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Open Access

ARTICLE

Tritrophic Interactions Underpinning Cucumber Protection: Evaluating the Impact of Encarsia formosa, Orius laevigatus, and Amblyseius swirskii on Pest Suppression

Diana Dragan1, Vasile Florian1,*, Horia Bunescu1, Rodica Sima2, Alexandru Apahidean2, Ximena Rau1, Arnilva Mara1, Mihaela Chertes1, Ionut-Bogdan Hulujan1, Teodora Florian1
1 Department Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Calea Mănăștur 3-5, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
2 Faculty of Horticulture and Business in Rural Development, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Calea Mănăștur 3-5, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
* Corresponding Author: Vasile Florian. Email: email
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Technological Advances for Sustainable Management and Biological Control of Plant Pests and Diseases)

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2026.075836

Received 10 November 2025; Accepted 19 March 2026; Published online 16 July 2026

Abstract

The research examined the effects of predators and parasitoids on Trialeurodes vaporariorum (TV) and Frankliniella occidentalis (FO) through their introduction into the cucumber pest management. Parasitoids and predators from the genus Encarsia, Orius, and Amblyseius were used to manage TV and FO. The study was performed at the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Romania, from August to October 2023. The research investigates the influence of zoophagous species on TV and FO, utilizing data collected on six distinct dates throughout the cucumber growing season. The findings indicate that biocontrol agents positively influence flight and negatively affect the pest. Chemically treated variants exhibited an average of 4.09 adults per plant, whereas biologically treated variants (zoophagous use) displayed an average of 0.24 adults per plant. The research demonstrated that chemical treatment exhibited a significantly reduced leaf count per plant than zoophagus species plots. This reduction is plausibly associated with elevated pest populations and the phytotoxic stress induced by chemical applications, which may adversely affect plant growth and development. The study concludes that predators and parasitoids demonstrate greater efficacy than chemical treatments and entail lower costs, rendering them an effective and economical method for pest control in greenhouses. Over the long term, employing biocontrol agents constitutes an effective and economical strategy for pest management in greenhouses.

Keywords

Frankliniella occidentalis; greenhouses; insects; parasitoids; predators; pest management; Trialeurodes vaporariorum

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