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| Spider mite ecology | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Spider mites (Banks Grass mites, Oligonychus pratensis, and two-spotted spider mites, Tetranychus urticae) can in favorable years cause considerable losses in both corn (maize) and sorghum. Extreme mite infestations may reduce yields by up to 50% but losses in the 10-15% range are more common. In the past, research on spider mite ecology was a major part of the arthropod research conducted at the Texas Ag Experiment Station in Lubbock, and it is my intension to revive that program. | ||||||||||||||||||
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| At this point, mainly five aspects of spider mite ecology will be investigated: * The development of mite infestations within host plants * Spatial distribution of mites in fields * Population dynamics of mites and their natural enemies * Development of a technique to screen for mire resistance in corn * Collaborate with acaricide manufacturers on testing of existing and future products. |
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