Management of Insects on Fresh Market Tomatoes, Spring 1996C

Abstract

Abstract On 1 Mar, transplants were set 18 inches apart on raised beds of EauGallie fine sand covered with black polyethylene mulch. Plots were 3-21 ft long rows on 5 ft centers and were irrigated by a seepage subirrigation system. Insecticidal sprays were replicated 4 times in a RCB design and were applied with a high clearance, self-propelled sprayer on 20, 27 May, 10 and 17 Jun. The sprayer was operated at 200 psi and 3.4 mph and was fitted with eight Albuz orange nozzles per row delivering 120 gpa. The Admire treatment was applied in 4 oz water/plant on 4 Mar. Because of a very heavy population of southern armyworm larvae, weekly applications of Bacillus thuringiensis (Javelin and Xentari alternated weekly) were initiated on 13 May. All control and yield data were collected on the middle 10 plants of the middle row of each plot. The terminal leaflet was collected from a leaf from the upper third of each often plants on 30 May, 3, 6, 12 and 24 Jun. The numbers of crawlers, sessile nymphs and pupae (red eye nymphs) of the silverleaf whitefly were counted. All fruit of marketable size were harvested on 12 and 24 Jun and the fruit were separated by the presence of southern armyworm, thrips (fruit with five or more oviposition dimples on blossom end) and stink bug damage and were counted and weighed.