Tomatoes

IPM has been developed and successfully applied in greenhouse tomatoes in several regions of the world since the 1970s. As an alternative to the exclusive application of pesticides, the cornerstone of this strategy is to use Natural Enemies (NE) to control some of the crop’s key pests (whiteflies, tomato leafminer) and other pests (spider mites, dipteran leafminers, thrips, aphids and noctuid moths). Along with the development of varieties with reduced susceptibility to viral diseases transmitted by insects, such as TYLCV, TICV, ToCV and ToTV (by whiteflies), TSWV (by thrips) and PVY (by aphids), management of these problems in many affected areas has been enhanced by the use of screens in greenhouses and the use of NE to reduce vector populations region-wide (both inside and outside greenhouses). Until recently, fungicides were the only available solution for control of airborne diseases (Botrytis, Oidium, Phytophtora and Alternaria) and soilborne diseases (Verticillium, Fusarium, Rhizoctonia). A number of biological products and biostimulants now available offer a more sustainable solution, but there is yet no effective solution to some pest problems, such as russet mites, and their presence limits wider application of the programme