plant level up to the production level, including growing practices and environmental conditions. Finally, the use of A. swirskii within an integrated pest management system is discussed.