Integrated Pest Management Strategies for Controlling Tuta absoluta and Enhancing Tomato Seed Yield and Quality

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted in the mid-hills region of Himachal Pradesh, India, during April, 2019–January, 2020, to evaluate various insect management strategies, including eco-friendly approaches, against Tuta absoluta and other pests on tomato crop. Six treatment modules were compared to untreated control plants. Among all treatments, T₄, which included lambda cyhalothrin, indoxacarb, rynaxypyr and novaluron, was most effective, recording the lowest number of Tuta absoluta larvae (0.43) and leaf mines (0.75) plant^-1. This treatment also showed the lowest populations of aphids (10.49), serpentine leaf miners (0.83), and fruit borers (1.28) plant^-1. T₄ significantly enhanced growth and yield parameters, with the highest number of flower clusters (7.73), fruits (29.36), healthy fruits (23.23) plant^-1, seeds per fruit (87.73), 1000-seed weight (2.76 g), and seed yield (5.32 g plant^-1, 63.84 g plot^-1, 149.35 kg ha^-1). Seed quality was also superior in T₄, showing maximum germination (87.25%), seedling length (16.14 cm), dry weight (1.88 mg), seedling vigor indices I and II (1,412.57 and 164.71), and germination after accelerated ageing (75.25%). The enhanced performance can be attributed to the collaborated action of eco-friendly chemicals, which effectively reduced pest populations, allowing the plants to utilize their energy for growth and seed development. This study underscores the importance of integrated use of pest management strategies in optimizing tomato production, seed yield and quality, highlighting the possible benefits for agricultural economies. This study identifies an effective eco-friendly approach using specific insecticides to control Tuta absoluta and improve tomato yield and seed quality while minimizing environmental impact.