Development of Environmentally-Friendly Tomato Insect Pest Control Options Under Tropical Conditions

Abstract Production of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) can be difficult due to pressure from insects. Cultural methods can be employed to improve tomato production in the tropics. Tomato cultivars were tested for effects of intercropping with maize on insect pest populations and yield. Bemisia tabaci Gennadius, Aphis gossypii Clover, and Helicoverpa armigera Hubner, contributed significantly to yield losses. Some cultivars were less susceptible to attack by these insect pests and had comparatively higher yields. There was a negative correlation between percentage of plants attacked by the insect pests and yield. Two seasons of intercropping with maize showed that aphid populations on tomato were reduced, and there were higher populations of predatory spiders in the intercropped tomato compared with monocropped tomato. Cropping method did not significantly reduce damage by H. armigera.