Abstract
Helicoverpa armigera is a polyphagous and globally distributed pest. In Italy, this species causes severe damage on processing tomato. We compared the efficacy of mating disruption with a standard integrated pest management strategy (IPM) in a two-year experiment carried out in Northern Italy. Mating disruption registered a very high suppression of male captures (>95%) in both growing seasons. Geostatistical analysis of trap catches was shown to be a useful tool to estimate the efficacy of the technique through representation of the spatial pattern of captures. Lower fruit damage was recorded in mating disruption than in the untreated control plots, with a variable efficacy depending on season and sampling date. Mating disruption showed a higher efficacy than standard IPM in controlling H. armigera infestation in the second season experiment. Mating disruption showed the potential to optimize the H. armigera control. Geostatistical maps were suitable to draw the pheromone drift out of the pheromone-treated area in order to evaluate the efficacy of the technique and to detect the weak points in a pheromone treated field. Mating disruption and standard IPM against H. armigera were demonstrated to be only partially effective in comparison with the untreated plots because both strategies were not able to fully avoid fruit damage.
Highlights
Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), the African bollworm or cotton bollworm, is distributed worldwide with the exception of North America
Mating disruption demonstrated a variable efficacy in controlling H. armigera, measured by the analysis of fruit damage
A significant difference between control and mating disruption was obtained in both seasons, showing a robustness of the data obtained in the two-year replication of this study
Summary
Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), the African bollworm or cotton bollworm, is distributed worldwide with the exception of North America. This polyphagous pest causes severe damage to many crops including tomato, cotton, pea, chickpea, sorghum, and cowpea [1]. The severity of cotton bollworm damage varies by crop and region and is influenced by the temporal scale [2]. Due to its dispersive and migratory behavior, the incidence of this pest is often unpredictable. In Italy, the severity of damage caused by H. armigera has increased in recent years [3], especially on processing tomato. Helicoverpa armigera is listed as a quarantine pest by the European and Mediterranean Plant
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