Effects of silverleaf whitefly feeding on tomato fruit ripening

Abstract

Silverleaf whitefly (SLW) (Bemisia argentifolii Bellows and Perring) feeding on tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) plants induces a disorder in the fruit known as irregular ripening. The effects of silverleaf whitefly feeding on ripening of tomato fruit both attached to and detached from the plant are described. ‘Florida Petite’ tomatoes free of SLW, attached to the plant, began an ethylene climacteric between 40 and 45 days after anthesis (DAA), coincident with a rapid increase in red color and loss of firmness. The ethylene climacteric began between 45 and 50 DAA in tomato fruit from plants infested with SLW, and the fruit developed less red color and softened less than did fruit from plants free of SLW. Fruit harvested 45 DAA from plants free of SLW reached the respiratory and ethylene climacteric peak 3 days after harvest, developed normal red color, and softened similar to fruit ripened on the plant. In contrast, fruit harvested 45, 50 or 55 DAA from SLW-infested plants showed no respiratory or ethylene climacteric, had poor color development, and did not soften to the same extent as did fruit from plants free of SLW.