Mites associated with soybean crop in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil

During the last growing seasons, high infestations of phytophagous mites were observed in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, becoming necessary to apply pesticides for their control. The objective of this study was to identify phytophagous and predatory mite species associated with soybean in ten counties of that state, during the 2002/03 and 2003/04 growing seasons, in five soybean cultivars (A 6001 RG, A 7001 RG, A 8000 RG, A 8100 RG, Anta 82), all genetically modified. In samples of soybean leaves four phytophagous mite species (Mononychellus planki (McGregor), Polyphagotarsonemus latus (Banks), Tetranychus desertorum Banks and Tetranychus gigas Pritchard & Baker) and two predatory mite species (Phytoseiulus fragariae Denmark & Schicha and Typhlodromalus aripo De Leon) were found. T. desertorum was found for the first time associated with soybean in the country. Phytoseiulus fragariae and T. aripo are reported for the first time on soybean. The potential of phytoseid mites as biological control agents in soybean crop was discussed. Among the hypotheses to explain the increasing infestation of soybean fields with phytophagous mites area are the progressively larger cultivated area, the dry spells observed in the last few years in the growing season, changes in soybean cropping system that led to increased use of pesticides and utilization of new soybean cultivars with morphological or biochemicals characteristics that favour the development of these mite populations.