Insect Control on Fresh Market Tomatoes in West-Central Florida, Fall 1994

Abstract

Abstract Transplants were set 8 Aug, 18 inches apart on 8-inch-high beds of EauGallie fine sand covered with white polyethylene mulch. Each plot consisted of a single 15 ft row with rows on 5 ft centers. Treatments were replicated 4 times in a RCB design and were applied with a 2.5 gal, hand-held CO2-powered sprayer on 19, 27 Sept, 3, 10, 18, 26 Oct, 2, and 7 Nov. The sprayer was operated at 60 psi and delivered 60 gpa for the first application, 90 gpa the next two applications, and 120 gpa for the remaining applications using a single nozzle fitted with a D-5 disk and #45 core. Tributyrin was applied at 150 gm/gal on the first application, was not applied on the next two applications, and was applied at 15 gm/gal on the last five applications. On 31 Oct, the numbers of ‘Liriomyza’ spp. leafmines and the number of southern armyworm larvae were counted by two persons in whole plant searchs of 1 min and 30 sec, respectively, and counts of both persons were totalled. Fruit were harvested on 18, 31 Oct and 14 Nov. The number and weight of undamaged fruit and the number of fruit damaged by armyworm larvae were determined.