The Greenhouse Whitefly, Its Entrapment by Sticky Yellow Boards, and Tomato Yield in Suburban Yard-Gardens

Sixty-four Better Boy® tomato plants were grown in 16 four-plant plots in yard-gardens in the Washington, D.C., area. Greenhouse whiteflies (Trialeurodes vaporariorm), which often infest outdoor tomatoes, were artificially introduced into all plots in June and July. A pair of sticky yellow, plastic...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences 1984-03, Vol.74 (1), p.14-18
Main Authors: Cohen, Nancy Y., Barrows, Edward M., Webb, Ralph E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aleyrodidae
Beneficial insects
Gardens
Greenhouses
Infestation
Insect pests
Lycopersicon esculentum
Pesticides
Pests
Plants
Pupae
Tomatoes
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Summary:Sixty-four Better Boy® tomato plants were grown in 16 four-plant plots in yard-gardens in the Washington, D.C., area. Greenhouse whiteflies (Trialeurodes vaporariorm), which often infest outdoor tomatoes, were artificially introduced into all plots in June and July. A pair of sticky yellow, plastic boards was placed in each of eight plots in August and September. Board capture of whiteflies demonstrated their potential usefulness as monitoring devices of these insects outdoors. There was no significant correlation between whitefly abundance and tomato yield in the high-vigor plants; however, these variables were negatively correlated in the low-vigor plants. Therefore, gardeners may be able to increase yield of less vigorous Better Boy® tomato plants by controlling their whiteflies. In addition, this investigation revealed that whiteflies show marked variability in population build up on individual tomato plants; nontarget insects, pollen, dust, and other debris can greatly reduce the tackiness of the boards outdoors in only about 1 week; and the boards capture other pest insect species besides whiteflies, but they also capture beneficial insect species.
ISSN:0043-0439