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Abstract
Field experiments were conducted on tomato crops over a two year period to evaluate the efficacy of six insecticides, viz., triazophos, phosphamidon, dimethoate, buprofezin and Aflix (endosulfan + dimethoate) each at 0.05% and Repelin (plant insecticide) at 1% concentration along With a cultural treatment by covering the plants with Agril (a polyester material ) for the control of whitefly, Bemisia tabaci. The insecticides were applied eight times at weekly interval immediately after transplantation. The whitefly eggs, nymphal population counts and the per cent incidence of tomato leaf curl virus (TLCV) were recorded every week for eight weeks in all the treatments including untreated control. The incidence of whitefly was more severe in the second year (i.e, 1992-93) as compared to the previous season. Among the various treatments, the Agril cover, a newly introduced cultural practice, recorded the least incidence of whitefly and of TLCV. The average of counts of eggs were 0.0 and 5.47 and of nymphs 0.54 and 0.58 per 10 leaflets and TLCV were 4.32% and 4.76% in Agril cover treatment during the first and second year, respectively. Among the insecticides tested only Aflix recorded less incidence of the pest, being 3.46 and 30.4 eggs per 10 leaflets and 0.94 and 5.34 nymphs per 10 leaflets during the two years of study, respectively. The other treatments were less effective in reducing pest and disease incidence. The crop under Agril-cover recorded the maximum yield of 34.57 and 26.15 t/ha of tomatoes as compared to 16.48 and 10.82 t/ha in control during the first and second year, respectively.