الفهرس | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract Tomato (Lycopersicon esulentum L.) is considered as one of the most important vegetable crop grown not only in Egypt, but also in the world. The most important problem facing the Egyptian tomato growers is the presence of insect pests attacking this crop. Insect species found in tomato fields were: Aphis gossypii, Bemisia tabaci, Cyrtopeltis tenuis, Empoasca discipiens, Spodoptera littoralis, and Autographa gamma. ?Reliance on chemical control of whiteflies and aphids leads to insect resistance, a dramatic increase in insect populations, high residue levels and adverse effects on environment. Alternative methods of control, including the use of cultural methods, resistant varieties, and biological control could prevent aphid and whiteflies infestations and / or disease transmission and enhance activities of natural enemies. Today, biological control is an increasingly important component of integrated pest management (IPM) programs for agriculture as well as for urban environments. Therefore, techniques for mass production of some predators and parasitoids may be relatively help in solving the problem of insect pests on tomato and reduce the hazards of pesticides to human and environment in Egypt. Therefore, the objectives of the current study were to: 1?Survey the natural enemies associated with the main insect pests infesting tomato plants. 2?Determine the seasonal abundance of these natural enemies. 3?Study the effect of certain weather factors on the seasonal abundance of certain natural enemies. 4?Release the coccinellid predator, Coccinella undecimpunctata L. (larvae and adults stages) and the chrysopid, Chrysoperla carnea (Steph.) (larvae) for controlling cotton aphid, Aphis gossypii Glover on tomato plants. |