Beneficial Insectary Plants and Habitat Management for Enhancing Activity of Some Insect Predators of Bemisia tabaci and Tuta absoluta in Tomato Fields.

Marouf, Amal E.

doi:10.21608/jppp.2017.46148

Beneficial Insectary Plants and Habitat Management for Enhancing Activity of Some Insect Predators of Bemisia tabaci and Tuta absoluta in Tomato Fields.

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Amal E. Marouf

Agric. Res. Center (ARC), Doki, Giza, Egypt.

10.21608/jppp.2017.46148

Abstract

During the course of the present study, five insect predators were recorded with relatively high numbers on chamomile ( Matricaria chamomilla L), namely Nesidiocoris tenuis (Reuter ), Macrolophus caliginosus Wagner. , Coccinella undecimpunctata L., Chrysoperla carnea Steph. and Syrphus corollae Fabr. Only three insect predators were inhabiting marigold plants (Callendula officinalis L.) with relatively high abundance, namely N. tenuis, M. caliginosus and C. undecimpunctata. The obtained results indicated that intercropping chamomile and marigold plants with tomato crop significantly increased the abundance of the mirid bugs, N. tenuis and M. caliginosus in comparison with those in check plots. In addition, floral resource plant caused considerable reduction of both Bemisia tabaci and Tuta absoluta populations in comparison with no forbs field. Therefore, our results suggest that chamomile, and marigold are beneficial insectary plants and could be used as conservative biological control agents against B. tabaci and T. absoluta in tomato crops.