Impact of integrated pest management on the population of leafminers, fruit borers, and natural enemies in tomato

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the impact of integrated pest management (IPM) in the productivity of the tomato and in the populations of leafminers, fruit borers, and natural enemies in tomato crops. The treatments were calendar (spraying twice weekly with insecticides and fungicides), IPM (spraying when action thresholds were achieved), and control (no pesticide was applied). IPM was the most efficient system of pest control due to presenting similar productivity and 65.6% less pesticide applications than in the calendar. The attack of Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) and Liriomyza spp. (Diptera: Agromyzidae) to the leaves only achieved the action threshold in the final phase of the cultivation. The main fruit borer was Neoleucinoides elegantalis (Guen.) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), followed by T. absoluta and Spodoptera eridania (Cr.) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). The natural enemy populations were severely reduced by excessive pesticide applications. Predators were more abundant than parasitoids. The most abundant predators were Araneidae, Anthicus sp. (Coleoptera: Anthicidae), Cycloneda sanguinea larva (L.) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), Staphylinidae adults (Coleoptera), Orius sp. and Xylocoris sp. (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae), Formicidae (Hymenoptera), and Phlaeothripidae (Thysanoptera). The most abundant parasitoids were Hymenoptera of the families Eulophidae, Braconidae (Bracon sp. and Chelonus sp.), Trichogrammatidae [Trichogramma pretiosum (Riley)] and Bethylidae (Goniozus nigrifemur Ashmead), besides Tachinidae (Diptera).