Mr Kiran Bhusal1, Dr Jonathan Finch1

1Utas, Australia

Biography:

Kiran Bhusal, born on November 8, 1992, comes from Nepal, the beautiful country of the Himalayas. He is currently a PhD candidate, focusing on research to determine the action threshold of mirids and two spotted mites in Rubus crops. Before starting his PhD, he worked as a lecturer at Department of Life Sciences, Kathmandu University in Nepal. He also worked as a project coordinator for different projects focused on climate smart technologies in Nepal, where he gained valuable experience in managing and leading projects. He is dedicated to conducting research in IPM and aims to gain expertise in this sector to improve agricultural practices in a sustainable manner.

Abstract:

Mirids (Hemiptera: Miridae) are a highly diverse family that include some of the world’s most challenging crop pests. The difficulty in controlling these insects is partly because of their polyphagous feeding habitats, small size, short life cycle and high mobility. Mirids are primarily controlled with a broad spectrum of insecticides that pose a risk to human health and the environment and may result in secondary pest resurgence. The Australian crop mirid (Sidnia kinbergi (Stål)) is an important pest of various fodders and crops including lucerne, clover, strawberry, asparagus, and raspberries. The development of integrated pest management plans for the Australian crop mirid (ACM) is hindered by a lack of knowledge on their life cycle, as well as effective rearing methods. Australian crop mirids were reared on green beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) at a range of temperatures 23.5-35.5°C, with relative humidity of 55-65 % and photoperiod of 16:8 (light: dark) hours. The average length of the ACM lifecycle at different temperatures regimes ranged between 18-27 days with five nymphal stages. ACM eggs were always oviposited in the plant tissue, making them difficult to detect with the naked eye. This study has generated new knowledge on how ACM development time is impacted by temperature. In addition, the rearing methods that we have documented can be used to undertake further research on calculating action thresholds and economic injury levels of ACM on different crops. This study will also facilitate further research on the potential use of pheromones, trap crops and other management options for ACM as part of integrated pest