Crops
 
Cherry tomato Crops main menu
  Pests in cherry tomato
 
General
Scouting & Monitoring
Contact with beneficials and bumblebees
Chemical corrections
Whitefly
Spider mite
Aphid
Leafminer
Caterpillar
  General remarks at the biological control in cherry tomato
General
 
Before introducing beneficials, the greenhouse and plants should be free of harmful pesticide residues.
Before the beginning of your cultivation discuss with your advisor a plan of approach for the whole season.

 
Scouting & Monitoring
 
Use yellow Bug-Scan® sticky traps for (timely) detection of flying insects. Hang during the heating of the greenhouse min. 20 yellow sticky traps per ha to detect the first flying insects.
Also use yellow Bug-Scan® sticky traps during the cultivation. Count and register during minimum the first 10 weeks of your cultivation the different kinds of flying insects which are captured on the sticky traps.

 
Contact with beneficials and bumblebees
 
Follow carefully the user’s instructions; always pay attention to the icons on the packing. If necessary consult the Icon Guide.
Introduce beneficials and bumblebees preferably early in the morning.
If you want to store the beneficials for a short time, you have to reckon with the storage temperature and the use by date which are mentioned on the packing.

 
Chemical corrections
 
If a chemical correction has been inevitable, use as much as possible selective chemical crop protection products. Try to apply chemical corrections on local spots.
In case of doubt about the side effects of pesticides, contact your advisor or consult the Side Effects Manual which is available on www.biobest.be.

 
Biological control of whitefly
  Encarsia-System (parasitic wasp - Encarsia formosa)
 
Available as sprinkling material or on cards with 50 or 100 Encarsia formosa/card.
Hang during the heating of the greenhouse yellow sticky traps 50 pieces/ha to detect the first whitefly.
Preventive: Introduce 1 Encarsia formosa/m² during min. 3 weeks. Afterwards discuss further steps with your advisor.
Curative: When whiteflies are detected, introduce during min. 4 weeks minimum 3 Encarsia formosa/m² until a sufficient number of whiteflies are parasitized (80-90%).

Remark:

  • As from the moment that whitefly is detected, introduce higher numbers of Encarsia formosa.
  • If necessary, introduce for a longer time.
  Eretmocerus-System (parasitic wasp - Eretmocerus eremicus)
 
Only in combination with Encarsia formosa.
As from the beginning of April introduce during minimum 5 weeks 1/m².
Introduce especially in whitefly hot spots.
  Trialeurodes-System ( whitefly pupae on a leaf - Trialeurodes vaporariorum)
 
Applicable if no whitefly has been detected mid-February, to build earlier and to reach more easier an equilibrium.
Introduce 50 pupae per introduction point (8 introduction points/ha).
Introduce after 2-3 weeks Encarsia on these places.
Discuss further steps with your advisor.
 
Biological control of spider mite
  Phytoseiulus-T-System (predatory mite - Phytoseiulus persimilis)
 

This strain is especially bred for the application on tomato plants.
As soon as the first spider mite hot spots are detected, introduce as soon as possible minimum 5 predatory mites/plant in and around the spot.
Repeat after at least 1 week.
Control the spider mite hot spots weekly and introduce more Phytoseiulus if necessary.
  Feltiella-System (gall midge - Feltiella acarisuga)
 

In combination with Phytoseiulus at spider mite hot spots.
Introduce locally 1 pot (250 pupae) during 4-6 weeks in hot spots.
Introduction in the whole greenhouse: 8 pots/ha during 4-6 weeks.
Remark: The gall midges have an excellent ability to search, but they can become disorientated by frequent use of a sulphur steamer.
Biological control of aphids
  Aphidoletes-System (gall midge - Aphidoletes aphidimyza)
 

Introduce Aphidoletes as soon as aphids are detected.
Introduce 0,5-1 Aphidoletes/m²/week.
In and around aphid hot spots: 5-10 Aphidoletes/m² per introduction.
Open the bottle and put it under the aphid hot spot, or disperse Aphidoletes, in heaps, on a moist substrate or in a bucket with moist sand.
Remark: The gall midges have an excellent ability to search, but they can become disorientated by frequent use of a sulphur steamer.
  Ervi-M-System (parasitic wasp - Aphidius ervi)
 
Preventive: Introduce weekly 0,05 to 0,1 Aphidius ervi/m².
Curative: Introduce 0,5 Aphidius ervi/m²/week in hot spots.
Introduce the parasitic wasps under the crop, preferably in the neighbourhood of aphid hot spots.
If an infestation is detected over the whole greenhouse, adjust if necessary after consultation with your advisor.
Biological control of leafminer
  Dacnusa-Mix-System / Diglyphus-System (parasitic wasps Dacnusa sibirica and Diglyphus isaea)
 
When the first leafminer infestations are detected, introduce minimum 0,30 Dacnusa / Diglyphus (90%-10%)/m² per week, until an equilibrium is reached.
When the infestation increases, introduce 100% Diglyphus as from 1st of March at a minimum dose of 0,15 Diglyphus/m²/week during minimum 3 weeks or until a sufficient number of leafminers are parasitized.

Remark:

  • Samples of the leaf should be tested regularly to determine the percentage of parasitized leafminers. To have a sufficient control, the percentage must be 80-90%.
  • Dacnusa as well as Diglyphus are active against Liriomyza bryoniae (Tomato leafminer), Liriomyza trifolii (American serpentine leafminer) and Liriomyza huidobrensis (Pea or South American leafminer).
Biological control of caterpillars
  Attract® pheromone traps
 

For detection of the first moths in the greenhouse.

Hang minimum 2 Attract® pheromone lures per ha.

  • Hang the Attract® pheromone lures minimum 50 m from each other to prevent a mixture of the pheromones.
  • Replace the pheromone capsules regularly (every 4 weeks)
 

 

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