Assessment of Two <i>Trichogramma</i> Species with <i>Bacillus thuringiensis</i> var. krustaki for the Control of the Tomato Leafminer <i>Tuta absoluta</i> Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) in Iran

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the efficiency of T. brassicae and T. embryophagum in combination with bacterial suspension of B. thuringiensis against the tomato leafminer T. absoluta eggs in cage inside greenhouse (semi field) experiments. Four treatments were used (T. brassicae or T. embryophagum + T. absoluta) (T1), (B. thuringiensis + T. absoluta) (T2), (T. brassicae or T. embryophagum + B. thuringiensis + T. absoluta) (T3) and control (T4). The lowest number of T. absoluta mines (6.1, 0.5 mine per plant) were recorded in T3 for T. brassicae and T. embryophagum were significantly lower than those of all other treatments which were followed by T1 and T2, while the highest number of mines per plant (50.70) were recorded in control (T4). In addition, the parasitism rate, adults' emergence, the number of females and adult longevity of two parasitoids were investigated. According to the obtained results, the highest parasitism rate was obtained for T. embryophagum when treated with Bt reared in the T. absoluta eggs (31.18%). However, no significant differences were detected between T. brassicae and T. embryophagum in mortality and adult emergence rates were found when they were treated with/ without Bt reared in the T. absoluta eggs in cage inside greenhouse. Also, the longevity of T. embryophagum was significantly better than T. brassicae p = 0.000. This is the first study to investigate T. embryophagum in cage inside greenhouse for parasitizing the eggs of T. absoluta and results of present study suggested that T. embryophagum with Bt could be more efficient for biocontrol of T. absoluta.

Compatibility of Bioinsecticides with Parasitoids for Enhanced Integrated Pest Management of Drosophila suzukii and Tuta absoluta

“…In support of these considerations, different studies showed that the integration of B. thuringiensis with Trichogramma spp. egg parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) significantly decreased T. absoluta infestations in field conditions [63,64].…”

A review on ecology, biology, and management of a detrimental pest, Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)

“…Excessive and uncontrolled use of these pesticides aggravates resistance problems over abamectin, cartap, methamidophos, and permethrin (Victor & Mwangi, 2019). Current investigations show that T. absoluta is impervious to the wide scope of pesticides including chlorantraniliprole, abamectin, deltamethrin, methamidophos, permethrin, cartap in Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, and chile (Alsaedi et al, 2017;Hogea, 2020;Jac, 2017) (Table 7). Howsoever, some pesticides are as yet viable against T. absoluta including Chlorantraniliprole, Emamectin benzoate, Imidachloprid, spinosad, indoxacarb, spinetoram, Novaluron, flubendiamide, dichlorovus (Bastola et al, 2020;Huda et al, 2020;Khani et al, 2020;Wakil et al, 2018).…”

Integrated pest management of Tuta absoluta: practical implementations across different world regions

“…Combined releases of the parasitoid T. evanescens and the predatory mirid N. tenuis proved to reduce fruit infestation in greenhouse tomatoes in the western Mediterranean region of Turkey (Keçeci and Oztop 2017). Similarly, releases of Trichogramma embryophagum (Hartig) parasitoids (20 adults per plant) along with Bt application or release of Trichogramma brassicae (Bezdenko), combined with spinosad spraying, significantly decreased T. absoluta densities and leaf mines in Iranian greenhouse tomato crops (Alsaedi et al 2017;Jamshidnia et al 2018).…”