Chapter 11 – Mite Predators

TL;DR: Mite predators are important in integrated management of mites, particularly in complex crop systems where they may remove the need for any chemical intervention, and a future high demand for using biocontrol agents is predicted.

Abstract: Phytophagous mites are serious pests in indoor and outdoor agricultural ecosystems and are controlled by synthetic pesticides. Pesticides adversely affect natural enemies and lead to environmental pollution, human health problems, harmful side effects, and risk of pest resistance. Currently, demand for organic and pesticide-free crops is rising in both developed and developing countries because of increasing public awareness of the direct and indirect effects of pesticides, food-borne diseases, and food security. In recent decades, the focus on crop production has moved from yield to quality, safety, and sustainability. To achieve this goal, the concept of integrated pest management strategies based on biocontrol agents has gained importance. Mite predators are important in integrated management of mites, particularly in complex crop systems where they may remove the need for any chemical intervention. Several kinds of mite predators occur in nature that can regulate mite populations. The fundamentals of a biocontrol program are to precisely recognize the pest and to find efficient predators using their life table parameters, foraging behavior, and trophic interactions. Using mite predators is often commercial because of the need of mass production and their large-scale releases to control phytophagous mites. Two important challenges in commercial biocontrol strategies are problems associated with marketing include benefit to cost ratio, limited number of retailers, producers unable to offer production, and problems associated with market demand affected by different issues such as public opinion, exaggeration of the results of biocontrol programs, and growers' knowledge. Governments and international organizations have important roles in marketing biocontrol agents by making strict rules benefitting biocontrol programs. To achieve this goal and to approach safety and security in crop production, biocontrol practices should be globally encouraged. Based on the high demand for safe food, a future high demand for using biocontrol agents is predicted. Therefore, more research and activity on different aspects of biocontrol as an ecofriendly practice is inevitable.