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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Poplarville, Mississippi » Southern Horticultural Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #270929
Title: Evaluation of tempera paints to reduce occurrence of tomato spotted wilt virus

Author
item CROXTON, SCOTT - Auburn University
item WHEELER III, FOSHEE - Auburn University
item BLYTHE, EUGENE - Mississippi State Extension Service
item MURPHY, JOHN - Auburn University
item SIBLEY, JEFF - Auburn University
item SRINIVASAN, R - University Of Georgia

Submitted to: International Journal of Vegetable Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/28/2010
Publication Date: 4/8/2011
Citation: Croxton, S.D., Wheeler Iii, F.G., Blythe, E.K., Murphy, J.F., Sibley, J.L., Srinivasan, R. 2011. Evaluation of tempera paints to reduce occurrence of tomato spotted wilt virus. International Journal of Vegetable Science. 17:177-189.

Interpretive Summary: Thrips can occur in lower numbers on certain colors of flowers and with the use of certain reflective mulches; however, no previous work has evaluated application of selected colors of paints on tomato for reducing numbers of thrips and incidence of tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV). Two preliminary greenhouse experiments were conducted to evaluate possible adverse effects of tempera paints on growth and early yield of tomato in Auburn, Alabama. Brilliant red, cerise, crimson, jazz orange, or purple tempera paint was applied weekly to foliage of container- grown plants until first harvest. Paints did not significantly reduce plant height in comparison with nontreated plants in winter/early spring and fall experiments; however, fruit yield was reduced on plants treated with purple paint in the spring experiment and all paint colors (except cerise) in the fall experiment. Four subsequent field experiments in Alabama evaluated the same foliar-applied paints on tomato yield, occurrence of thrips, and incidence of TSWV. Plants sprayed with jazz orange paint exhibited reduced yield of marketable fruit in only one of four crops; otherwise, total weight of marketable fruit from paint-treated plants showed no significant reduction compared with nontreated plants. There was an indication of reduction in thrips numbers on painted plants when evaluated before, but not after, flowering. Paint did not significantly reduce occurrence of TSWV. This information will be useful to horticultural researchers in further examining the effects of color as part of non-chemical control of thrips on tomato.

Technical Abstract: Thrips occur in lower numbers on certain colors of flowers and with the use of certain reflective mulches. A series of experiments was conducted to evaluate the potential of foliar application of selected colors of tempera paints on tomato [Solanum lycopersicum L. (syn.: Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.)] plants as an alternative to plastic mulches for reducing numbers of thrips and incidence of tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV). Two preliminary greenhouse experiments were conducted in Winter/early Spring 2005 and Fall 2005 to evaluate possible adverse effects of selected tempera paints on growth and early yield of tomato in Auburn, Alabama. Brilliant red, cerise, crimson, jazz orange, or purple tempera paint was applied weekly to foliage of container- grown plants until first harvest. Paint treatments did not significantly reduce plant height in comparison with nontreated plants in either the winter/early spring or fall experiment; fruit yield was reduced on plants treated with purple paint in the spring experiment and all paint colors (except cerise) in the fall experiment. Four subsequent field experiments were conducted in 2006 and 2007 in Shorter and Auburn, Alabama, to evaluate the effects of the same foliar-applied paints on tomato yield, occurrence of thrips, and incidence of TSWV. Plants sprayed with jazz orange paint exhibited reduced yield of marketable fruit in only one of the four crops; otherwise, total weight of marketable fruit from paint-treated plants showed no significant reduction compared with nontreated plants. There was an indication of reduction in thrips numbers on painted plants when evaluated prebloom but not postbloom. Paint treatments did not significantly reduce occurrence of TSWV.