| Calcium Propionate: An Effective Anti-Mold Agent for Amblyseius swirskii Rearing Units |
| Paper ID : 1026-IPCA5 (R1) |
| Authors |
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Samaneh Yari *, Azadeh Farazmand, Masoud Arbabi Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection |
| Abstract |
| Successful rearing of predators and parasitoids is a vital component of implementing biological control programs. A significant challenge in phytoseiid mite (Acari: Mesostigmata: Phytoseiidae) rearing systems is the management of mold growth within the provided diets. This study evaluated the efficacy of calcium propionate in inhibiting mold growth in a mixed diet of cattail pollen and rice husk in Amblyseius swirskii rearing units under laboratory conditions (25±1 °C, 65±5% RH, and a 16L:8D photoperiod). The ultimate population density of predatory mites was used as a marker for assessing the health and quality of the rearing environment, which was evaluated after one month. The experimental setup without the inclusion of the anti-mold agent was considered as the control treatment. Results revealed that calcium propionate effectively inhibited mold growth within the mite-rearing units without negatively impacting the growth and development of the predatory mite. Adding calcium propionate to the diet resulted in a substantial increase in population across all life stages of the predatory mite, A. swirskii (Egg: 39.30±1.20; Larva: 44.20±1.36; Protonymph: 19.50±0.61; Deutonymph: 14.40±0.47; Adult female: 312.70±9.59; & Adult male: 64.20±2). The final population density (total stages) of A. swirskii on the mixture of cattail pollen, rice husk, and calcium propionate became 32.95 times that of the initial density after a month. In conclusion, the anti-mold agent, calcium propionate offers a promising solution for addressing the challenges associated with mold contamination in phytoseiid rearing environments. This can significantly enhance the quality of their rearing environment by minimizing the risk of fungal contamination in the provided diets. |
| Keywords |
| Amblyseius swirskii, Anti-mold agent, calcium propionate, mass-rearing, phytoseiid mite |
| Status: Abstract Accepted (Poster Presentation) |
