Legarrea, S. and Fereres, A.

Releases of Amblyseius swirskii effectively control the population of the broad mite Polyphagotarsonemus latus (Banks) in sweet pepper crops. In the context of an IPM strategy in protected crops, the release of natural enemies joins other tactics like the use of UV photoselective covers. However, the effect of these materials on predators still remains unknown. In this study, a choice experiment was designed to test whether UV-absorbing covers negatively affected the mite dispersal behaviour. Over fifty eight percent of the mites were found in the plant placed under the UV-absorbing net showing the compatibility of both IPM tools.