In August 1999, at the "Núcleo Rural da Taquara", Federal District, Brazil, tomato and brassica crops were severely damaged by the South American Tomato Pinworm (Tuta absoluta) and the Diamondback Moth (Plutella xylostella). During that time growers related that they had been spraying insecticides one to seven times per week without controlling the pests. In the fields it was observed that there were crops with different ages and levels of chemical residues which allowed the pests to multiplicate continuously. Then it was decided that the first step to solve the problem would be to evaluate the efficacy of the recommended field rate of some insecticides in laboratory bioassays. Two Brazilian Tomato Pinworm populations and one Diamondback Moth population were collected. Cartap, abamectin, lufenuron, acephate and deltamethrin caused 100, 90, 67, 2 and 0% of larval mortality to the South American Tomato Pinworm, respectively. B. thuringiensis, abamectin, cartap, acephate and deltamethrin caused 100; 96; 86; 79 and 5% of mortality to the Diamondback Moth, respectively. According to laboratory results it was recommended that the use of pyrethroid and organophosphorous compounds must be suspended immediately. Abamectin and cartap must be used to control the South American Tomato Pinworm and B. thuringiensis must be employed to Diamondback Moth control.
Brassica oleracea; Lycopersicon esculentum; Tuta absoluta; Plutella xylostella; tomato; cabbage; cauliflower; chemical control; insecticide resistance
