Objectives

Tomato russet mite is one of the most serious pests in tomato crops. There are few pesticides that are effective in controlling the mite, and most have been forbidden. So far, the effectivity of control with natural enemies proved limited. However, the predator mite Transeius montdorensis offers some promising results.

AGROBIO in coopeartion with researchers of the IRTA conducted tests in potted tomato plants and they found that this predator mite can effectively control the pest if the correct environmental conditions are provided:

Greenhouse humidity should be kept at a suitable level for Transeius montdorensis to thrive, and additional feed sources should be provided by adding Astigmatina spp. mites.