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Development of effective biorationals for sustainable management of the invasive South American tomato leafminer Phthorimaea absoluta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)

Thesis (PhD (Entomology))--University of Pretoria, 2024.

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Other Authors: Torto, Baldwyn
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Language:English
Published: University of Pretoria 2024
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author2 Torto, Baldwyn
author_browse Torto, Baldwyn
author_facet Torto, Baldwyn
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dc_rights_str_mv © 2023 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.
description Thesis (PhD (Entomology))--University of Pretoria, 2024.
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institution University of Pretoria (South Africa)
language English
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spelling oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/98476 Development of effective biorationals for sustainable management of the invasive South American tomato leafminer Phthorimaea absoluta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) Torto, Baldwyn Yusuf, Abdullahi Ahmed u21831409@tuks.co.za Adams, Bashiru UCTD Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Invasive pest Phthorimaea absoluta Biorational Nesidiocoris tenuis Semiochemicals SDG-15: Life on land Natural and agricultural sciences SDG-15 Thesis (PhD (Entomology))--University of Pretoria, 2024. The tomato leafminer, Phthorimaea absoluta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) formerly known as Tuta absoluta is an invasive pest of Solanaceous crops with preferences for cultivated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) where it is a major pest. Herbivory by P. absoluta larvae causes 80-100% yield losses in unprotected fields, with an estimated mean seasonal production loss of at least 114,000 tonnes, translating to about US$ 59.3 million in economic losses in Kenya. Synthetic chemical control has been the mainstay in managing the moth, with limited success because of the cryptic nature of the feeding larvae, the rapid evolution of resistant populations of the moth, and more importantly the negative effect of synthetic chemicals on the environment and non-target organisms. Hence, there is a global demand for more eco-friendly alternatives such as using biorationals to control the moth. Using behavioural assays, chemical analysis, and field trials, behaviour-modifying compounds that mediate the interaction of host, non-host plants, P. absoluta, and two native natural enemies associated with the pest including the generalist mirid predator Nesidiocoris tenuis (Reuter) (Hemiptera: Miridae) and the larval parasitoid Stenomesius japonicus (Ashmead) (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) were identified. The mirid predator N. tenuis is zoophytophagous and may become a pest in the absence of prey by feeding on the tomato plant. The results from these studies revealed that terpenes from constitutive volatiles of host plants such as tomato and nightshade and some selected non-host Asteraceae plants including marigold (Tagetes minuta) and blackjack (Bidens pilosa) elicit significant behavioural responses in the moth and the associated natural enemies. Additionally, terpenes and green leaf volatiles (GLVs) from the predator N. tenuis-induced host plant defense volatiles influence the tritrophic interaction between host plants, P. absoluta, N. tenuis, and S. japonicus. Field trials also showed that combining the sex pheromones (1-octanol and hexyl hexanoate) identified from the Kenyan population of N. tenuis with specific visual cues such as red and white delta traps can be used to suppress both P. absoluta and N. tenuis populations, respectively in a tomato field. Overall, these studies identified different behaviour-modifying chemicals that can be developed into effective biorationals for the sustainable management of P. absoluta and the predator N. tenuis when it becomes a pest. Zoology and Entomology PhD (Entomology) Unrestricted Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences SDG-15: Life on land 2024-10-03T09:01:54Z 2024-10-03T09:01:54Z 2025-04 2024-09 Thesis * A2025 http://hdl.handle.net/2263/98476 https://doi.org/10.25403/UPresearchdata.27068458.v1 en © 2023 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria
spellingShingle UCTD
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Invasive pest
Phthorimaea absoluta
Biorational
Nesidiocoris tenuis
Semiochemicals
SDG-15: Life on land
Natural and agricultural sciences SDG-15
Development of effective biorationals for sustainable management of the invasive South American tomato leafminer Phthorimaea absoluta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)
title Development of effective biorationals for sustainable management of the invasive South American tomato leafminer Phthorimaea absoluta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)
title_full Development of effective biorationals for sustainable management of the invasive South American tomato leafminer Phthorimaea absoluta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)
title_fullStr Development of effective biorationals for sustainable management of the invasive South American tomato leafminer Phthorimaea absoluta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)
title_full_unstemmed Development of effective biorationals for sustainable management of the invasive South American tomato leafminer Phthorimaea absoluta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)
title_short Development of effective biorationals for sustainable management of the invasive South American tomato leafminer Phthorimaea absoluta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)
title_sort development of effective biorationals for sustainable management of the invasive south american tomato leafminer phthorimaea absoluta meyrick lepidoptera gelechiidae
topic UCTD
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Invasive pest
Phthorimaea absoluta
Biorational
Nesidiocoris tenuis
Semiochemicals
SDG-15: Life on land
Natural and agricultural sciences SDG-15
url http://hdl.handle.net/2263/98476
https://doi.org/10.25403/UPresearchdata.27068458.v1