EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVES FOR THE PROTECTION OF SEEDBEDS OF TOMATO (<i>Lycopersicum esculentum</i> Mill) AGAINST THE ATTACK OF THE COMPLEX WHITE FLY (<i>Bemisia tabaci</i>, Gennadius)-GEMINIVIRUS

Abstract

With the objective to evaluate physical and chemical protective tomato seedling alternatives, a field experiment was settled in the municipality of Tisma, Masaya, between May and September 2007. Evaluated treatments were as follow, Tomato seedlings naturally exposed to white flies and geminivirus but protected with the botanic insecticide Nim®, Tomato seedlings on pots naturally exposed to whiteflies protected with the chemical insecticides Gaucho®-confidor®, Tomato seedlings on soil protected with an antivirus screen (Microtunel), and tomato seedlings on pots protected with a micro-greenhouse. According to the results, treatments with lower levels of virus were micro-greenhouse and microtunel. The greatest tomato production was obtained on the treatments tomato protected with micro greenhouse. Finally, an economic analysis was performed based on a partial budget cost analysis, where the treatment micro-greenhouse obtained the second highest variable cost, but at the same time, it obtained the highest net benefit cost in comparison with the other evaluated treatments. Besides, treatments that were non-dominated on the analysis, (micro-greenhouse and Gaucho-confidor) their marginal return cost was determined. Concluding from this study, that the treatment micro-greenhouse was the best treatment because it obtained the best result in protecting against viruses and at the same time, it was the most economic evaluated treatment on its use, therefore, it is recommended for producer to use for the protection against Whiteflies and Geminivirus on the municipality of Tisma.

Keywords: Whiteflies, Geminivirus, Tomato, Microtunel, Microgreenhouse, Tisma, Nicaragua.

DOI: 10.5377/calera.v10i14.26