Document Type
Article
Publication Date
10-30-2025
Abstract
Background
The tomato leafminer, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is a highly invasive pest that causes significant damages to tomato crops globally. Its resistance to commonly used chemical insecticides has made management increasingly difficult, prompting the need for sustainable, effective alternatives. This study investigated the efficacy of a Lebanese isolate of Beauveria pseudobassiana as a biological control agent against T. absoluta, compared its performance to Bacillus thuringiensis and conventional pesticide mixtures under both controlled, commercial production conditions
Results
Three preliminary cage experiments were conducted under controlled infestation conditions using larvae reared from field-collected adults. Conidial suspensions of B. pseudobassiana were applied following standard protocols. The fungal treatment achieved a 90.7% mortality rate at 20 °C, closely matching B. thuringiensis (85.4%), and reached 100% mortality at 14 °C. Subsequently, two field trials were carried out in commercial high-arched plastic tunnels under natural infestation. In these trials, B. pseudobassiana and B. thuringiensis significantly reduced leaf mine incidence, with control levels comparable to or exceeding those achieved by calendar-based chemical sprays. In fall production, B. pseudobassiana reduced leaf mines to 1.9 mines/leaf by week 11, outperforming chemical pesticides (3.6 mines/leaf) and performing similarly to B. thuringiensis (2.6 mines/leaf). In summer production, B. pseudobassiana maintained strong efficacy, resulting in 2.3 and 2.1 mines/leaf at weeks 3 and 4, respectively, compared to 3.1 and 5.8 mines/leaf for B. thuringiensis.
Conclusion
This is the first study to demonstrate the high efficacy of B. pseudobassiana in commercial tomato production, offering broader control than B. thuringiensis. These findings conclude that B. pseudobassiana is a viable alternative or complementary agent to B. thuringiensis in integrated pest management programs, supporting more sustainable tomato production, reduced insecticide use, and improved worker safety.
Recommended Citation
Fardoun, A., Ezzeddine, N., Atamian, H.S. et al. Effective control of tomato leaf miner, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) using the entomopathogenic fungus, Beauveria pseudobassiana Rehner & Humber in commercial high-arched plastic tunnels. Egypt J Biol Pest Control 35, 38 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41938-025-00876-x
Supplementary Information
Copyright
The authors
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agriculture Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Other Food Science Commons
Comments
This article was originally published in Egyptian Journal of Biological Pest Control, volume 35, in 2025. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41938-025-00876-x