Document Type : Research Article
Authors
1
PhD Student, Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran.
2
Assistant Professor of plant protection Département, Agriculture faculty, Razi university, Kermanshah, Iran,
3
Department of Technology and Production Management, Ornamental Plants Research Center (OPRC), Horticultural Sciences Research Institute (HSRI), Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Mahallat, Iran,
4
Associate Professor of plant protection Département, Agriculture faculty, Razi university, Kermanshah, Iran
10.22067/jpp.2026.97147.1272
Abstract
Introduction
The two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae), is one of the most harmful pests of beans, and chemical miticides are often used to control it. However, in addition to causing resistance in mites, these chemicals also lead to environmental pollution. One of the best methods for controlling the spider mite is to select tolerant cultivars and use probiotic substances that stimulate bean growth and induce resistance in the plant. Therefore, in this project, tolerant cultivars and plant growth-promoting microorganisms (PGPR and AMF) were used to biologically control the spider mite on beans. With the warming and drying of Iran's climate, mite outbreaks have become more frequent, and the use of chemical miticides, due to the high reproduction rate of the spider mite, has led to the rapid development of resistance to chemicals.
Materials and Methods
In this study, the percentage of induced resistance of the plant to the mite T. urticae was investigated by assessing antixenosis, antibiosis, and plant tolerance. Therefore, six bean cultivars were used, including two cranberry bean cultivars (local Khomein and Kousha), two white bean cultivars (Shokoufa and Dorsa), two red bean cultivars (Yaghoot and Ofogh), and a susceptibility control (Sadri cranberry bean). The effects of probiotics—Biogard®(0.5%), Biofarm®(4%), and Probio96®(2%) on inducing resistance in the tested cultivars were evaluated by examining antibiosis, antixenosis, and tolerance, as well as the percentage of resistance and the plant growth index.
Results and Discussion
The results showed that Bioguard was the best combination for inducing resistance in plants against the Tetranychus mite, and the Kousha cultivar exhibited the highest resistance. Specifically, the Kousha cultivar treated with Bioguard had the highest resistance at 51.64%, followed by the Yaghoot cultivar with Bioguard at 48.28%, and then the Ofogh cultivar with Bioguard at 43.28%, in terms of induced resistance. The Kousha cultivar showed the highest tolerance, antixenosis, antibiosis, and the highest growth index when combined with the Bioguard probiotic. The highest antixenosis or least preference, with the lowest mite population on the plant, was observed in the Kousha cultivar combined with Bioguard, with an index of 0.022 and about 22 adult mites per plant. The lowest was in the Khomein location with an index of 0.965 and 965 adult mites per five-leaf plant after 120 hours. The highest tolerance was observed in the Bioguard combination on the Kousha, Ofogh, and Yaghoot cultivars, placing them in group (e). The highest antibiosis (the lowest female mite after forty days) was observed in the Kousha and Dorsa varieties inoculated with Bioguard, with the lowest numerical index (0.061) and were classified in group (g). The highest growth index with nearly equal number of mites in the Kousha, Ofogh, and Dorsa varieties were 43.87, 43.07, and 43.04, respectively, under Biogard inoculation.
Conclusions
The use of biological agents as an alternative to chemical pesticides, particularly in sustainable agriculture, has gained increasing importance. In the present study, the comparison of the mean population of two-spotted mites showed that biological agents significantly reduced the abundance of this pest. Among the treatments examined, Biogard had the greatest effect in reducing mite populations, while Biofarm also showed significant performance in sensitive varieties. The Probio 96 treatment was also effective, but its efficacy was limited in some varieties. Recent studies also support these findings. For example, different varieties of common beans contain anti-nutritional compounds such as phytic acid, lectins, and trypsin inhibitors, which can affect the biology of mites. Overall, the efficacy of probiotic compounds such as Biogard and Biofarm indicates that these compounds can be used as part of an integrated pest management program to reduce spider mite damage in beans. Plant probiotics are a series of biological agents that are found in large numbers in the rhizosphere and, in other words, live symbiotically with plants. In return for the nutrients they receive from the plant, they provide services to the plant, including promoting growth and inducing resistance such as antibiosis, antixenosis, and tolerance. This, in turn, enhances the plant's innate resistance and health, making it more effective against biotic and abiotic stress factors. The Kousha variety inoculated with 0.5% Biogard showed the highest antibiosis, while the Kousha Ofogh and Yaghoot varieties inoculated with 0.5% Biogard exhibited the greatest tolerance. Additionally, the highest antixenosis with the lowest mite attraction to the plants was observed in the Kousha variety with the 0.5% Biogard seed coating. Therefore, combining the best probiotic materials with the most resistant bean variety is the best method for controlling spider mites. According to the results of this project.
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