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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Insect Behavior and Biocontrol Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #216859
Title: Integrating Plant Essential Oils and Kaolin for the Sustainable Management of Thrips and Tomato Spotted Wilt on Tomato

Author
item REITZ, STUART
item MAIORINO, GUISEPPINA - UNIVERSITA BASILICATA
item OLSON, STEVE - UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
item SPRENKEL, RICHARD - UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
item CRESCENZI, ANIELLO - UNIVERSITA BASILICATA
item MOMOL, M.TIMUR - UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA

Submitted to: Plant Disease
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/5/2008
Publication Date: 6/1/2008
Citation: Reitz, S.R., Maiorino, G., Olson, S., Sprenkel, R., Crescenzi, A., Momol, M. 2008. Integrating plant essential oils and kaolin for the sustainable management of thrips and tomato spotted wilt on tomato. Plant Disease. 92:878-886.

Interpretive Summary: The thrips-vectored Tomato spotted wilt virus is the primary pest problem facing tomato production in the southern USA. Because insecticides do not effectively control primary infection by thrips immigrating into crop fields, scientists with the Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, the University of Florida, and the Università degli Studi della Basilicata, Potenza, Italy are investigating biologically-based, sustainable alternatives to manage thrips and tomato spotted wilt. Field trials were conducted to determine the effects of three plant essential oils, geraniol, lemongrass oil and tea tree oil and kaolin based particle films on the incidence of tomato spotted wilt and population dynamics of thrips. When combined with kaolin, the three plant essential oils controlled adult thrips and the incidence of tomato spotted wilt as well as the grower standard insecticide treatment. Kaolin significantly increased yield. When applied with kaolin, the plant essential oils produced yields similar to the grower standard. Kaolin may reduce the volatility of the oils, thus increasing their repellency to thrips. These findings indicate that naturally occurring products, such as plant essential oils and particle films, could be used successfully to reduce insecticide use on tomatoes, leading to more environmentally friendly and sustainable vegetable production.

Technical Abstract: Thrips-vectored Tomato spotted wilt virus is one of the most devastating pest complexes affecting tomato in the southern USA and elsewhere. Field trials were conducted over two years to determine the effects of volatile plant essential oils and kaolin based particle films on the incidence of Tomato spotted wilt and population dynamics of Frankliniella spp. thrips. The essential oils, geraniol (a monoterpene constituent of various plant essential oils), lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus ) oil and tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolii) oil, were compared with a standard insecticide treatment and an untreated control. All treatments were applied with and without kaolin, in a 5 × 2 factorial design. Although the treatments did not clearly affect the abundance of vector species, there were treatment differences in the incidence of Tomato spotted wilt. When combined with kaolin, the three essential oils reduced Tomato spotted wilt incidence. In both years, tea tree oil plus kaolin controlled Tomato spotted wilt as well as the standard insecticide treatments. Overall, kaolin significantly increased yield. When applied with kaolin, the three essential oils produced yields similar to the insecticide standard. Therefore, naturally occurring products, such as essential oils and kaolin, could be used successfully to reduce insecticide use on tomatoes.