MSc

The
study
on
“Management
of
American
serpentine
leaf
miner
Liriomyza trifolii (Burgess) Dietars in tomato” was conducted at College of
Agriculture, Vellayani during 2015 to 2017 with the objectives to evaluate tomato
varieties for field tolerance to L. trifolii and to evolve effective methods for its
management. A total of 15 cultivars were screened for the field tolerance to
L. trifolii and four non chemicals viz., neem oil 2.5 %, NSKE 5 %, oxuron 0.5 %,
fish amino acid 0.5 % and two green labeled chemicals, flubendiamide 20 WG
0.005 % and chlorantraniliprole 18.5 SC 0.006 % at two different intervals were
tested against L. trifolii.
The important pests observed were American serpentine leaf miner
Liriomyza trifolii Burgess, tomato fruit borer Helicoverpa armigera Hubner,
tobacco
caterpillar
Spodoptera
litura
Fabricius,
green
semilooper
Argyrogramma signata Fabricius, leaf beetle Luperomorpha vittata Duvivier,
hadda beetle Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata Fabricius, solanum whitefly
Aleurothrixus trachoides (Back), spiralling whitefly Aleurodicus dispersus
Russell, scale insect Saissetia sp. and aphids Myzus persicae Sulzer. Of this,
A. trachoides was a new pest reported from Kerala.
Important predators recorded were mirid bug Nesidiocoris tenuis Reuter,
lady
bird
beetles,
Axinoscymnus
puttarudriahi
Kapur
and
Munshi,
Coccinella transversalis Fabricius and a predatory midge. Fourteen species of
spiders under three ecological guilds were observed, in which orb web weavers
were predominant in tomato plants. Three parasitoids under two hymenopteran
families viz., eulophidae and braconidae were recorded from L. trifolii.
Forty one plants including twenty two species of vegetables, ten species of
ornamentals and nine species of weeds were observed as host plants of
Liriomyza spp.
Fifteen tomato cultivars were evaluated for the field tolerance to L. trifolii.
Among the cultivars, Arka Abha recorded the least leaf damage (10.12 per cent),
number of mines plant-1 (6.56) and number of larva plant
-1
(0.11). Arka Abha,
Arka Meghali, Arka Vikas, Pusa Ruby, Anagha, Akshaya and LE 20 were
recorded as tolerant cultivars whereas Manulekshmi, Arka Alok and Hissar Lalith
were in the category of moderately tolerant and hybrids, Arka Rakshak, Arka
Samrat and variety Vellayani Vijai were classified as susceptible ones. Hybrid
Swaraksha and NS-538 were included under highly susceptible group.
Four non-chemicals and two green labeled insecticides at two different
intervals were tested against L. trifolii. Among this, plants treated with
chlorantraniliprole 18.5 SC 0.006 % at 10 days interval was recorded as the best
treatment with less leaf damage (1.52 per cent), number of mines plant-1 (1.83)
and number of larvae plant-1 (0.00). Highest yield was also recorded from the
plants treated with chlorantraniliprole 18.5 SC 0.006 % at 10 days interval (0.566
kg plant -1) which was statistically on par with chlorantraniliprole 18.5 SC 0.006
% at 20 days interval (0.546 kg plant
-1
). Among the non-chemicals, plants
treated with fish amino acid 0.5 % at 10 days interval was observed with least leaf
damage (10. 40 per cent), number of mines plant-1 (13.83) and number of larvae
plant -1 (0.58). This treatment recorded a fruit yield of 0.473 kg plant -1 which was
statistically on par with fish amino acid 0.5 % at 20 days interval, neem seed
kernel extract 5 % at 10 days interval and neem seed kernel extract 5 % at 20 days
interval.
Based on the results, use of tolerant cultivars along with the application of
chlorantraniliprole 18.5 SC 0.006 % at 20 days interval (starting from one week
after transplanting) can be recommended for the effective management of
L. trifolii in tomato. In the present scenario of organic farming, fish amino acid
0.5 % at 20 days interval or neem seed kernel extract 5 % at 20 days interval
(starting from one week after transplanting) can be recommended for the
management of L. trifolii in tomato.