The relative susceptibility of certain tomato hybrids to the moth Tuta absoluta (TLM)‎, with reference to the role of plant age on the level of infestation

Abstract EN

The tomato leaf miner (TLM), Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is one of the major pests that attacks tomato and other solanaceae plants.

It is currently considered a key agricultural threat to tomato production in Egypt, within its spread on 2008.TLM is becoming resistant to many of the pesticides used in tomato fields.

One of the potential alternative methods of control is host plant resistance as a tool in IPM program.

We examined the susceptibility of certain tomato hybrids (TH99806, TH99807, E.448 and Super Jakal) against the TLM infestation, during the winter and summer seasons of two successive years (2012 and 2013).

The results revealed that the TLM showed different states of preference towards the investigated tomato cultivars.

This finding may be important in breeding programs aiming to develop tomato cultivars resistant to this pest.

The intensity of TLM infestation was arranged according to the level of leaves on the plant, it was found that the eldest leaves harbored the highest level of infestation which attributed to the accumulation of larvae through the growing of host plant.