Abstract
In greenhouses, tomato plants are subject to attack by several pest species. The present study aimed to investigate the compatibility of releasing the egg parasitoid, Trichogramma euproctidis (Girault) (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae), and the entomopathogenic nematode, Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, strain HP88 against the tomato leaf miner, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), in commercial tomato greenhouses (Cherry and Bushra varieties) at winter plantation of 2018–2019 in Egypt. Three commercial plastic greenhouses were used. The first plastic greenhouses were treated by the two tested biological control agents (BCG), the second sprayed by certain recommended pesticides (PG), and the third used for control. Pheromone traps were used for monitoring the appearance of T. absoluta moths. The combined use of T. euproctidis and H. bacteriophora resulted to reduce the population density of the T. absoluta gradually until the end of the season in BCG. In the 17th week of treatments by T. euproctidis and H. bacteriophora, the population density of T. absoluta was estimated as leaf mines/plant (0.8 and 1.26 mines/leaf, in Cherry and Bushra varieties, respectively) in BCG. Also, in the 17th week of treatments by recommended pesticides, the population density of T. absoluta reached 12.73 mines/leaf and 18.33 mines/leaf, in CG. Early use of pesticides, by the appearance of T. absoluta infestation, could not suppress its population density that continued to increase until the end of the season in PG. Results revealed that the combination of the tested biological control agents against T. absoluta is recommended to be a main part in pest management practices in tomato greenhouses.
Highlights
Tomato crop (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is one of the economical vegetable crops in Egypt
Almost 1000 tomato seedlings were planted (Cherry variety on 2 rows and Bushra variety on 3 rows). One of these greenhouses was used for releasing biological control agents (BCG)
Sampling Sampling took place, using pheromone traps to capture the male moths of T. absoluta and monitoring the presence of the pest in the greenhouse
Summary
Tomato crop (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is one of the economical vegetable crops in Egypt. T. absoluta has become one of the major devastating insect pests attacking tomato in many of the tomato-producing regions worldwide (Desneux et al 2010) It is originated from South America and rapidly invaded various European countries and spread along the Mediterranean Basin including Egypt (EPPO 2017). Pesticides are frequently used for controlling the greenhouses’ pests, but the risk of developing resistance has been demonstrated by various studies (Campos et al 2014) To solve this problem, integrated pest management (IPM) is better to be emphasized, by using different methods such as biological control agents; the egg parasitoids Trichogramma spp. and the entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) for insect’s control (Agamy 2003; Koppenhöfer and Kaya 1998). The present study was designed to evaluate the impact and compatibility of releasing the egg parasitoid, Trichogramma euproctidis (Girault 1911), with the application of heterorhabditis nematode, Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, strain HP88 against T. absoluta in commercial tomato greenhouses
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