ISHS Acta Horticulturae 379: International Symposium on Quality of Fruit and Vegetables: Influence of Pre- and Post- Harvest Factors and Technology
THE INTEGRATED CONTROL OF THE WHITEFLY TRIALEURODES VAPORARIORUM WESTWOOD (HOM. ALEYRODIDAE) AND THE QUALITY OF THE VEGETABLE CROPS |
| Authors: | S. Michelakis, R. Boukadida, S. Abdalla |
| Abstract:
Within the aim of reducing the chemical insecticides which are usually applied against the whitefly on tomatoes and eggplants, different alternative methods of integrated control were tested in a randomised complete block design. In these methods the use of yellow sticky traps and the parasite Encarsia formosa were included as well as the chemical with specific action Quinomethionate (Morestan R) and the pirimiphos methyl (Actellic). Their action was estimated both on the adult insect population as well as on the fruit quality measured by the percentage of fruits covered with sooty mould. The treatments tested were all effective and the reduction of the adult whitefly population was significantly different from the control. The faster acting treatments were those with traps. Quinomethionate gave satisfactory results when combined with E. formosa or with traps. The effect of the treatments was obvious on the quality of the fruits, especially on tomatoes. The combination of yellow sticky traps with the use of the parasite E. formosa gave the least percentage of fruits contaminated with sooty mould (9.90%) which was significantly different from the other treatments, that is E. formosa and Quinomethionate 26.90%. Applaud and Actellic 28.04% and traps plus Quinomethionate 31.54%. The control plants gave the highest percentage of fruits contaminated with sooty mould, that is 56,04%. The effect of the treatments on the quality of eggplant production was less obvious than on tomatoes, and although the percentage of fruits contaminated with sooty mould was higher in the control than in the treated plots, this difference was not significant. The integrated control therefore, not only reduces the amount of chemicals but may improve also the quality of the vegetable products. | |
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