Lethal and sublethal effects of alternative pesticides on the broad mite Polyphagotarsonemus latus were evaluated. Chilli pepper plants (6 cm high) were sprayed with one of the following treatments: biofertilizer "Supermagro", "Viçosa mixture" (a nutrient amended Bordeaux mixture), lime sulfur, abamectin and water. After spraying, 10 females of P. latus were transferred to each plant. Six days after, the number of mites per plant was counted and the instantaneous rate of increase (r i) was evaluated for each treatment. The population of P. latus on plants treated with lime sulfur, "Viçosa mixture" and abamectin was significantly lower than on plants treated with biofertilizer and water. Negative values of the instantaneous rate of increase (r i), were obtained for P. latus on plants treated with lime sulfur (r i = -0.2922) and with "Viçosa mixture" (r i = -0.0301). Positive values were obtained for mites on plants treated with biofertilizer (r i = 0.2373) and water (r i = 0.1971), which indicate increase of P. latus population on these plants. It was not possible to calculate r i for mites on abamectin treated plants, because all females died at the beginning of the experiment. Lime sulfur and "Viçosa mixture" showed potential for controlling broad mite P. latus on chilli pepper "Malagueta".
Polyphagotarsonemus latus; Capsicum frutescens; organic agriculture
