Population Dynamics of Tuta absoluta (Meyrick, 1917) [Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae] With Different Traps Types in Open Areas of Şanlıurfa Province, Turkey

Tomato is an important crop in Turkey, which is grown in greenhouses as well as in open fields. Tomato leafminer [Tuta absoluta (Meyrick, 1917)] is a serious pest of tomato production in the country. The residues of greenhouse tomato are thrown in nearby fields, which could result in significant populations of the pest. However, limited work has been done to assess the population dynamics of the pest in the fields adjacent to greenhouse or open field tomato production areas in Turkey. Therefore, the current study was conducted to determine the population dynamics of the pest in open fields near tomato production areas in Şanlıurfa province, Turkey during 2014-2015. Three different trap types (delta, water + pheromone and ferolite) were established in three different fields in the Harran plain of the province. The traps were established during the month of May and monitoring was continued until January. The pest population was monitored weekly during the whole study period. The population density of the pest reached to the highest level during September, and a continuous decline was noted afterward. The highest average number of adults trapped by ferolite traps were 278 adult week -1, whereas delta traps caught the lowest number of the adults (60 adult week -1). The water pheromone traps also collected similar number of adults (79 adult week -1) to delta traps. Overall, ferolite trap type exhibited higher efficacy in trapping and monitoring the adults compared to the rest of the trap types included in the study. The current study reveals that tomato residues could result in significant populations of the pest in the adjacent fields, which could negatively affect other crops. Therefore, the residues must be managed properly to avoid the pest outbreaks in adjacent areas of tomato production. Moreover, ferolite traps could be used effectively to manage the pest in tomato production areas.