Lepidopterous Larval Control on Tomatoes, 1980

An experimental tomato planting (VFN Bush) was transplanted Jun 17’80 at University of California South Coast Field Station. Insecticide treatments were replicated 4 times in a randomized complete block design. Replicates were 4 rows wide (5-ft centers) by 25 ft long with 5-ft buffer between replicates. Insecticides were applied weekly from Aug 12 through Sept 30 (8 applications) by a tractor-mounted boom sprayer with 6 nozzles per row at an operating pressure of 100 psi and delivery rate of 101 gal/acre. Nozzles were hollow cone, D2 orifice, 25 core and 50-mesh screen. All treatments included 0.04% spreader-sticker (Biofilm). All mature green, pink and red fruit were harvested Sep 17 and Oct 1. Fruit were inspected for tomato pinworm damage, external damage (primarily beet armyworm) and internal damage (primarily tomato fruit-worm). The 2 harvests were combined. At the last harvest all replicates were visually inspected for tomato russet mite damage. Data (Arcsin transformation) were analyzed by Duncan’s multiple range test at 5% probability level.