Comparison of current insectisides with mineral oil for the control of Pulvinaria aurantii Comstock in Mazandaran citrus orchards and their efficacy on Phytoseiid mites

The efficacy of mineral oil at a rate of 1L/100L of water spray programmes against citrus soft scale on Thomson novel orange trees and population of phytoseiids mites were compared with conventional insecticides (Dursban & Gusathion at a rate of 2ml/1L of water) that sprayed by farmers during two years. Phytotoxicity of mineral oil sprays was assessed in terms of fruit and leaf drop and external fruit quality. On Thomson navel trees, the mineral oil was better than the common farm practice for controlling citrus soft scales on trees and there was no significant different between two treatments, p>0.05. Population and rate of increasing of phytoseiids mites in orchards that treated with mineral oil were always higher than in the orchards that treated with insecticides. There was no evidence of leaves and fruit dropping, phytotoxicity and low external fruit quality on orange trees.