Reducing infestions of bemisia tabaci (hemiptera : aleyrodidae)‎ in cantaloupe using intercropping with non-host aromatic plants

Abstract EN

To manage and reduce the severity of damage caused by Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) in the field, there is an enormous demand for safe and potential alternative strategiesto the use of chemical control.

Trials were performed to determine the impact that the intercropping three aromatic plants garlic, Allium sativum (Amaryllidaceae), dill, Anethum graveolense (Umbelliferaeae) and coriander, Coriandrum sativum (Apiaceae) with cantaloupes has on the eggs and nymphs of B.

tabaci.

.

The study was conducted during nili of the two successive growing seasons of 2015 and 2016 by intercropping these aromatic plants with cantaloupe in alternating rows.

It was found that, intercropping cantaloupe with garlic, dill and coriander reduced infestations of B.

tabaci and recorded highly significant differences between the intercropped and the cantaloupe monoculture.

The mean numbers of B.

tabaci eggs were 4.1, 4.4 and 4 eggs /leaf, respectively, compared to 13.7 eggs /leaf in cantaloupe monoculture during 2015 and 0.1, 0.07 and 0.02 eggs/leaf, respectively, compared to 14.6 eggs/leaf in cantaloupe monoculture during 2016].

Intercropping also markedly reduced the number ofB.

tabaci nymphs in 2015 and 2016 with garlic, dill and coriander to 20.7, 26.3 and 21.7 and 16.98, 15.5 and 16.8 nymphs /leaf, respectively compared to 61.8 and 55.6 nymphs /leaf, respectively in cantaloupe monoculture plots.

We suggest that, intercropping non - hosts garlic, dill and coriander promotes the reduction of B.

tabaci infestations in cantaloupe by insect repellency due to volatiles which may affect preference of B.

tabaci as compared with cantaloupe.

These plants appear to be good.