The population dynamics of South American tomato pinworm Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lep.: Gelechiidae) affected by several mortality biotic factors such as predators, parasitoids and water (irrigation and raining). The objective of the present work was to quantify the role of each factor in the survivorship of tomato pinworm eggs. The experiments were conducted at Embrapa Hortaliças from 01/08/2004 to 07/11/2005 in tomato and tomato-coriander organic system and traditional tomato crop system. The following methodology were conducted: 1) tomato pinworm eggs were collected in the field at different stages of the crop cycle and incubated in laboratory until the caterpillar/parasitoid emergency; 2) tomato pinworm eggs were marked and recollected after 72 hours, as sentinel prey; 3) cohorts of tomato pinworm eggs were marked and monitored each 24h until caterpillar eclosion. The eggs collected in the field and kept in the lab showed greater mortality by Trichogramma sp. (32%) than those kept in the field (methodology 2 and 3). However, under field conditions (method 2 and 3) by Trichogramma sp. was as lower as 12%, and mortality caused by predator and water effects reach 36%. This difference suggests that egg permanence in the field expose it to competition with predators and mortality caused by water effect, decreasing the recruitment of Trichogramma sp. Egg parasitoids, generalist predators associated with the water impact resulted in more mortality rates on eggs of T. absoluta in organic tomato cropping system.
Agroecology; conservation biological control; cultural control; irrigation; natural enemies
