Why do growers see mite populations soar as temperatures get higher? In this webinar, John Kempf describes what causes mite populations to explode and how to control mites with nutritional inputs. He will illustrate why high temperatures cause plant ammonium levels to increase and describe how these high levels influence mite populations. If you’ve experienced mite issues, whether from high temperatures or other causes, this webinar will provide actionable information on: • The conditions that are vulnerable to exploding mite populations • The causes of these conditions • The nutritional inputs that can reverse mite infestations The video presentation can be viewed at https://youtu.be/i8dk4l97Q30

1. NUTRITION MANAGEMENT FOR
MITE INFESTATIONS
A Webinar Hosted by AEA Featuring John Kempf

2. Mites are attracted to
high levels of ammonium
in plant sap.

3. Spider Mites on Corn

4. Plant sap at mite presence:

5. ●Forage Foliar Blend
●SheaShield
●Rebound Manganese
●Rebound Zinc
●Rebound Iron
Applied through pivot

6. This image shows dead
spider mites on the corn after
the foliar application.

7. The spider mites
disappeared and did not
reappear all season. The
grower harvested 215
bushels organic corn.

8. Mites on Zee
Lady Peaches
in July 2020

9. Plant sap at mite presence:

10. Plant sap in July 2019, no mites present:

11. Plants accumulate
ammonium under these
conditions:
1. Excessive ammonium applications
2. Saturated soil
3. High leaf temperatures

12. Application of more nitrogen
than the plant can
metabolize and convert to
proteins leads to heightened
ammonium levels.
Photo Credit: William Reid, Northern Pecans

13. Nitrogen present in wet soil
converts to ammonium.
(This is why rice and blueberries
are adapted to only absorb NH4.)

14. During high leaf temperatures,
plants switch from
photosynthesis - dominant
to
photorespiration - dominant

15. During
photorespiration-dominance
plants sustain themselves with
energy from protein catabolism
rather than from sugars.

16. Mite Prevention
1.Reduce leaf temperature
2.Manage nitrogen
applications with precision

17. Manage leaf
temperature by
increasing plant lipids.

18. Apply minimal
amounts of nitrogen as
indicated by sap
analysis.

19. ●Carbohydrates
●Magnesium
●Sulfur
●Molybdenum
●(Nickel, in some situations)
Nutrients required to convert
ammonium to proteins quickly:

20. AEA product
recommendations:
● PhotoMag
● Rejuvenate
● SeaStim

21. 1. How to Stabilize Nitrogen, Increase Fertilizer Efficiency, and Prevent
Nutrient Leaching with Regenerative Agriculture
2. How to Manage Salinity in Irrigation Water and Increase Water
Efficiency
3. The Bottom Line of Success for Regenerative Practices
4. How to Customize Your Farm’s Regenerative Program
Virtual Event: Regenerative
Agriculture on California Ranches
August 2020
Watch for more information
coming soon!

22. To prevent pest challenges
by managing nutrition,
reach the
AEA team at
info@advancingecoag.com.