Ecofriendly Management of Two Spotted Spider Mites on Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum (Mill.) in Eastern Ethiopia

Abstract

One of the most widely grown vegetable crops in Ethiopia is the tomato (Solanum lycopersicon). Two Spotted Spider Mites (TSSM) are the primary pests that pose a threat to tomato production in Eastern Ethiopia. Synthetic pesticides remain the primary method of controlling TSSM, but because of the pest's high fecundity, inbreeding, arrhenotokous reproduction, high mutation rate, and short life cycle, TSSM develops extensive and intense resistance to nearly all classes of pesticides. To address these issues, the study was started with the aim of assessing the effectiveness of tobacco leaf extract and the feasibility of intercropping on TSSM in Eastern Ethiopia. The experiment was set out in a randomized complete block design with four replications at the Hara Maya University Rare research location. The trial's treatments included tomatoes, tomatoes + cabbage, tomatoes + common beans, tomatoes + onions, tomatoes + tobacco leaf extract, and tomatoes + karate 5% EC. When compared to solitary tomatoes, the overall result showed that intercropping and tobacco leaf extract considerably reduced the population of these mite pests. The karate intercropping population had the lowest population with infestation (14.65, 0.79), followed by the tomato-tobacco leaf extract (16.50, 0.92) and the tomato onion (36.53, 1.74). The control group had the highest population with maximal infestation (94.10, and 2.88, respectively). When compared to an untreated plot, tobacco leaf extract showed the greatest population reduction with infestation, followed by tomato-onion intercropping. The tomato-onion intercrops produced the maximum yield (50.73tha-1), which was followed by the tobacco extract (43.65tha-1) and karate 5% EC (43.96tha-1). The head cabbage intercrops produced the lowest yield (30.10tha-1). Tomato-onion intercrops yielded the highest net benefit (688653.45 ETB), while common bean intercrops (354176.60 ETB) showed the lowest net benefit. Consequently, as an alternative to using karate 5% EC and as anticipated as a common integrated management of TSSM on tomato, tomato onion intercrops, and tobacco leaf extract may be regarded as the primary choices in increasing tomato output.