Population fluctuation of mites inhabiting soil cultivated with wheat and soybean crops and their relationships to the chemical properties of the soil in Sharkeia and Beheira governorates, Egypt

Document Type : Original research articles

Authors

1 Cotton and field crops mite, ARC, Plant Protection Research Institute, Zagazeig branch, Sharkeia

2 Division of Environmental Studies and Land Use, National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences (NARSS), Cairo 1564, Egypt

Abstract

The current study targeted the numerical abundance of some species of soil mites living in soil cultivated with wheat and soybean crops in Sharkeia and Beheira governorates. A total of 54 species belonging to 41 genera and 22 families from four Acari groups were identified. The most widespread species observed were: Sheloribatus laevigatus, Tyrophagous putrescentiae, Rhizoglyphus robini, Dermatophagoides farina, Chiropturopoda bakeri, Neothoria niloticus, Apostigmaeus navicella, and Haemogamasus pontiger. Interestingly, Sheloribatus laevigatus. The highest densities of these species were recorded during the two studied seasons (2021 and 2022) in Sharkeia governorate, which indicates a high level of soil fertility. The Oribatida mites are commonly used as important indicators of soil quality and health due to their role in breaking down soil by feeding on microbes, debris, and plant material. The obtained results revealed that the total numbers of individuals in the four mite groups were 708 and 638 in wheat and soybean crops in Sharkeia governorate, while in Beheira governorate, total numbers of 629 and 499 were recorded in wheat and soybean fields. In addition, the current study extended to the analysis of the soil components beneath both crops in order to study their effect on some Acari mite species.

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