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Whitefly
Signs of Infestation
Leaf Yellowing: Whiteflies feed on plant sap, causing leaves of infested plants to turn yellow and eventually drop. This yellowing is often more evident on the lower leaves.
Growth Inhibition: Whitefly infestation may slow or halt plant growth, as the insects deplete plant nutrients while feeding on sap.
Sticky Residues: Whiteflies secrete a sugary substance known as honeydew, which covers the leaves and stems of infested plants and promotes the growth of mold fungi that reduce photosynthesis and plant growth.
Wilting or Death of Plants: Under severe infestation, whiteflies may cause plants to wilt and die when present in very large numbers feeding intensively.
Transmission of Viral Diseases: Whiteflies transmit plant viruses, especially Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus (TYLCV), from infected plants to healthy ones.
Human activity: moving between infested and healthy fields.
Prevention and Control Mechanism
Using pest-free seedlings free from all life stages of the insect.
Proper transfer of seedlings from nurseries to open fields or greenhouses.
Removing weeds and alternative host plants growing alongside the main host crop, as they serve as breeding sources and secondary hosts for the insect.
Removing weeds and alternative host plants growing alongside the main host crop, as they serve as breeding sources and secondary hosts for the insect.
Ensuring the disinfection of tools used in all agricultural operations.
Planting maize around greenhouses and fields to attract natural enemies of whiteflies, such as ladybird beetles, predatory bugs, aphid lions, predatory spiders, and others.
Following a strict crop rotation system to reduce pest transfer between hosts throughout the year.
Leaving the land prepared for cultivation fallow for no less than six weeks after harvest.
Using clean plastic covers free from tears or openings.
Installing tightly sealed double doors in nurseries and greenhouses to minimize insect entry.
Using insect-proof nets to prevent adult insects from entering nurseries and plastic greenhouses.
Cleaning greenhouses of crop residues from the previous corp.
Adhering to the rule of not moving from infested greenhouses to healthy ones; rather, work must proceed from the healthy greenhouse first, then to the infested one.
Reducing humidity in the lower parts of plants by pruning, removing side branches, and discarding old and infested leaves.
Eliminating weeds around greenhouses manually or with herbicides.
Installing fans at greenhouse entrances to drive whiteflies out and prevent their entry.
Plowing the soil after harvest and ensuring removal of crop residues.