Implications of using two natural enemies of Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) toward tomato yield enhancement

• Published in: Bulletin of entomological research Vol. 109; no. 5; pp. 617 - 625
• Main Authors: Mirhosseini, M.A., Fathipour, Y., Soufbaf, M., Reddy, G.V.P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 01.10.2019
• Subjects: Agricultural production; Animals; Biological control; Carbohydrates; Carotene; Chlorophyll; Chlorophylls; Crop yield; Crops; Destructive testing; Eggs; Entomology; Female; Females; Flavonoids; Fruit - chemistry; Fruits; Gelechiidae; Greenhouses; Heteroptera; Lepidoptera; Lycopene; Lycopersicon esculentum - chemistry; Lycopersicon esculentum - growth & development; Lycopersicon esculentum - parasitology; Moths - parasitology; Natural enemies; Parasitoids; Pest Control, Biological - methods; Pesticides; Pests; Predators; Predatory Behavior; Quality; Research Paper; Studies; Tomatoes; Tuta absoluta; Wasps; Water treatment; Weight; β-Carotene; Iran; pre-planting release; Trichogramma brassicae; Nesidiocoris tenuis; tomato leaf miner; zoophytophagus mirid
• ISSN: 0007-4853; 1475-2670
• DOI: 10.1017/S0007485318000998

Tomato leaf miner (TLM), Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is one of the most destructive tomato pests worldwide. We tested quantity and quality of tomato fruits after simultaneous use of two biological control agents, the predatory mirid bug Nesidiocoris tenuis (Reuter) and the egg parasitoid Trichogramma brassicae Bezdenko against TLM. We varied the timing of predator releases (before or after pest establishment) and the number of parasitoids released (ten or 30 females per week per m2). The highest number of fruits per cage, percentage of undamaged fruits, total yield weight, and undamaged yield weight were all obtained with predator-in-first treatments, with or without parasitoid releases. Furthermore, measures of fruit quality were also highest in predator-in-first treatments, including, highest percentage of water, greatest proportional fresh weight of carbohydrates, most lycopene, most β-carotene, most flavonoids, and highest total chlorophyll. Thus, our findings support a predator-in-first augmentation approach for management of TLM.