Abstract
In conventional agriculture, chemical insecticides are commonly used for pest control. However, their excessive application causes irreversible damage to the environment, beneficial fauna and human health. This situation has highlighted the need for alternative strategies such as biological control agents. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) promotes the reduction of insecticide use through the incorporation of natural enemies. In greenhouse horticulture systems, effective biological control agents must exhibit rapid colonization, persistence under low prey densities and opportunistic feeding habits. Tupiocoris cucurbitaceus, a predatory mirid, has shown potential for controlling whiteflies in tomato crops, although its field performance remains underexplored. This study aimed to evaluate T. cucurbitaceus as a biological control agent against Trialeurodes vaporariorum, optimize its release strategy and assess its dispersion in the system. Additionally, the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana was tested for its efficacy against whiteflies, offering a complementary and environmentally safe alternative. The use of sex pheromone traps for the control of Phthorimaea absoluta was also evaluated in greenhouse condition. Results demonstrated the high predation potential of T. cucurbitaceus, supporting its role in whitefly control. Nevertheless, further research is needed to understand the factors influencing its dispersal and persistence in crops. B. bassiana significantly reduced whitefly populations, regardless of the dose applied. Mass trapping with synthetic sex pheromones proved to be an effective and compatible method for controlling P. absoluta. These strategies show promise for inclusion in sustainable IPM programs.
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Claims 4
Claim · model-written summary
Tupiocoris cucurbitaceus showed high predation potential against whiteflies in tomato.
- Taxon
- tomato crops
Solanum lycopersicumt0 - Interactor
- whiteflye0pest
- Second interactor
- T. cucurbitaceuse0biocontrol_agent
- Outcome
- high predation potentiale0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Results demonstrated the high predation potential of T. cucurbitaceus, supporting its role in whitefly control.”
t0“tomato crops”
Claim · model-written summary
Beauveria bassiana significantly reduced whitefly populations regardless of dose.
- Taxon
- tomato cropsSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- B. bassianae0
- Interactor
- whiteflye0pest
- Second interactor
- B. bassiana
Beauveria bassianae0biocontrol_agent - Outcome
- whitefly populationse0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Qualifier
- regardless of the dose appliede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“B. bassiana significantly reduced whitefly populations, regardless of the dose applied.”
t0“tomato crops”
Claim · model-written summary
Mass trapping with synthetic sex pheromones effectively controlled P. absoluta.
- Taxon
- tomato cropsSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Treatment
- Mass trapping with synthetic sex pheromonese0
- Interactor
- P. absoluta
.jpg?width=60)
Tuta absolutae0pest - Outcome
- controlling P. absolutae0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“Mass trapping with synthetic sex pheromones proved to be an effective and compatible method for controlling P. absoluta.”
t0“tomato crops”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors propose these strategies for sustainable IPM programs.
- Taxon
- tomato cropsSolanum lycopersicumt0
- Outcome
- inclusion in sustainable IPM programse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“These strategies show promise for inclusion in sustainable IPM programs.”
t0“tomato crops”
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See all 14 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.