Abstract
Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is one of the most economically important pests of tomato worldwide. Despite its global importance, the management of this oligophagous pest has still been a challenging task, due to its high capability to develop resistance against synthetic insecticides. Given the limited studies on the effectiveness of different bio-pesticides in India, the objective of this research was to determine the pathogenicity of different commercial formulations of Beauveria bassiana, Bacillus thuringiensis, and neem (Azadirachtin), against T. absoluta, under laboratory and field conditions. For the Bacillus thuringiensis formulations, Green Larvicide® and Delfin® recorded an LC50 of 4.10 × 10⁹ CFU/mL and 8.06 × 106 spores/mg, respectively, while for the B. bassiana formulations, Green Beauveria® and BB Power® were 4.473 × 107 spores/mL and 1.367 × 107 CFU/g, respectively. Furthermore, the results showed high susceptibility to both the commercial neem formulations with Ecotin®, recording an LC50 of 91.866 ppm, and Econeem Plus® recording 212.676 ppm. The results from the field conditions at different locations of Andhra Pradesh, India, showed significant differences (p < 0.001) for leaf and fruit infestation among the interaction effect of treatments and locations. Bio-pesticides, especially neem and B. thuringiensis formulations, reduced T. absoluta infestation similarly to the chemical treatment, without affecting the yield. Therefore, bio-pesticides can be considered as safe alternatives to synthetic pesticides, for the management of T. absoluta.
Highlights
Tomato, Solanum lycopersicum L. (Solanales: Solanaceae) has become a major food crop in less than a century, mainly due to its outstanding nutritive value, with many health benefits and the ability to produce high yields per unit area [1,2]
Bio-pesticides can be considered as safe alternatives to synthetic pesticides, for the management of T. absoluta
Among the B. thuringiensis commercial formulations tested, Delfin® was more lethal to T. absoluta than Green Larvicide®, based on the lower LC50 values (Table 3)
Summary
Solanum lycopersicum L. (Solanales: Solanaceae) has become a major food crop in less than a century, mainly due to its outstanding nutritive value, with many health benefits and the ability to produce high yields per unit area [1,2]. The estimated world’s production of tomato is about 182 million tons from an area of 4.76 million ha [3], with India being the second largest producer of tomato in the world, next to China. Tomato is cultivated in an area of about 0.79 million ha, with an annual production of. Andhra Pradesh is one of the major tomato growing states in India, where the crop is extensively cultivated in almost all the districts, as a major vegetable crop, with a production of 2.74 million tons in an area of about 61,670 ha [4]. Tomato production is constrained by diverse biotic and abiotic stresses, including major pests and diseases, which reduce the yield as well as the quality of marketable fruits. Biotic constraints can affect tomato production, with damage and yield losses expected from germination until harvesting stages [5,6]
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