INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ACAROLOGY, cilt.51, sa.5, ss.379-385, 2025 (SCI-Expanded)
This study investigated the effect of combined and
separate applications of the entomopathogenic fungus (EPF), Cordyceps fumosorosea (Hypocreales: Cordycipitaceae),
and the predatory mite (PM), Phytoseiulus
persimilis (Acari: Phytoseiidae), on the biological control of Tetranychus urticae (Acari:
Tetranychidae) in the field-grown tomatoes in the Northwest Türkiye in 2021. Based on the laboratory tests, it was
determined that C. fumosorosea caused
moderate mortality on T.
urticae and relatively low mortality on P. persimilis. Field tests on
tomatoes showed that the most effective result in suppressing the populations
of T. urticae was by the release of P. persimilis alone, followed by the
combined application of C. fumosorosea and
P. persimilis. The application of C. fumosorosea alone showed a very low
effect on the populations of T. urticae.
Our results suggest that releasing P.
persimilis alone provides more effective biological control of T. urticae on field-grown tomatoes than
the combined application of C.
fumosorosea and P. persimilis,
and application of C. fumosorosea alone.