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  • 10
    Dec
    Establishment of the predatory mite Euseius scutalis in pepper and its potential for use in the control of broad mites
    Plant Protection, Vegetables

    תחום או ענף אורגני; הגה"צ; ירקות

    תאריך עדכון 1/10/2011

    תיאור מלא Establishment of the predatory mite Euseius scutalis in pepper and its potential for use in the control of broad mites

    Danit Parker, Shimon Pivonia - Arava Research and Development.
    Shimon Shtainberg, Arnon Alush, Avner Hess - Bio Bee

    Email for correspondence: ShimonP@arava.co.il

    Broad mite (Polyphagotasnemus latus) is a serious pest in many agricultural crops, including pepper. From transplanting through flowering, there is no biological control agent that can be used against broad mite that can survive on the plant and, aside from sulfur, which may be used in organic crops and which requires a large-scale treatment, there is no other solution for the control of this pest. Sweet potato whitefly (Bemisia tabaci gennadius) is another agricultural pest. This insect is a serious, multi-host pest that affects a number of crops, including pepper. To date, a number of biological control agents have been tested for use against sweet potato whitefly, including the predatory mite Amblyseius swirskii, which is used as a biological control agent against thrips, sweet potato whitefly and even, to a limited extent, against red mites. This mite is a member of the Phytosediidae family, which includes many species of predatory mites, including Euseius scutalis. In contrast to the predatory mite A. swirskii, which is naturally found on the coastal plain, the E. scutalis mite is naturally found in the Arava. This is an advantage in terms of adapting this species to the local climate.
    In experiments that were carried out during the 2009/10 season at the Yair Research Station, we examined the efficacy of the predatory mite E. scutalis as a biological control agent for use against broad mite in pepper and examined its ability to establish itself from the transplanting phase through flowering with the aid of weekly applications of pollen. We also compared the abilities of the predatory mites E. scutalis and A. swirskii to control sweet potato whitefly.
    The mite E. scutalis was able to control broad mite. When this mite is distributed at transplanting in situations in which sweet potato whitefly is not already present inside the net-house or other cropping structure (as is generally the case in plots covered with 50-mesh netting), there is a concern for the diet of the predatory mite that necessitates the application of pollen, so that the mite can survive until flowering or the appearance of insects that it can eat. Weekly spraying of the plants with pollen preserves a minimal population of the predatory mite inside the cropping structure. Without these pollen sprays, the mite will disappear until flowers appear. The results of our second experiment only hint to the potential of E. scutalis as a means of controlling sweet potato whitefly.
    In the coming years, we will continue to evaluate the use of E. scutalis for the biological control of broad mite in pepper, from transplanting through flowering and onward. We will also evaluate its potential for use against sweet potato whitefly and examine the reciprocal relationship between this mite and Orius fleas. This flea may be responsible for the disappearance of this mite during the winter, as was observed in the present study.

    שפה English
    מחבר Danit Parker, Shimon Pivonia, Shimon Shtainberg, Arnon Alush, Avner Hess
    שנה 2010
    שייכות yzvieli
    תאריך יצירה 1/10/2011
    תאריך עדכון 14/3/2012

  • 10
    Dec
    The effects of different types of lighting on the flowering of Asclepias tuberosa
    Flowers

    תחום או ענף אגרוטכנולוגיה; פרחים

    תאריך עדכון 1/10/2011

    תיאור מלא The effects of different types of lighting on the flowering of Asclepias tuberosa

    Maayan Plaves Kitron, Eithan Shlomo, Katrina Krizova, Avi Usherovitz -
    Central and Northern Arava R&D
    Yair Nishri - Extension Service (SHA'AM), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

    Email for correspondence: maayank@arava.co.il

    Asclepias tuberosa is a member of the Apocynaceae family. It is a perennial shrub native to South America. This plant grows in well-drained soils. It is also known as the butterfly plant because butterflies are attracted to its flowers due to their color and abundant nectar. A. tuberosa has been grown in Israel for a number of years. Production has been concentrated in the Negev, due to this plant’s sensitivity to low temperatures during the winter and its need for long days. This crop has been evaluated in the Arava in the past, but failed as a commercial crop. Since the development of new cropping technologies has led to both an increase in the amount of area planted to this crop in the Negev and good economic returns per unit area, we decided to once again evaluate this crop under the conditions present in the Arava, with the goal of increasing the variety of flowers exported from the Arava region.
    The crop was evaluated during the 2008/9 and 2009/10 growing seasons at the Yair Research Station in the Arava under a number of different types of lighting- white light, fluorescent, low-intensity red LED, high-intensity red LED and blue LED. During the first season (first wave), we learned that day length is critical to this crop and that only bulbs that give off very intense light — white, fluorescent or red LED — encourage the induction of flowering in A. tuberosa. The best results in terms of the number of flowers harvested per meter were observed in the white-light treatment. However, the fluorescent-light and high-intensity LED treatments also had good yields. Quality measures were similar for all of the treatments, except for the control, which was inferior. We do not recommend the use of blue LED lighting. The results were not confirmed in the second wave, in which the yields in the blue LED and white-light treatments were low. Following the appearance of serious damage caused by a viral disease, we decided to stop the experiment. It appears to us that this study should be repeated with the addition of an appropriate treatment to prevent viral infection of the plants.

    שפה English
    מלות מפתח cut flowers, light, LED (Light emitting diode).
    מחבר Maayan Plaves Kitron, Eithan Shlomo, Katrina Krizova, Avi Usherovitz, Yair Nishri
    שנה 2010
    שייכות yzvieli
    תאריך יצירה 1/10/2011
    תאריך עדכון 14/3/2012

  • 10
    Dec
    A new approach to flower production in the Arava : Improvement of sanitation and the quality and quantity of flower yields and significant reductions in production costs for Trachelium, Solidago and Lisianthus Trachelium, Solidago and Lisianthus
    Flowers

    תחום או ענף פרחים
    תאריך עדכון 1/10/2011

    תיאור מלא A new approach to flower production in the Arava: Improvement of sanitation and the quality and quantity of flower yields and significant reductions in production costs for Trachelium, Solidago and Lisianthus

    Maayan Plaves Kitron, Eithan Shlomo, Katrina Krizova, Avi Usherovitz - Central and Northern Arava R&D
    Michel Zaacai – Ben-Gurion University.
    Yair Nishri - Extension Service (SHA'AM) Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

    Email for correspondence: maayank@arava.co.il

    Keywords: Cut flowers, polyethylene, Trachelium, Solidago, Lisianthus.

    Cut flowers account for an important portion of the Arava’s crops and are a source of income for local growers. Thanks to the unique environmental conditions found in the Arava, different types of cut flowers are grown in this area. Among these, sunflower, Trachelium, statice (Limonium) and lisianthus stand out. The excellent local growing conditions lend themselves to the production of high-quality flowers, mostly during the periods of high market demand. However, there are still many difficulties related to the uncompromising demands of the European and world markets for flowers that are free of any damage from pests. During the summer and fall, it is desirable and recommended to grow Trachelium, Solidago and other flowers under shade coverings appropriate for the particular crop. In November, as the days get shorter and temperatures drop, this netting is removed and the cropping structures are covered with polyethylene, which is left in place through March. In April, as the days get longer and temperatures rise, this polyethylene is removed and shade netting is once again spread over the structures.
    In an experiment conducted at the Yair Research Station during the 2009-2010 season, we evaluated Trachelium, Solidago and lisianthus crops grown under 50-mesh netting. Some of the tunnels were also covered with polyethylene. The plants in the control tunnels were grown as is customary; plants were transplanted under shade netting and the cropping structures were later covered with polyethylene. The results of this study indicate that the three crops grew well when they were covered only by 50-mesh shade netting and that the addition of a polyethylene covering to the insect netting negatively affected the yield and yield quality of Trachelium, but improved lisianthus and Solidago yields.

    Acknowledgements
    We thank the Lev Tov Nursery for supplying us with the Solidago seedlings.

    שפה English
    מלות מפתח Cut flowers, polyethylene, Trachelium, Solidago, Lisianthus
    מחבר Maayan Plaves Kitron, Eithan Shlomo, Katrina Krizova, Avi Usherovitz, Michel Zaacai, Yair Nishri
    שנה 2010
    שייכות yzvieli
    תאריך יצירה 1/10/2011
    תאריך עדכון 1/10/2011

  • 10
    Dec
    Study of the effects of fertilizer use and the foliar application of microelements on leaf damage in Limonium sinuatum
    Flowers

    Study of the effects of fertilizer use and the foliar application of microelements on leaf damage in Limonium sinuatum

    תחום או ענף פרחים
    תאריך עדכון 1/10/2011

    Study of the effects of fertilizer use and the foliar application of microelements on leaf damage in Limonium sinuatum
    Maayan Plaves Kitron, Eithan Shlomo, Katrina Krizova, Avi Usherovitz – Central and Northern Arava R&D
    Yair Nishri - Extension Service (SHA'AM), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

    Email for correspondence: maayank@arava.co.il

    Perennial statice (Limonium sinuatum), which is a member of the Plumbaginaceae family, is an important cut-flower crop. This plant is known for its ability to tolerate dry conditions and, for this reason, it is a cut-flower crop that can be grown in dry regions. Today in Israel, this crop covers approx. 200 dunams and production is concentrated in the Negev and Arava. For years, growers have been faced with the phenomenon of foliar damage, in the form of a yellowing of leaves that then spreads to young leaves and the green tissue of the flower stalk. Over time, the damaged tissue turns red. When the damage is light, growth is delayed and the flower yields of the affected stems are reduced. When damage is heavy or long-lasting, there will be total or partial degeneration of the plant and a great amount of yield loss. Growers and crop advisors refer to this phenomenon as the “statice headache” and there is a general understanding that this phenomenon is associated with non-optimal nutrition. The first results of our observational study show that plant functioning can be improved and damage to vegetative tissue can be decreased through the use of fertilizer, particularly slow-release fertilizer and foliar fertilizer sprays.

    Acknowledgements
    We thank Shahar Russell of the FERTILIZERS & CHEMICALS Company and Nadav Rotem of the Danziger Nursery.

    שפה English
    מלות מפתח cut flowers, fertilizer, microelements, Limonium sinuatum
    מחבר Maayan Plaves Kitron, Eithan Shlomo, Katrina Krizova, Avi Usherovitz, Yair Nishri
    שנה 2010
    שייכות yzvieli
    תאריך יצירה 1/10/2011
    תאריך עדכון 1/10/2011