Effectiveness of <em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bacillus <em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">thuringiensis (Shigetane) Commercial Products against Tomato Leaf Miner, <em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tuta <em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">absoluta (Meyrick, ۱۹۱۷) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)

The tomato leaf miner, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick, ۱۹۱۷) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is one of the most important pests causing significant economic losses in plant species belonging to the Solanaceae family. The preferred management method for T. absoluta currently involves insecticide application. However, beside the undesired effects of insecticides, chemical treatments can also negatively impact the efficiency of Integrated Pest Management programs (IPM). Bacillus thuringiensis (Shigetane ۱۹۰۲) (Bacillales: Bacillaceae) (Bt) is a pathogen with formulations used as host-specific bio-insecticides. These formulations decompose quickly in the environment, thereby reducing non-target effects and residue problems compared to chemical pesticides. In this study, the effectiveness of six commercial Bt products, belonging to aizawai and kurstaki strains, against T. absoluta was assessed under laboratory conditions, using manufacturer-recommended doses. The efficacy of the Bt products varied between ۷۰ and ۹۷.۵%. The lowest and highest mortalities were recorded in B. thuringiensis var. aizawai and B. thuringiensis var. kurstaki products, respectively. Mortality reached ۱۰۰% within three days following insecticide treatments, whereas peak mortality in Bt applications was noted after a post-treatment period of ۱۵ days. These findings highlight the potential of certain Bt products as effective components of IPM programs for T. absoluta, suggesting the need for further field studies to optimize their use in agricultural practices.

کلیدواژه ها:

Development time ، Host-specific bio-insecticides ، IPM programs ، Mortality