Tomato: Role of Pests Control in Tomato Cultivation.
Crop rotations, which assist in breaking life cycles of insects and pests, is a traditional means of pest control. Control of tomato pests require careful monitoring and integration of cultural practices and biological control.
A wide range of biological pesticides are available to keep pests below the thresh hold level. It has been observed that organic tomato plants have fewer pest and insect problems than the conventional chemically grown tomato plants. Moreover, practicing crop rotation aids in breaking the life cycle of insects and pests thus reducing the pest menace.
Trap crops are also effective in controlling pests. An example of a trap crop is sweet corn. Sweet corn attracts tomato fruit worm and thus protects the tomato crop when inter-planted with it.
Fruit Borer is one of the major threats to tomato crop. In order to prevent damage to the crop from fruit borer, marigold should be raised in the adjoining plot to divert the attention of the fruit borer. In case eggs of the insect are found on the leaves of the plant trichocard can be applied.
In case, the intensity of pest attack increases, 4% solution of neem seed extract can be sprayed on plants at 15 days interval to control the insect. Among the alternatives, biological control of pests is one of the important means for checking pest problems in tomato.
Biopesticides include living organisms which can destroy pests. Use of biopesticides is one of the most appropriate and promising methods of pest management. Ha NPV (Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus) is used againstthe Heliothis armigera (fruit borer) in tomato. Trichoderma is the most widely used fungal biopesticide. It is useful against root fungi.
They are ideal for seed treatment also. Trichogramma belongs to a large group of egg parasitoids and success has been achieved against the lepidopteran pests of commercial crops like tomato. Tricho cards are used against the fruit borers.
Neem based pesticides like neem cake, neem seed kernel extract (NSKE), neem leaf extract, neem oil etc., act as a repellent and antifeedent and its oil is effective against fruit borer.
Source: http://agritech.tnau.ac.in/
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