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Effectiveness of mating disruption with TUTATEC® dispensers against Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) in heated greenhouses in southern Tunisia

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Abstract

Tomato production in geothermal greenhouses in Tunisia showed remarkable growth during the last decade and has been considered an important economic sector within the Tunisian agriculture. However, since 2010, this sector is constrained by the tomato leaf miner Tuta absoluta, which is considered one of the most destructive pests of tomato crops. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the mating disruption with TUTATEC® in tomato crops in heated greenhouses. The efficacy of TUTATEC® at the theoretical doses of 55.5 and 111 g active ingredient of sex pheromone per hectare (300 and 600 dispensers/ha) to control T. absoluta was compared with mechanical control (manual deleafing) and conventional insecticides (Azadirachtin, 10 g/L and Cyantraniliprole, 100 g/L). The number of trapped males in water traps as well as the percentages of infested leaves and fruits were monitored weekly and compared with manual deleafing and insecticide-treated greenhouses. In greenhouses disrupted with 300 and 600 dispensers/ha, a reduction of 47.79 and 63.01% in male trap captures was observed, respectively, compared with mechanical control. The leaf damage was significantly lower in greenhouses disrupted with 600 dispensers/ha and insecticide treated greenhouses, with a reduction of infestation 29.53% and 32.02%, respectively. No significant differences were found in fruit damage between greenhouses disrupted with 300 and 600 dispensers/ha and the mechanical control. These results suggest that mating disruption is effective in the management of T. absoluta, and could be used in the framework of Integrated Pest Management strategies to control this pest.

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Data availability

All data of the study have been presented in the manuscript, and high quality and grade materials were used in this study.

Abbreviations

MC:

Mechanical control

MD:

Mating Disruption

IT:

Insecticide-treated

p :

P-value

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Acknowledgements

The authors are especially grateful to “Zina fresh” company for providing all the resources needed for this study.

Funding

This research was funded by “Zina fresh” company and by the Technical Center for Protected and Geothermal Crops Gabes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dryland and Oases Cropping Laboratory, Arid regions Institute, Street El Jorf, 4119, Medenine, Tunisia

    Sabrine Chouikhi, Besma Hamrouni Assadi & Mohamed Sadok Belkadhi

  2. Faculty of Sciences of Gabès, University of Gabès, Gabès, Tunisia

    Sabrine Chouikhi

  3. High Agronomic Institute of Chott-Mariem, University of Sousse, 4042, Chott-Mariem, Tunisia

    Khaled Abbes & Imen Bkhiti

  4. Laboratoire d’Entomologie-Acarologie, Institut National Agronomique de Tunisie, 43 Avenue Charles Nicolle, Cité Mahrajène, 1082, Tunis, Tunisia

    Kaouthar Grissa Lebdi

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  1. Sabrine Chouikhi
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  2. Besma Hamrouni Assadi
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  3. Khaled Abbes
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Correspondence to Sabrine Chouikhi.

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Chouikhi, S., Assadi, B.H., Abbes, K. et al. Effectiveness of mating disruption with TUTATEC® dispensers against Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) in heated greenhouses in southern Tunisia. Phytoparasitica 51, 273–283 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12600-023-01047-0

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