Repellency Potential of Tomato Herbivore-Induced Volatiles Against the Greenhouse Whitefly (Trialeurodes vaporariorum) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)

The greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurode vaporariorum, is among the key pests of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) in sub-Saharan Africa with Tuta absoluta, spider mite, thrips, and fruitworms. To understand the interaction between the pest and the plant's herbivory-induced plant volatile (HIPVs), we investigated the repellency of four tomato cultivars (Kilele F1, Assila F1, Red Beauty F1, and Nemonneta F1) upon infestation by Trialeurode vaporariorum. We analyzed the behavioral response of T. vaporariorum to infested and uninfested tomato plants of these cultivars using olfactory bioassays followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses of emitted volatiles. Trialeurode vaporariorum was attracted to uninfested plants of all four tomato cultivars. However, two cultivars Kilele F1 and Red Beauty F1 were no longer attractive to the whitefly when they were already infested by the pest. GC-MS analyses identified 25 compounds, 18 monoterpenes, 3 sesquiterpenes, 2 xylenes, 1 aldehyde, and 1 carboxylic compound in the 4 uninfested and infested cultivars. Based on the insects' behavioral response, 1,8-cineole, p-cymene, and limonene did not attract T. vaporariorum at varying concentrations when combined with Red Beauty F1, the most attractive tomato cultivar. This repellence behavioral response can be used as a basis for improvement of other vegetable crops for the management of arthropod pests as for odor masking technique.

Automated summary

The study found that two tomato cultivars, Kilele F1 and Red Beauty F1, were no longer attractive to the greenhouse whitefly, Trialeurode vaporariorum, after being infested. Analysis of emitted volatiles identified several compounds, and it was determined that 1,8-cineole, p-cymene, and limonene did not attract the whitefly when combined with the most attractive tomato cultivar, Red Beauty F1.