Bulletin of Entomological Research (2019) 109, 617-625
M.A. Mirhosseini, Y. Fathipour, M. Soufbaf and G.V.P. Reddy (2019)
Implications of using two natural enemies of Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) toward tomato yield enhancement
Bulletin of Entomological Research 109 (5), 617-625
Abstract: Tomato leaf miner (TLM), Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is one of the most destructive tomato pests worldwide. We tested quantity and quality of tomato fruits after simultaneous use of two biological control agents, the predatory mirid bug Nesidiocoris tenuis (Reuter) and the egg parasitoid Trichogramma brassicae Bezdenko against TLM. We varied the timing of predator releases (before or after pest establishment) and the number of parasitoids released (ten or 30 females per week per m2). The highest number of fruits per cage, percentage of undamaged fruits, total yield weight, and undamaged yield weight were all obtained with predator-in-first treatments, with or without parasitoid releases. Furthermore, measures of fruit quality were also highest in predator-in-first treatments, including, highest percentage of water, greatest proportional fresh weight of carbohydrates, most lycopene, most β-carotene, most flavonoids, and highest total chlorophyll. Thus, our findings support a predator-in-first augmentation approach for management of TLM.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Yaghoub Fathipour, Gadi V. P. Reddy
Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
biocontrol - natural enemies
Research topic(s) for beneficials or antagonists:
application technology
Pest and/or beneficial records:
| Beneficial | Pest/Disease/Weed | Crop/Product | Country | Quarant.
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phthorimaea absoluta | Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) | |||
| Trichogramma brassicae (parasitoid) | Phthorimaea absoluta | Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) | ||
| Nesidiocoris tenuis (predator) | Phthorimaea absoluta | Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) |
