Crops
 
Tomato Crops main menu
  Pests in tomato
 
General
Whitefly
Leafminer
Aphid
Caterpillars
Spider mite
General remarks on the biological control in tomatoes
 
Before using the advised selective chemicals, check if they are registered for this crop in your country.
Before introducing beneficials, the greenhouse and the plants should be free of harmful pesticide residues.
Dusting pesticides like Eupareen affects the parasitic wasp Encarsia formosa and beneficials adversely.
Yellow sticky cards can be used preventively for the detection of flying insects.
Warning: certain beneficial insects can be caught by yellow sticky cards. Remove the cards when introducing beneficials curatively.
Please consult our side effect list in case of doubt about the side effects of chemical pesticides.

 
Biological control of whitefly
 
(greenhouse whitefly - Trialeurodes vaporariorum)
(sweet potato whitefly - Bemisia tabaci)

  Encarsia-System (parasitic wasp - Encarsia formosa)
 
Available as sprinkling material or on cards.
Hang up yellow sticky cards for detection of the first whiteflies (25-50/ha).

When no whiteflies are spotted:

Curative treatment:

  • 2-4 Encarsia/mē per week for 6-7 weeks until a sufficient number of whiteflies are parasitized (80-90%).
Hang up yellow sticky cards in "hot spots": 10 traps/100 mē for trapping the whiteflies.

Correction:

Important:

  • the frequent use of Euparene is mortal for Encarsia formosa
  • treat locally, or treat only the top of the plants.
  Macrolophus-System (predatory bug - Macrolophus caliginosus)
 
Only in combination with Encarsia formosa.
Introduce 0,5 Macrolophus/mē per week for at least 2-4 weeks when whiteflies are spotted.
When necessary 5-10 Macrolophus/mē in "hot spots"..
Important: Macrolophus develops slowly, so introduce early!
  Eretmocerus-System (parasitic wasp - Eretmocerus eremicus)
 
Only in combination with Encarsia formosa.
Works better against Bemisia than Encarsia.
From the middle of March-April: introduce 1 Eretmocerus eremicus/mē per week during at least 3 weeks.
Biological control of leafminer
 
(Liriomyza spp.)

 
  Dacnusa-System / Diglyphus-System (parasitic wasps - Dacnusa sibirica and Diglyphus isaea)
 
Hang up yellow sticky cards for detection of the first leafminers: 25-50/ha.
Samples of the leaves should be tested regularly to determine the percentage of parasitized leafminers. Please contact your technical advisor in this respect.

After detection of the first mines:

  • introduce 0,25 Dacnusa/Diglyphus (90%-10%) per mē per week until a sufficient number of leafminers are parasitized. The exact strategy depends on the circumstances in the greenhouse.
  • In case the number of leafminers increases, or from March 1st onwards, introduce 0,1 Diglyphus/mē per week for 3 weeks, or until a sufficient number of leafminers is parasitized.
Correction: Trigard
Remark: Both Dacnusa sibirica and Diglyphus isaea are very efficient against Liriomyza bryoniae (tomato leafminer), Liriomyza trifolii (American serpentine leafminer) and Liriomyza huidobrensis (South American leafminer).


Biological control of aphids
 
(green peach aphid - Myzus persicae)
(potato aphid - Macrosiphum euphorbiae)
(glasshouse potato aphid - Aulacorthum solani)

 
  Ervi-M-System / Aphelinus-System (parasitic wasps - Aphidius ervi and Aphelinus abdominalis)
 
Introduce Aphidius ervi/Aphelinus abdominalis when glasshouse potato aphids (Aulacorthum solani) or potato aphids (Macrosiphum euphorbiae) are spotted.
Introduce 2 Aphidius ervi/Aphelinus abdominalis/mē in and around "hot spots".



  Aphidoletes-System (gall midge - Aphidoletes aphidimyza)
 

Introduce 0,5-1 Aphidoletes/mē per week as soon as aphids are spotted.

In and around "hot spots" of aphids: 5-10 Aphidoletes/mē.

Introduce Aphidoletes aphidimyza on a moist substrate.

 
  Aphidius-System (parasitic wasp - Aphidius colemani)
 

Introduce Aphidius colemani when green peach aphids (Myzus persicae) and/or cotton aphids (Aphis gossypii) are spotted.

The number of Aphidius colemani to be introduced depends on the number of aphids present. Please contact your technical advisor in this respect.
Biological control of caterpillars
  Pheromone traps
 
Hang up pheromone traps; at least 2 traps per species per ha.
At intervals of at least 50 m to avoid mixing of pheromones.
Replace the pheromone capsules in time (every 4 weeks).
Biological control of spider mites
 
(two-spotted spider mite - Tetranychus urticae)

  Phytoseiulus-T-System (P.P.S.) (predatory mite - Phytoseiulus persimilis)
 
This special strain is bred for application on tomato plants.
Introduce at least 20-50 Phytoseiulus/mē in and around "hot spots" when spider mites are spotted.
  Feltiella-System (gall midge - Feltiella acarisuga)
 
In combination with Phytoseiulus against red spider mites.
Feltiella acarisuga has an excellent ability to search for "hot spots".
Introduce locally (in "hot spots") one pot (250 pupae) per week for 4-6 weeks.
 

 

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