Toxicity of the herbicide glufosinate-ammonium to Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae) under laboratory and field conditions

The toxicity of herbicides widely used in apple orchards to the twospotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae) was evaluated in laboratory and held studies. In a laboratory study with susceptible T. urticae, glufosinate-ammonium was highly effective against larvae, protonymphs and adults, but non-toxic to eggs. Its efficacy was much greater than that of the commonly used acaricide azocyclotin. The immatures died within 24 h after treatment, suggesting that the nymphicidal action may be attributable to a direct effect rather than an inhibitory action of chitin synthesis. Glufosinate-ammonium showed a positive temperature coefficient of toxicity against T. urticae adults at six temperatures from 10 to 32 degrees C, being more toxic at higher temperatures. Very low levels of resistance to the herbicide were observed in the seven held-collected T, urticae populations resistant to various acaricides. Treatment with glufosinate-ammonium did not cause a repellent response from either adults or immature stages of T. urticae. Paraquat dichloride and glyphosate were ineffective against all stages of T. urticae. In a held study of a population of T. urticae, glufosinate-ammonium when sprayed to weeds caused significant decrease in T. urticae population densities in apple trees for nine weeks after treatment, as compared with the control. Thereafter, a single application of standard acaricides to apple foliage greatly reduced population densities, although there was no difference in the densities between the glufosinate-ammonium-treated and control plots. Based upon laboratory and field data, two single treatments with glufosinate-ammonium to weeds in May and a selective acaricide to apple trees in July may be used to prevent damage by T. urticae.