Management of Tomato Leaf Miner (Tuta absoluta Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) on Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) through Integration of Botanical and Synthetic Insecticide in Fogera Irrigation Conditions, Northwestern Ethiopia

Abstract

Lemat Teshome Ayele and Adane Tesfaye Lema*

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is the most popular vegetable crop grown in Ethiopia as well as in the world. The tomato leaf miner (Tuta absoluta Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is an important insect pest affecting Solanaceae worldwide. Tuta absoluta has been a problem in tomatoes in Ethiopia since 2012. Since this insect pest is new to Ethiopia, various researches are paramount to develop effective management options. This study was intended to manage tomato leaf miner (T. absoluta) through integration of two botanical insecticides, Neem (Azadirachta indica) and garlic (Allium sativum L.) with a synthetic insecticide, Mercury 23 EC @ 0.14 ml, 0.28 ml and 0.42 ml conducted at Fogera plain, Northwest Ethiopia during irrigation season of 2022 and 2023. The experiment was evaluated in fourteen treatments and laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications. The tomato variety “Cochoro” was used as a test crop. The results findings revealed that the effect of an integration of botanicals with synthetic insecticide in reducing T. absoluta infestation, damage and yield loss were quite promising in all integrations. The treatments consisting of an integration of Neem, Garlic and Mercury 23 EC at three different concentrations (0.14 ml, 0.28 ml and 0.42 ml) performed best in this study. This was evident in lower mortality percentages, the lower infestation level of leaves and fruits, the higher marketable yield and lesser yield loss percent of Tomato plants. The yield loss due to T. absoluta was found 81.41%. The current study clearly showed that yield loss positively correlated with infestation of tomato by tomato leaf miner (T. absoluta). Treatments consisting of an integration of both Neem and Garlic with MERCURY 23 EC @ 0.28 ml can be recommended as the most effective and economical treatment for the management of the tomato leaf miner (T. absoluta) for the study area. Further trail of this work in different agro-ecological conditions and studies on the effects of the IPM package, used in the present study, on human, soil and environmental health is also recommended.

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