Sustainable Management of Tomato Leaf Curl Virus Disease and Its Vector, Bemisia Tabaci through Integration of Physical Barrier with Biopesticides

 Field experiments were conducted to evolve a suitable management strategy against Tomato leaf curl virus (ToLCV) disease and its whitefly vector, Bemisia tabaci. White nylon net as a physical barrier against whitefly in the nursery bed as well as two neem based formulations viz., Neembicidine and Bioneem as biopesticides were used in the main field, reduced ToLCV incidence, whitefly population and increased yield. The seedlings raised in the nursery bed covered with nylon net showed no ToLCV incidence, whereas, 8.0 percent incidence was recorded in the uncovered nursery bed. The best treatment was found where seedlings raised under nylon net cover in the nursery bed along with spraying of Neembicidine @ 2.0 per cent at 20 and 35 days after transplanting (DAT) showed no ToLCV disease incidence (0.00%) with highest yield (322.22 q/ha) followed by the treatment where seedlings were raised under covered condition as well as spraying of Bioneem @ 2.0 per cent at 20 and 35 DAT showed a low disease incidence of 5.33 per cent with 318.89 q/ha yield. Whereas seedlings raised under covered  condition along with recommended conventional insecticide, Dimethoate @ 0.2% at 20 and 35 DAT showed disease incidence of  13.33 per cent with lower yield of 285.19 q/ha. The highest disease incidence was recorded in the untreated control plot as 89.33 per cent corresponding with lowest yield of 98.89q/ha.