Effectiveness of mating disruption with TUTATEC® dispensers against Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) in heated greenhouses in southern Tunisia

Tomato production in geothermal greenhouses in Tunisia showed remarkable growth during the last decade and has been considered an important economic sector within the Tunisian agriculture. However, since 2010, this sector is constrained by the tomato leaf miner Tuta absoluta , which is considered one of the most destructive pests of tomato crops. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the mating disruption with TUTATEC® in tomato crops in heated greenhouses. The efficacy of TUTATEC® at the theoretical doses of 55.5 and 111 g active ingredient of sex pheromone per hectare (300 and 600 dispensers/ha) to control T. absoluta was compared with mechanical control (manual deleafing) and conventional insecticides (Azadirachtin, 10 g/L and Cyantraniliprole, 100 g/L). The number of trapped males in water traps as well as the percentages of infested leaves and fruits were monitored weekly and compared with manual deleafing and insecticide-treated greenhouses. In greenhouses disrupted with 300 and 600 dispensers/ha, a reduction of 47.79 and 63.01% in male trap captures was observed, respectively, compared with mechanical control. The leaf damage was significantly lower in greenhouses disrupted with 600 dispensers/ha and insecticide treated greenhouses, with a reduction of infestation 29.53% and 32.02%, respectively. No significant differences were found in fruit damage between greenhouses disrupted with 300 and 600 dispensers/ha and the mechanical control. These results suggest that mating disruption is effective in the management of T. absoluta , and could be used in the framework of Integrated Pest Management strategies to control this pest.