Pest control in Tomato cultivation under protective structures in Kundasang Highlands Sabah

Abstract

Tomato (Lycopersicon Esculentum Mill. var. Picasso 877) was evaluated under different protective structures, namely Net house, Plastic roof net house, Plastic roof Shed and Control open at Kundasang Highlands for two seasons. The effectiveness of the protective structures and the Control treatment as an integrated pest control technique, and the influence in the growth and yields of tomato were studied. The highest fruit yields of tomato were obtained in the Plastic roof net house treatment. The lower soil moisture and higher temperatures in the two sheltered treatments, i.e. Plastic roof Net House and Plastic Roof Shed were conducive for plant growth, resulted in more vigorous and faster plant growth and this also attributed to low pest and disease incidence. The vigorous plant growth in turn resulted in bigger plant size, i.e. taller plant height with more leaf number, higher leaf area index, higher fresh plant weights and dry plant weights were produced from crops planted in the Plastic Roof Net House and as well as in the Plastic Roof Shed. Eating quality of the tomato fruits in all the treatments showed no significant difference. It was also advisable to have tomato crop planted starting in March in the year when temperature is higher and preferable by tomato crop. At the later season of the year when the weather is wet and coupled with strong wind and high rainfall starting in August, when the growing conditions are very conducive for disease development of tomato usually results in poor crop yields.