Bioecology and harmfulness of Tetranychus tumidus in the “Gran Enano” banana clone.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the incidence of T. tumidus in banana cultivation under the edaphoclimatic and technological conditions in El Salvador municipality. Two laboratory and field trials were carried out for the study of the bioecology of Tetranychus tumidus on Banana leaves and their influence on banana vitroplants of the "Gran Enanof" clone. It was detrermined that T. tumidus is well developed on banana leaves, completing all phases with a longevity for females of 23,5 days and a hatching percentage of 96,29%. Population levels with averages above 300 mites.plant-1 harmful to the growth and development of banana vitroplants. In the “Gran Enano” clone vitroplants, the greatest affections for T. tumidus occur with infestations between 50 and 75 mites.plant-1 limiting the development and growth by reducing height, fresh and dry mass.