Mite pests in floriculturepractice in greenhouses, I

Abstract

Floriculture in Serbia, during last decade has been practiced within 60 companies and about 230 individual producers. According to Van de Vrie (1985) there are several characteristics which are responsible for the unique position of floriculture among other horticultural practices: a) it is mainly practiced under protected climatic conditions, b) there are a great variety of cultivated cut flowering pot plants, c) growing period may vary enormously, d) ornamental plants generally have an extremely low economic threshold level, because of the importance of aesthetic injury, e) the trade and transportation of plant material is often international and intercontinental, f) growing of ornamentals is very expensive and consequently adequate pest control is of primary importance. Of the 6 major groups of foliar greenhouse pests, mites occupy a unique position. Species from the famillies Tetranychidae, Tenuipalpidae, Tarsenemidae, Acaridae and superfamilly Eriophyoidea are of economic importance in floriculture. In this article the importance of spider mites and the main characteristics like: absence of diapause, dispersal, population development, chemical and biological control are sumarised. .