Geographic variation in date palm pollen quality and its impacts on biological performance of Amblyseius swirskii (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

Zarei, Mohammad-Amin; Khanamani, Mostafa; Ziaaddini, Mahdi; Basij, Moslem

doi:10.22073/pja.150404

Geographic variation in date palm pollen quality and its impacts on biological performance of Amblyseius swirskii (Acari: Phytoseiidae)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Mohammad-Amin Zarei ¹

Mostafa Khanamani ²

Mahdi Ziaaddini ³

Moslem Basij ¹

¹ Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Jiroft, Jiroft, Iran

² Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Jiroft, Kerman, Iran

³ Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Vali-e-Asr University of Rafsanjan, Rafsanjan, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22073/pja.150404

Abstract

Date palm pollen has received considerable attention among various pollen types due to its high nutritional value, availability, and positive effects on predator performance. However, the nutritional quality of date palm pollen can vary significantly depending on its geographical origin. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the effect of geographical variation in date palm pollen quality on the biological performance of Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot. Pollen samples were collected from the same date palm cultivar (Mazafati) at four locations in southern Iran: Bam and Jiroft (Kerman Province) and Rodan and Hajiabad (Hormozgan Province). The shortest pre-adult development was observed on Rodan pollen (6.38 days), and the longest times were observed on pollen from Jiroft (7.71 days) and Bam (7.69 days). Fecundity was significantly higher in individuals fed Rodan pollen (40.62 eggs/female) than those fed other pollens. The highest pre-adult mortality occurred in individuals reared on Bam pollen, followed by Jiroft pollen. The highest intrinsic (r) and finite (λ) rates of increase were obtained on Rodan pollen (0.181 and 1.199 day⁻¹, respectively), while the lowest values were recorded on Bam pollen (0.117 and 1.124 day⁻¹, respectively). Similarly, Rodan pollen exhibited the highest net (R₀) and gross (GRR) reproductive rates, while the lowest values were observed on Bam and Jiroft pollens. Rodan pollen had the shortest mean generation time (T) (16.45 days). Rodan pollen also had the highest protein content (43.18%), showing a significant difference compared to the other pollens. Our findings demonstrate that geographical origins of the date palm can directly affect its pollen quality and indirectly impact the biological performance of the predatory mite.

Keywords

Biological control

life table

mass rearing

phytoseiid mites

pollen

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