The tomato is one of the most important commercial vegetables grown in the world. There is a huge demand for it, even in the local markets. The presence of lycopene gives them their red color. These fruits are rich sources of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. A lot of farmers are growing this in large areas of land. The major problems these farmers face during tomato cultivation include pest infestation, especially the tomato fruit borer. These borers reduce the quality, shelf life, and market acceptability of the product. Therefore, managing this pest is crucial in the cultivation of tomatoes.
Table of Contents
Fruit Borer In Tomato
Helicoverpa armigera is a polyphagous pest that feeds on a lot of crops that include tomato, cotton, chickpea, and ornamentals like jasmine, etc. Managing this pest required a holistic approach.
Taxonomic classification of the pest :
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Noctuidae
Identification of Fruit Borer
Eggs: Eggs are sculptured and creamy white in color, laid singly on the leaf surface.
Larva/caterpillar: Shows color variation from greenish to brown. It has dark brown-grey lines on the body with lateral white lines and also has a dark band .
Pupa: Brown in color, occurs in soil, leaf, pod, and crop debris.
Adult: Female—light pale, brownish-yellow stout moth; Male—pale greenish moth with a V-shaped speck.
Symptoms
- The young larva feeds on the tender foliage of the plant.
- The mature larva feeds on the fruit by making circular holes in it.
- Fecal matter can be seen around the boreholes.
- Mature larvae feed by putting only their head inside the holes and keeping the remaining body part outside.
Integrated Pest Management
To manage the pest, we need to follow a holistic approach integrating cultural, physical, mechanical, biological, and chemical control measures. This kind of approach is called Integrated Pest Management.
Cultural control
- Field sanitation
- Soil solarization during summer months
- Neem cake application before planting
- Crop rotation with non-host plants like pepper, sorghum, chilli, etc.
- Use of trap crops like marigold and sunflower in the border.
- Adjust the date of planting to reduce pest population.
Mechanical control
- Collection and destruction of eggs and larvae.
- Proper disposal of affected fruits.
Physical control
- Use of light traps for monitoring purpose (1trap /ha).
Biological control
- Encourage the natural predators in the field.
- Use Beauveria bassiana @ 20g / L of water.
- Use Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki (Btk) @10g / L of water.
- Spray HaNPV 1.5 x 1012 POBs/ha.
- Release Trichogramma pretiosum @ 1 lakh/ha at an interval of 7-10 days.
Biopesticide sprays
- Use neem oil garlic emulsion (NOGE) 2% @20 mL/ L of water
- Use neem seed kernel extract (NSKE) 2% @ 20 mL/ L of water
- Azadirachtin 1% EC @ 2 mL / L of water
Repeat this spray at every week ( 5-7 days interval) from the initial stage of infestation.
Chemical control
Use any one of the following insecticides:
- Flubendiamide 39.35 SC @ 2 mL /10 L of water
- Quinalphos 25 % EC @1.0 mL/ L of water
- Chlorantraniliprole 18.5 SC @3mL / 10 L of water
In conclusion, by following integrated pest management practices, we can reduce the pest population and thereby improve the yield of our crop. Let’s grow our tomatoes red and fresh that are free from borer pests!
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