Studies on the pest complex of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) and their natural enemies in western region of Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract

The experiment was conducted at Horticulture Research Centre (HRC) of Sardar Vallabhabhai Patel University of Agriculture and Technology, Modipuram, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. The studies on the insect pest complex revealed that a total of 8 insect species and 9 natural enemies found associated with tomato crop at different crop growth stages. The presence of aphids, jassids, thrips and grasshoppers were recorded from the vegetative to maturity stage of the crop, while tomato fruit borer, aphid and whitefly are the major pests at vegetative as well as flowering and fruiting stage of the crop. Serpentine leaf miner and leaf eating caterpillar were found to damage the crop moderately. Other minor insect pests of less importance were found without much economic loss. The natural enemies of different insect pests of tomato recorded in the experimental crop were dragonfly, common blue damselfly, ladybird beetle, ichneumon wasp, green lacewing, red ant, mantid and spider.