White, Sacha D. (2012) Implications of new sustainable greenhouse systems for pests, diseases and biological control : a modelling approach using Oidium neolycopersici and Tetranychus urticae. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

Concerns regarding carbon emissions, increasing demands on water supplies and environmental pollution have meant that the European protected horticulture industry is being challenged to develop more sustainable greenhouse climate management systems. These new systems can however potentially impact on pest and disease (P & D) pressures and the efficacy of biological control agents (BCAs). This thesis aimed to use a combination of experimental work and simulation models to compare novel and traditional greenhouse climate management scenarios in Spain and the Netherlands using two model P & D systems. These were Oidium neolycopersici (powdery mildew) and its BCA, Bacillus subtilis, on tomato, and Tetranychus urticae (the two-spotted spider mite) and its BCA, Phytoseiulus persimilis, on ornamentals. Experiments showed that latent period, disease development and sporulation of Oidium neolycopersici were strongly influenced by temperatures between 10-33°C and that the control efficacy of B. subtilis was significantly influenced by temperature and humidity in the ranges 10-33°C and 50-95% RH. The functional response of P. persimilis was found to be significantly affected by ambient humidities of 57-99% RH, with predation highest at 85% RH and lowest below 76% RH. These results, in combination with existing data, were used to construct dynamic P & D models. A greenhouse climate model, based on observed temperatures in European greenhouses, was constructed to provide data on the diurnal and seasonal variation in temperature and humidity for different climate management scenarios. The predictions from the P & D models allowed climate control regimes in different greenhouses in Spain and the Netherlands to be identified, which minimised P & D pressures and maximised the efficacy of the BCAs. The implications of these findings for greenhouse climate management are discussed.

Item Type:	Thesis or Dissertation (PhD)
Subjects:	S Agriculture > SB Plant culture
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Greenhouse management, Sustainable agriculture, Biological pest control agents -- Climatic factors
Date:	May 2012
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	School of Life Sciences
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Skirvin, Dave ; Clarkson, John David Spencer
Sponsors:	European Union (EU)
Extent:	xx, 248 leaves : charts
Language:	eng
URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/50453

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