Control of Tutaabsoluta using pheromone traps on tomato crops under greenhouse in Algeria

The present study aimed to assess the effectiveness of pheromone traps of adults of Tuta absoluta in 4 potential tomato production areas in Algeria: Tipaza (Center), Mostaganem (West), Jijel (East) and Biskra (South), during the 2012-2014 campaigns. Two tomato greenhouses were considered for each zone in which, one was protected by the setup of pheromone traps and the other as an insecticide sprayed control. Tomato leaf samples were taken from each greenhouse, each month of each year according to the areas of studies to calculate the rates of infestation. Higher infestation rates were recorded in the greenhouses with local agricultural practices (control) compared with those protected by pheromone traps. With the use of the pheromone traps, a remarkable reduction affected the infestation of the greenhouses in the 4 studied areas during the years 2012 to 2014. The southern area seemed to be the most infested and at a least degree the areas of the West, the Center and the East, respectively. The temporal evolution of infestation rates showed an increase since January until July with June and July showing the higher infestation rates. These results showed the efficacy of trapping of T. absoluta males and the importance of their sustainable use in the integrated control system against this devastating insect in Algeria.