Determination of mite (Acari) species in strawberry production area of Tokat province, population dynamics and the effectiveness of some phytoseiidae (Mesostigmata) species in different strawberry varieties

This study was carried out between 2016-2019 in the central, Erbaa and Niksar districts of Tokat and the mite species, found in the strawberry fields in the region, form the material of the study. To determine the mite species in the region surveys have been carried out in strawberry fields. As a result of these surveys, species belonging to Tetranychidae, Tenuipalpidae, Cheyletidae, Cunaxidae, Oribatidae, Tydeidae, Acaridae and Phytoseiidae families were determined. Tetranychus urticae Koch from the Tetranychidae family has been seen to be common mite species in the region. Seventeen mite species belonging to the Phytoseiidae family have been identified. Typhlodromus caucasicus (Abbasova, 1970) is a new record for Turkey. Tenuipalpus coccicolubus De Leon 1956 from Tenuipalpidae family is a new record for Turkey. In population dynamics studies, conducted with 3 local and 3 commercial strawberry varieties in two locations in Central and Erbaa districts of Tokat, T. urticae density was below 1 mite / leaflet density in all varieties tested. It was observed that the predator mite population density reached the highest level in July with a value of 0.08 mite / leaflet. In pot experiments conducted in the greenhouse with 6 strawberry varieties under controlled conditions, the density of T. urticae in Karaçilek and Camarosa varieties increased up to 19 mite / leaflet in 2018. Chlorophyll content of the strawberry plants infested with T. urticae, decreased from 33.4 to 19.46 in November due to the damage in chlorophyll. Efficacy studies of Galendromus occidentalis (Nesbitt) and Neoseiulus californiculus (McGregor) species on different stagess of T. urticae were carried out in the laboratory. In this study, plant pest mites and predator mites found in strawberry production areas in Tokat Province were determined, and the exposure rates of local and commercial strawberry varieties from two-spotted spider mite damage and the effects of predator mites on two-spotted spider mite damage were evaluated through population dynamic and efficiency studies.