Field Guide to Non-chemical Pest Management in Tomato Production

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Field Guide to
Non-chemical
Pest Management
in Tomato
Production
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Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Germany

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Field Guide to
Non-chemical
Pest Management
in Tomato
Production
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Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Germany
Hamburg, 2005

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This publication is prepared by PAN Germany
for PAN UK.
Pesticide Action Network (PAN)
Founded in 1982, the Pesticide Action Network is an
international coalition of over 600 citizens groups in more than
60 countries, working to oppose the misuse of pesticides and to
promote sustainable agriculture and ecologically sound pest
management.
PAN Germany was established in 1984 as part of this
global network and has continually been involved in initiatives to
reduce the use of hazardous pesticides and to promote
sustainable pest management systems on national, European
and global levels.
Acknowledgements
First, we want to express our gratitude to the universities
and organisations that have given the permission to use their
photos for the OISAT project. (For more details see p. 43)
We also wish to thank all the individuals, groups and
organizations that have prepared the bases for the most control
measures presented in this field guide, may it have been by
preserving traditional experience, on field trials, on field
research or in the lab.
© Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Germany
Nernstweg 32, 22765 Hamburg, Germany
Phone: +49 (0) 40 – 399 19 10-0
Fax: + 49 (0) 40 – 390 75 20
Email: info@pan-germany.org
Internet:
www.pan-germany.org
www.oisat.org
Prepared by: Dr. Jewel Bissdorf
Editor: Carina Weber
Layout: Reginald Bruhn
Hamburg, August 2005
Apart from the photos, permission is granted to reproduce any
and all portions of this publication, provided the publisher, title,
and editor are acknowledged.

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Field Guide to Non-chemical Pest Management in Tomato Production
Index
Prologue............................................................................................................................................7
How to use this field guide...............................................................................................................8
General recommendations ...............................................................................................................9
Insects/Mites ...................................................................................................................................10
Ants..............................................................................................................................................10
Aphids ..........................................................................................................................................11
Cutworm .......................................................................................................................................12
Flea beetles..................................................................................................................................13
Hornworm.....................................................................................................................................14
Leafhoppers .................................................................................................................................15
Leafminers....................................................................................................................................16
Psyllids .........................................................................................................................................17
Spider mites .................................................................................................................................18
Thrips ...........................................................................................................................................19
Tomato fruitworm..........................................................................................................................20
Whiteflies......................................................................................................................................21
Wireworm .....................................................................................................................................22
Slugs and snails..............................................................................................................................23
Slugs ............................................................................................................................................23
Common garden snail...................................................................................................................24
Nematodes ......................................................................................................................................25
Root knot nematodes....................................................................................................................25
Diseases ..........................................................................................................................................26
Alternaria leaf spot........................................................................................................................26
Anthracnose .................................................................................................................................26
Bacterial leaf blight .......................................................................................................................27
Bacterial wilt .................................................................................................................................27
Downy mildew ..............................................................................................................................28
Early blight....................................................................................................................................28
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Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Germany
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Field Guide to Non-chemical Pest Management in Tomato Production
Fusarium wilt ................................................................................................................................29
Late blight.....................................................................................................................................30
Leaf curl virus ...............................................................................................................................30
Leaf curl virus ...............................................................................................................................31
Tomato mosaic virus.....................................................................................................................32
Natural enemies ..............................................................................................................................33
Braconids .....................................................................................................................................33
Damsel bugs.................................................................................................................................34
Encarsia .......................................................................................................................................34
Ground beetle...............................................................................................................................35
Hoverfly ........................................................................................................................................36
Lacewing ......................................................................................................................................37
Ladybird beetles ...........................................................................................................................38
Rove beetles.................................................................................................................................39
Spider...........................................................................................................................................40
Tachinid fly ...................................................................................................................................41
Trichogramma ..............................................................................................................................42
Photo credits...................................................................................................................................43
Alphabetical list of the mentioned control methods ....................................................................44
References ......................................................................................................................................45
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Field Guide to Non-chemical Pest Management in Tomato Production
Prologue
Pesticides worth more than 30 billion US dollar are intentionally released into the global
environment every year. A high proportion of these is highly toxic and has immediate
adverse effects on human health, wildlife, local food sources such as cattle or fish, beneficial
insects and biodiversity. Some of them have chronic effects including cancers, reproductive
problems, birth defects, hormonal disruption and damage to the immune system. Impacts
come from direct exposure in use, spray drift, washing work clothes used while spraying,
home pesticide storage, pesticide dumps, and persistence in the environment.
Overall aim of the international Pesticide Action Network (PAN) is to eliminate the use of
hazardous pesticides, reduce overall use, risk and dependence on pesticides, and increase
support for community-based control over a sustainably produced food supply. PAN is
committed, in its projects, strategies and campaigns to place pesticide concerns in the broad
political and economic context in ways that will advance the fight against rural poverty and
enhance pro-poor development and ethical trade. PAN aims to help local communities use
the initiatives to benefit their day-to-day lives.
PAN Germany is part of the international Pesticide Action Network. It is supporting non-
chemical pest management on tropical crops that are commonly grown by small landholder
farmers through the project: Online Information Service for Non-chemical Pest Management
in the Tropics, OISAT (www.oisat.org).
OISAT is a web-based system to distribute information on non-chemical pest
management that is easy to read and easy to understand.
Information provided via
www.oisat.org is relevant to small-scale farmers who intend to produce crops using safer and
more affordable non-chemical pest management practices. It provides varied information on
how to lower the cost of production based on recommended insect/mites pests, disease, and
weeds control methods.
This ‘Field Guide to Non-chemical Pests Management in Tomato Production’, is an
excerpt taken from the website, www.oisat.org. It enables to provide farmers with practical
guides and alternatives to eliminate the use and their dependence on synthetic pesticides for
the management of tomato pests. The recommended practices are safer, more affordable,
and easy to follow. Most of the farm practices, the farmers can do by themselves and the
materials that are needed are found in their backyards or in their kitchens or can be
purchased in the local agricultural suppliers.
Carina Weber
(Executive Director PAN Germany)
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Field Guide to Non-chemical Pest Management in Tomato Production
How to use this field guide
This field guide is designed to make the control of tomato pests as easy as possible.
Each pest included has a brief description of its lifecycle, damage it causes, and the control
measures. It is very important to know how the insect/mite pest develops because the adult
does not always cause the damage and sometimes it is not even found where the damage
occurred. Also, as not to confuse you with the beneficial ones, a separate description of the
natural enemies and their conservation and management are discussed at the last part.
Included in the control measures are cultural practices, physical control, plant extracts, other
homemade solutions, and other practical methods.
For example, you notice that the tomato leaves are having white spots when you’re out in
the field. What would you do? First, have a closer and careful examination of your plant. If
you find the pest and can’t identify it, turn the following pages and look at the illustration of an
insect and/or the damage or symptom in each pest entry. Once you have identified the pest,
look into the corresponding control measures on how to lessen its population density. You
have various options like: cultural practices (e.g. removal of weeds); physical control (e.g.
handpicking); plant extract (e.g. neem spray); other homemade solution (e.g. soap spray);
other method (use of baits).
However, with every effort made to provide you with complete information on the natural
pest control on tomato, the recommendations may vary from every location. It is highly
recommended that you have to try the various control practices in small scale especially for
the plant extracts and other homemade solutions, in order to make adjustments that are
adaptable to your local farm conditions before going into large scale application. And best of
all, always keep farm records to have a list of successes and failures in each time you grow a
crop!
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Field Guide to Non-chemical Pest Management in Tomato Production
General recommendations
Throughout this field guide you will find suggestions for lessening the pests’ population
before they have control over your tomato field. To make a plan for you to grow a healthy
crop, the following tips are the steps you ought to take:
1. Learn to identify the pests and other causal agents and the natural enemies
2. Select the proper tomato variety that is well adapted to your local conditions
3. Always select good and diseased-free seeds and transplant only pest-free seedlings.
If possible, treat seeds to kill seed borne pathogens and insect pests
4. Have a healthy soil, and always keep in mind that over-fertilizing isn’t necessarily
better
5. Practice crop rotation by planting on the next cropping season- crops of different
family group
6. If possible practice intercropping to improve the field’s diversity and to encourage
natural enemies
7. Follow the recommended planting distances and practice staking
8. Prepare the soil thoroughly by appropriate tillage
9. Always practice proper field sanitation by removing and pruning infested plant parts,
keeping the area free of weeds and other plant residues, and cleaning regularly all
farm tools and implements
10. Monitor your plants regularly
11. When in doubt, always ask for assistance from your local agriculturists
When controlling pests using the plant extracts and other homemade solutions, the
following are the standard procedures for their preparation and application;
1. Select plants/plant parts that are pests-free.
2. When storing the plants/plant parts for future usage, make sure that they are properly
dried and are stored in an airy container (never use plastic container), away from
direct sunlight and moisture. Make sure that they are free from molds before using
them.
3. Use utensils for the extract preparation that are not used for your food preparation
and for drinking and cooking water containers. Clean properly all the utensils every
time after using them.
4. Do not have a direct contact with the crude extract while in the process of the
preparation and during the application.
5. Make sure that you place the plant extract out of reach of children and house pets
while leaving it overnight.
6. Always test the plant extract formulation on a few infested plants first before going
into large scale spraying.
7. Wear protective clothing while applying the extract.
8. Wash your hands after handling the plant extract.
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Field Guide to Non-chemical Pest Management in Tomato Production
Insects/Mites
Ants
Damage
Ants take the sown seeds back to their colony,
feed on germinating seeds and on young seedlings.
They tend insect pests like aphids, scales,
whiteflies,
mealybugs,
and
other
honeydew
producing insects. These actions result in missing
hills, thus loss of plant stand, uneven growth
distribution in the field, and an increased incidence
of diseases caused by the abovementioned insects.
Description
Eggs are delicate, soft, white, and are laid in
An adult ant varies in color, from blackish to
clusters of 75-125 eggs.
reddish-brown depending on its species. It has
The larva is grub-liked, legless, very soft, and
robust mandibles with strong teeth that could inflict
whitish in color. It inflicts no damage as it depends
painful bites. It has elbowed- antennae, a thin waist,
on the worker ant (older sibling) for care and food.
and if it is winged, the hind wings are smaller than
The pupa is whitish and develops inside the ant's
the front wings and have few veins.
nest. It has visible legs and in some cases, wings.
Ants are also beneficial insects because they
The pupal stage is the transitional stage between
prey on termites, eggs, pupa, and caterpillars of
the larva and the adult which emerges during the
other insect pests. Nevertheless, ants should not be
final molt.
introduced into vegetable gardens for insect pest
control.
Control measures
Cultural practices
Soap spray
Increase the seeding/seedling rate. This
practice turns out cheaper than with the use of
Method of preparation
insecticide.
Mix 2½ tbsp of liquid
Control mealybug, aphid, whitefly, and other
soap to a gallon of
insects that excrete honeydew. The ants are likely
water.
to be found in plants infested by these insects
Stir well.
because they protect them for their food.
Another method is to
mix 1 tbsp of dish-
Other solutions
washing detergent with
1 cup of cooking oil, to
Ant oil spray
make a stock solution.
For a gallon of spray,
Mix 2 tbsp dish washing soap, 2 tsp vegetable
add 5-8 tbsp of stock
oil, 2 tbsp salt, and few drops of vinegar into 4 liters
solution to a gallon of
water.
of water.
Soap spray
Pests controlled
Ants
Leafhoppers
Mealybugs
Psyllids
Scales
Spider mites
Thrips
Whiteflies and
Plant diseases
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Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Germany

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