EFFECT OF BIORATIONAL INSECTICIDES AND NEONICOTINOIDS ON THE POPULATION DENSITY OF Bemisia tabaci AND FRUIT YIELD IN TOMATO

Abstract

Background. The whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius, 1889) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) is a pest that causes significant losses in field and greenhouse crops worldwide. Objective. To evaluate the incorporation of biorational and chemical insecticides on the population density of whitefly Bemisia tabaci, fruit yield and fruit quality in tomato. Methodology. Three pest management treatments were included: Biorational (botanical insecticides and insect growth regulators), Biorational-Intermediate (botanical insecticide and chemical insecticides) and Conventional (conventional chemical insecticides). Results. Overall, the population density of B. tabaci was low from the time when the pest-exclusion floating net was removed to the sampling periods 61 to 78 days after transplant (dat). However from 92 to 108 dat, the population density of inmature and adults increased dramatically. The treatment Conventional was the most effective to supress the population density of B. tabaci when they were low, but when an increase in population density of B. tabaci ocurred, the treatment Biorational-Intermediate was the most effective. The population density of eggs and nymphs on plant leaves were similar among treatments. The fruit yield and overall the bromatologic characteristics of fruits were not significantly different among treatments. Conclusion. The treatment Biorational-Intermediate would represent a feasible strategy to manage Bemisia tabaci in tomato crops.