Quality and yield of the Cucumis sativus var. Jawell crop under two pest control systems in the Sonoran desert, Mexico

Resumen

Objective: To compare a commercial pest control program vs a biological pest control program in cucumber (Cucumis sativus var. Jawell) cultivation, evaluating quality and production standards.
Design/methodology/approach: The study was carried out in high-tech glass greenhouses, under a cooling system with damp walls and extractors, heating by irradiation, and automated irrigation. Two treatments were evaluated: biological
pest control in area A and a commercial control program in area B, both in Persian cucumber (Cucumis sativus) of the Jawell variety; each area of 160 m2, separately, and 41,600 plants for each area. For biological control, the mite (Amblyseius
swirskii) was released for the control of thrips; the wasp (Aphidius colemani) was released for aphid control; the mites (Phytoseiulus persimilis) and (Amblyseius californicus) for red spider control and application of the entomopathogenicnematode (Steinernema fetiae). The chemical control was in accordance with COFEPRIS (2019). The variables were
fruit quality total production and incidence of pests in a completely randomized experimental design, and the t-student statistical test and Mann-Whitney test were done for the variables weight quality and loss (P?0.05). A correlation was made between the incidence of thrips (Thrips tabaci) and the incidence of biological control.
Results: The biological control method was just as efficient as the chemical control method, in variables such as fruit weight, number of boxes obtained of quality cucumber, and incidence of pests and their biological control.
Study limitations/implications: It is important to perform more studies under field conditions where biotic and abiotic factors are different and in other regions, in addition to testing other registered biological products.
Findings/conclusions: Biological and chemical control are complementary, an integrated control would help to slowly adapt a company for a subsequent application of biological control, easing regularization and certification procedures that
involve the use of chemicals. A more continuous release of A. swirskii is proposed and distributed during the cultivation weeks.