Assessment of seasonal effect on major insect pests of tomato in Jega, Kebbi, Nigeria with emphasis on Whitefly (Bemisia tabaci gennadius)

Despite these serious losses (up to 50% annually) caused by insect pests on tomato, there is no adequate information on the types of insect pests attacking and causing damages to tomato in Jega, Kebbi, Nigeria. The need to investigate and assessed the insect pests affecting tomato in relation to the major climatic factors lead to this study with the following objectives: (1) to monitor the major field insect pests on tomato crops in the dry and rainy seasons; (2) to investigate the seasonal abundance of Bemisia tabaci abundance on tomato as affected by environmental temperature, humidity and rainfall; (3) to determine the seasonal effect of different life stages of B. tabaci on tomato yield in net-covered plots in relation to climatic factors (4) to determine the seasonal infestation of different life stages of B. tabaci on tomato yield in the field in relation to climatic factors. Studies were conducted in the dry and rainy seasons of 2017 and 2018, at the University Teaching and Research Farm, Kebbi State University of Science and Technology, Jega (Latitude 12o 11’ N; Longitude 40 16’ E). Sampling of insects were conducted through visual count in objective 1, 3 and 4 while sticky trap was done in objective 2. All experiments were laid out in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD. Data on the abundance were subjected to Analysis of Variance while data for the abiotic study were subjected to Pearson's Correlation analysis performed in SAS version 9.4. Result revealed six major insect pests recorded on tomato in the study location namely; Leafhopper: Empoasca fabae, Aphid: Macrosiphum euphorbiae, Whitefly: Bemisia. tabaci, Fruit worm: Helicoverpa armigera, Flea Beetle: Epitrix hirtipennis and Mealybug: Phenacoccus solenopsi. Leafhopper: E. fabae was significantly (P<0.05) the highest in abundance than all the other insect monitored in both seasons and and in both years, followed by Aphid M. euphorbiae and whitefly B. tabaci. Flea Beetle E. hirtipennis, fruit worm H. armigera and mealubug P. solenopsi were significantly (P<0.05) lower than E. fabae, M. euphorbiae and B. tabaci in both seasons in 2017 and 2018. Temperature and relative humidity significantly correlated positively (P<0.05) with tomato insect pest abundance with the exception of rainfall that correlated significantly (P<0.05) negative. Bemisia tabaci abundance was found to be positively correlated with temperature and relative humidity however it was negatively correlated with rainfall. The net house experiment showed that Bemisia tabaci infestation significantly (P<0.05) reduced the growth and performance of tomato by decreasing the number of flowers and fruit produced. The infestation significantly increased (P<0.05) tomato plant mortality and number of irregular fruit ripening on tomato. Similar result were also obtained on the experiment conducted in open field where the abundance of different life stages reduced the growth, yieald quality and quantity of tomato. The result of this study will be the first useful information obtained that will assist in formulating an effective pest management and control system on the insect pests affecting tomato in the studied area.

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