Screening of Some Foliar Chemical Insecticides against White Fly (Bemisia tabaci) on Tomato at Metema District, North Gondar, Ethiopia

Eshetu Agegnehu^*, Yenus Ousma, Asrat Ayalew

Department of Plant Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.

DOI: 10.4236/oalib.1100370                

Abstract

Tomato is one of the vegetable crops growing in Ethiopia and important cash crops for small scale growers with a potential for increasing incomes in rural areas, improving the living standards and creating employment opportunities for women and youth. Vegetables in tropical countries are the crops which are often attacked most seriously by arthropod pests. Among the major insect pests, white flies, one of a serious leaf-sucking pest, cause direct damage to plants by sucking plant sap. The experiment was conducted in farmer’s field with supplementary irrigation at Aftete-Kumer locality in Metema District since 2011/12 to select effective foliar insecticide for white fly control. The experiment was initiated with 5 treatments such as 4 foliar insecticides and control. Foliar chemical insecticides such as Ethiosulfan 35% EC, Ethiothoate 40% EC, Ethiolathion 50% EC and Metasystox 250% EC were used with rate of 2, 1.5, 1.5 and 0.9 milliliter per plot respectively and arranged by using RCBD with three replications. Melka shola tomato variety was used in this study. Post spray count was carried out three times at 2, 5 and 7 days after applying the insecticides. All data were analyzed by using SAS computer software. Plots sprayed with Ethiothoate and Ethiolathion showed less significant difference on stand counting at harvesting with mean number of plants of 48.3 and 41.6 per plot respectively as compared to plots sprayed with Ethiosulfan (39.60), Metasystox (37.6) and Control (37). All treatments were not shown significant difference on pre-spraying count of adult white flies. In case of post-spray count of adult white flies, Ethiothoate showed highly significant difference (p < 0.05) with least number of white flies population (1.6 per leaf) followed by Ethiolathion (2 per leaf). The highest number of adult white flies was recorded from control (25) and Metasystox (16.6) followed by Ethiosulfan (14.3). Regarding yield, there was significant difference (p < 0.05) between treatments. The highest yield was obtained from Ethiothoate (401.6 grams per plot) and Ethiolathion (356.67 grams per plot) followed by Metasystox (119.6 grams per plot) and Ethiosulfan (113.3 grams per plot). The lower yield was obtained from control (81.6 grams per plot). Ethiothoate and Ethiolathion have shown highest efficacy in controlling tomato white fly through reducing the population.

Keywords

Foliar Insecticides, Tomato, White Fly

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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