Management practices for chewing insect pests in tomato: effects on pollinators, yield, and economic returns

Abstract

This study evaluated the effectiveness of eco-friendly management approaches viz., cultural, mechanical, biorational, sequential bio-pesticide application, on the abundance and infestation of chewing insect pests, as well as pollinators, yield performance, and economic returns (BCR) in tomato. The populations of the major chewing insects, leaf miner and fruit borer, exhibited clear seasonal trends, with larval peaks occurring in late January, and were strongly influenced by management intensity, as sequential management maintained the lowest abundance. Sequential management was the most effective treatment, exhibited fruit borer infestation to 3.7% (81.0% reduction) and leaf miner to 4.7% (79.5% reduction), compared with 20.0% and 22.4% in control. Biorational management ranked second, achieving approximately 54% reduction, while cultural and mechanical practices were less effective. Minor pests such as epilachna beetle, grasshopper, flea beetle, and stem borer were also most abundant in control plots and were effectively suppressed by sequential and biorational strategies. Pollinator abundance followed a similar trend, with control and cultural practices supporting the highest populations, while sequential and biorational treatments recorded lower but still functional levels. Yield-contributing traits and total yield varied significantly among treatments. Sequential management produced the highest yield (33.0 t ha⁻¹) and benefit–cost ratio (2.1), followed by biorational management (30.0 t ha⁻¹; BCR 1.9). Overall, sequential and biorational eco-friendly strategies provided the best balance between pest suppression, ecological sustainability, and profitability in tomato production.