Biological control of certain greenhouse pests / Mona Mohammed Nabil Hussein Kortam ; Supervised Sayed Ashraf Gamal Eldin Elarnaouty , Amal Ibrahim Afifi , Ibrahim Hassan Heikal

Thesis (Ph.D.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Agriculture - Department of Economic Entomology and Pesticides

This study was conducted to outcome with practical successful strategies using biological control programs for major greenhouse pests, especially on sweet pepper and tomato crops, by developing and reducing the cost of natural enemies rearing in order to cut down on biological control cost. Improving mass rearing of the alternative host E. kuehniella through added nutrients to larval rearing and reducing costs by using E. kuehniella wastes to produce animal feed. Three alternative hosts E. kuehniella, S. cerealella and C. cephalonica were tested for rearing of Trichogramma Parasitoids. E. kuehniella is the best for rearing. The effect of cold storage on T. euprocitidis was studied by storage on host eggs E. kuehniella and on T. euprocitidis pupa. The results show that the parasitized eggs of T. euproctidis could be stored at 8{u00B0}C. Four types of frozen eggs (E. kuehniella, S. cerealella, C. cephalonica and S. littoralis) were tested as a factitious host for mass rearing of Orius albidipennis and O. laevigatus. Obtained results revealed that the lowest overall mortality rates to adulthood were recorded for nymphs that fed on E. kuehniella eggs. Also five types of plants (Bean pods, Lettuce vein, Geranium leaves, Onion leaves and Potato vein) were tested as an egg laying substrate for O. albidipennis and O. laevigatus. Bean pods recorded the highest number of laid eggs (145.83 and 149.89) for O. albidipennis and O. laevigatus, respectively. Four media were evaluated as a substrate to avoid cannibalism in larval rearing of Ch. carnea

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