Influence of insect traps and insecticides sequential application as a tactic for management of tomato leafminer, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick), (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)

Abstract

Sex pheromone and sticky traps were used for mass trapping this pest; sex pheromone traps were more effective than the sticky one; the number of caught insects was higher in the untreated plots than the treated one. Also, the general mean number of captured insects by sex pheromone traps was 432.89 and 633.40 (vegetative stage) and 691.3 and 1865.5 (fruiting stage) adults/trap/week, for treatment and control, respectively. When the first infestation appeared, the non-conventional insecticides were consecutively sprayed once/week for 3 weeks with the following order: Radiant, Coragen, and Emperor (during the vegetative stage).