Impacts of cultivar and management practices on the diversity and population dynamics of mites in soybean crops.

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study was to evaluate the diversity and population dynamics of mites in soybean crops with different cultivars and management practices. The study was conducted in two soybean production fields in the municipalities of Mato Queimado (L1) and Três de Maio (L2), Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. Two transgenic cultivars were used, and insecticide applications varied among treatments. Sampling began at the V2 stage, with 60 leaves/area/collection that were sorted, mites were collected and identified using dichotomous keys. A total of 18,100 mites belonging to 12 species were found. Among the species, Tetranychus urticae Koch, Mononychellus planki (McGregor), and Tetranychus ludeni Zacher (Tetranychidae) were the most abundant, whereas the most abundant predatory mites were the phytoseiids Neoseiulus californicus McGregor and Neoseiulus idaeus Denmark and Muma, with N. idaeus being more abundant and present in all areas. The acarofauna was influenced by environmental conditions and management practices. Neoseiulus idaeus was commonly associated with populations of M. planki, T. ludeni, and T. urticae. Neoseiulus californicus tolerated pesticide use but was affected by severe water stress, whereas N. idaeus tolerated periods of low relative humidity and high temperatures.