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ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Spread of the Tomato Russet Mite, Aculops
lycopersici (Tryon) (Acari: Eriophyidae)
in Geothermal Greenhouses of Cherry Tomatoes
and Its Control with the Entomopathogenic
Fungi Beauveria bassiana
1
Dryland Farming and Oases Cropping Laboratory (LR16IRA02), Arid Lands Institute of
Medenine (IRA), El Fjé- Km 22, 4119 Medenine, Tunisia
2
Entomology-Acarology Laboratory, National Agronomic Institute of Tunisia (INAT),
University of Carthage, Tunis, Tunisia
Submission date: 2024-02-23
Final revision date: 2024-04-25
Acceptance date: 2024-06-12
Online publication date: 2024-09-06
Publication date: 2025-05-09
Corresponding author
Sabrine Chouikhi
Dryland Farming and Oases Cropping Laboratory (LR16IRA02), Arid Lands Institute of Medenine (IRA), El Fjé- Km 22, 4119 Medenine, Tunisia
Dryland Farming and Oases Cropping Laboratory (LR16IRA02), Arid Lands Institute of Medenine (IRA), El Fjé- Km 22, 4119 Medenine, Tunisia
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2025;34(4):4041-4047
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Geothermal tomato is a very important agricultural development axis in southern Tunisia.
The tomato russet mite, Aculops lycopersici (Tryon), is a major pest that attacks tomato crops in
heated greenhouses, causing economic losses. The present study focused on monitoring the spread
of A. lycopersici between March and June in a heated tomato greenhouse and testing the pathogenicity
of two strains of the entomopathogenic fungus Beauvaria bassiana R444 and ATCC in comparison
with sulfur, oxygen peroxide, and abamectin. The wind has been shown to spread these mites inside
the greenhouse. The mites then spread along the stem of the plant, depending on the number of infected
leaves and tomato bunches. The rate of propagation on the stem is linked in the upward direction
following the application of the leaf removal technique, which is positively correlated. Treatments with
B. bassiana against mobile forms of A. lycopersici showed reduction rates between 77.57% and 95.45%
after 10 days of treatment. Similarly, the other treatments showed efficacy, with significant percentages
of reduction of mobile forms equal to 82.19%, 87.58%, and 44.26% for abamectin, oxygen peroxide,
and sulfur, respectively. In conclusion, entomopathogenic fungi have proven to be highly effective
in reducing A. lycopersici populations. These microbiological agents can be considered valuable
resources in the fight against this pest, helping to minimize its impact on the ecosystem.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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