The effect of Neo-Boost on the performance of Tetranychus urticae

二斑叶螨（Tetranychus urticae）是一种多食性节肢动物，也是重要的农业害虫。它以1100多种植物为食，包括150多种农作物。它是温室作物和蔬菜、一年生大田作物和多年生作物的主要害虫。使用化学农药是控制叶螨的主要方法;然而，螨具有前所未有的对杀虫剂产生抗性的能力。面对这些挑战，加拿大农业和农业食品部（AAFC）和有害生物管理监管局共同确定了制定新的可持续TSSM有害生物控制措施的迫切需要。与化学农药相比，能够控制叶螨的生物农药将具有几个优点：生物农药提供了一种新的模式， 这些产品能够有效地对抗TSSM农药耐药性，对人类或授粉昆虫无毒，可分解为对植物有益的天然营养素，并为生产者在接近收获或收获期间施用提供灵活性。作为TSSM基因组学的领导者，我们对TSSM基因组进行了测序，并开发了大量新型基因组和生物测定工具来研究植物与TSSM的相互作用。在本提案中，我们将使用我们新开发的生物测定法研究Agri-Neo正在开发的化合物对红蜘蛛适应性的影响。该方法将揭示这些化合物的潜在生物杀虫作用，为将来更广泛的基因组解剖其对螨的影响提供基础。与Agri-Neo的合作将进一步加深我们对植物-叶螨相互作用的理解，并将确定可用于现有或未来生物农药制剂的化合物，以控制螨类。

The two-spotted spider mite (TSSM), Tetranychus urticae, is one of the most polyphagous arthropods and important pests in agriculture. It feeds on over 1100 plant species including more than 150 agricultural crops. It is a major pest of greenhouse crops and ornamentals, annual field crops and perennial cultures. The use of chemical pesticides is the predominant method of controlling spider mites; however, mites have an unprecedented ability to develop resistance to insecticides. Faced with these challenges, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and the Pest Management Regulatory Agency have jointly identified a critical need for development of new and sustainable TSSM pest control measures. Biopesticides capable of controlling spider mites would have several advantages over chemical pesticides: biopesticides provide a new mode of action to combat TSSM pesticide resistance, are not toxic to humans or pollinating insects, decompose into naturally beneficial nutrients for plants, and provide flexibility to producers to apply close to or during harvest. As leaders in TSSM genomics we sequenced the TSSM genome and developed a plethora of novel genomic and bioassay tools for studying the plant-TSSM interaction. In this proposal we will investigate effects of compounds under development by Agri-Neo on spider mite fitness using our newly developed bioassays. This approach will uncover potential biopesticidal effects of these compounds, providing a base for more extensive genomic dissection of their effects on mites in future. The collaboration with Agri-Neo will further our nderstanding of plant-spider mite interaction and will identify compounds that can be used in the existing or future formulations of biopesticides for mite control.