Effect of Selected Insecticides on Helicoverpa armigera Hubner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Miller) and Their Successful Management

摘要

Helicoverpa armigera H. is a polyphagous notorious pest of a number of economic crops including tomato. In tomato, it can reduce its yield as high as 70% due to fruit boring. Although some predators and parasitoids have been recorded in the field for their natural control, their manipulation to a successful crop management is still awaited. To overcome this pest, insecticides play a significant role in its effective crop management program globally. Tomato is an absolutely perishable commodity and needs the specified period required between the application, of conventional pesticides of organophosphate group, and consumption which can hardly be afforded. Therefore, nine insecticides from the new chemistries, which were relatively safer to human and environment, i.e. Coragen (chlorantraniliprole), steward (indoxacarb), Belt (flubendamide), Delegate (spintoram), Volium Flexy (chlorantraniliprole + thiamethaxim), Fipronil (grafter), Proclaim (emamectin benzoate), Pirate (chlofenapyr) and Lufenuron (lufenuron), were tested on tomato crop heavily infested by this pest in the farmers field in districts Lodhran and Bahawalpur (Pakistan) in the month of April 2014. The mortality was compared after 4, 7 and 10 days and treatments were compared with control as well with one another. The average maximum % mortality, i.e. 89.36 and 85.09 of the pest, was observed with Volium Flexy, and Delegate also worked well even after 7 and 10 days. Similarly, the results on the basis of damaged fruits and percent loss of yield pointed out that Chlorantraniliprole, Flubendiamide and Indoxacarb had resulted better as compared with others, although the difference was statistically non significant. These new chemistry pesticides are suggested to be used at tomato crop against Helicoverpa armigera which are best fitted in the IPM program for the control of the pest.