Integrated Best Management for Tuta Absoluta (Lepidoptera:Gelechiidae) Infesting Tomato Plants in Egypt

Abstract

Tomato plants were sprayed three times (at 15 days intervals) with different evaluated insecticidal treatments during two following growing seasons of 2012 and 2013 in an approach to achieve efficient control against the tomato leafminer (borer) Tuta absoluta. During the first season of 2102, the treatment of emamectin benzoate+Kz oil was more effective and reduced the number of larvae and increased their reduction percentages up to 40.9% as compared with the other performed treatments of the 1st spray. After the 2nd spray, the treatment of chlorantraniliprole+Mineral oil was the most potent one and recorded the highest general mean of reduction over 10 days of inspection (89.9%) followed by chlorantraniliprole (alone) (81.3%). Furthermore, post- 3rd spray the mixture of metaflumizone+Kz oil® was proved to be the utmost superior treatment and achieved complete reduction (100%) all over the adopted inspection periods (5, 7, and 10 days). The same trend of results was gained during the second season of 2013. The addition of the mineral oil (Kz oil®) increased the efficiency of the evaluated insecticides :emamectin benzoate, chlorantraniliprole andmetaflumizone; therefore it is recommended to admix mineral oil with each of these effective evaluated insecticides. So, they could be used in IPM programs for achieving potent control of Tuta absoluta.