Releases of Cryptolaemus montrouzieri and Anagyrus pseudococci against Planacoccus citri on pomegranate orchard in Iraq

Pseudococcid species Planococcus citri feeds on plant sap, causing a regression in the development of trees, leading to early fruit drop in citrus and pomegranate during June. While feeding, the sweet substance they excrete allows fungi to develop, resulting in the formation of sooty mold, thereby causing damage. The first method to be utilized in the struggle of mealybugs will be the protection of natural enemies. While it is expected that P. citri will be controlled through natural biological methods, the success of pest management increases when multiple natural enemies are released for the control. In this study, conducted in 2023 and 2024 in the pomegranate orchard of Bişkan village located in the Duluiya district of Saladin Province, Iraq, the effectiveness of natural enemies was investigated in the control of P. citri. The experiment was designed using a randomized block arrangement, wherein plots were subjected to different treatments. Specifically, the treatments included the release of 5 predators and 10 parasitoids per tree, 10 predators and 20 parasitoids per tree, along with control plots. The predators, C. montrouzieri, and the parasitoids, A. pseudococci, were released using the Bankex box method to assess their efficacy as biological control agents. In studies conducted in Iraq in 2023 and 2024, it was observed that in plots with the release of 10 predators and 20 parasitoids per tree, an average of 28.50 and 33.75 predators, and an average of 38.25 and 43.25 parasitoids were recorded in August, respectively. It was determined that this intervention suppressed the citrus mealybug by 80% and 84%.