The major achievements of the project: Integrated Control of Acarine Pests Under Plastic Tunnel Conditions

• A. Y. M. El-laithy
• National Research Center, Dokki, Giza, Egypt.
• The first Arab Conference of Applied Biological Pest Control, Cairo, Egypt, 5-7 April 2004

Abstract

1- Application of integrated control tactics with non chemical treatments as colour traps with other insect pests in plastic tunnels such as thrips and aphids. A very potent native predatory insect Stethorus sp. has been also collected from very few plastic tunnels. A life table study of this predatory insect has been started in collaboration with aphid lion project in Cairo University.
2- More than 10 training and practical courses for three days and including 40-60 participants in each course has been carried out in Nubaria for young graduate people besides extension engineers. These courses included: a) Integrated control of Acarine pests, b) Integrated control of insects pests, c) Integrated control of plant diseases and Nematodes and d) Hazardous of chemical control. Based on these courses integrated control of acarine pests in addition to some non chemical methods such as color traps also other new products of soap (Potassium soab-commercial name Soap Vertan) for controlling aphids and thrips were applied in about 100 tunnels.
3- Cooperation with private sectors who are producing vegetables as well as roses under plastic tunnels has been begun e. g. Technogreen Farm, Khalid Zein Eldin Farm in Berkash, Giza Govemorate besides Dina flower Farm in Qalyubia Governorate. (training courses were held for plant protection people in these farms about application of biocontrol
4- Special attention was given to Ismailia governorate as a center of protected cultivation (plastic tunnels) built by the private sector. It has more than 8000 units besides 13 thousands of low tunnels. Therefore:

• Training courses were carried out in Ismailia for horticulture engineers in Ministry of Agric. and for young graduate funded from the Social Fund.
• An extension booklet for integrated control of pests in plastic tunnels cucumber has been printed out for young graduate people.
• A cooperative work between the project and Rural Development- Young graduate project in Nubaria has been established. The former project funded replacement of cucumber plantings by beans for export but as an organic culture and the integrated control of acarine pests project applied IPM programe there (Elyashaa Village - Tieba Div.).