Management of tobacco whitefly, Bemisia tabaci in Virginia tobacco

Abstract

Tobacco whitefly, Bemisia tabaci Gennadius is an important pest of tobacco in India and it transmits the dreaded tobacco leaf curl virus (TLCV) disease. A replicated field experiment was conducted for two seasons during2012-13 and 2013-14 in Virginia (FCV) tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) cv. Siri to evaluate certain new insecticides for the management of thewhitefly by carrying out field experiments on efficacy against the pest, incidence of TLCV, effect on the natural enemies of the whitefly and persistent toxicity studies. The white fly population and the incidence of TLCV were least in the treatment of diafenthiuron 50 WP @ 0.05%. Among others, pymetrozine 50 WG @ 0.02%, spiromesifen 240 SC @ 0.02% and flonicamid 50 WG @0.02% recorded lower whitefly population, whereas pymetrozine and flonicamid showed the lowest leaf curl virus disease incidence. Among the effective insecticides against whitefly, pymetrozine, flonicamid, spiromesifen and thiamethoxam were found to be relatively safe to the native insect predators, Coccinella repanda and Nesidiocoris tenuis. The insecticides pymetrozine and flonicamid recorded higher cured leaf, bright leaf and better grade index than others and can be used for management of the TLCV vector in Virginia tobacco.