Study

Plant-row-spacing effect on insect activity, bacterial spot severity, and yield for staked-tomato production in west Florida

  • Published source details Stanley C.D., Schuster D.J. & Jones J.B. (1988) Plant-row-spacing effect on insect activity, bacterial spot severity, and yield for staked-tomato production in west Florida. Proceedings, Soil and Crop Science Society of Florida, 47, 212-214.

Actions

This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

Action Category

Use pesticides only when pests or crop damage reach threshold levels

Action Link
Natural Pest Control
  1. Use pesticides only when pests or crop damage reach threshold levels

    A randomised, replicated, controlled study in 1984-1985 in Florida, USA (Stanley et al. 1988) found more armyworm Spodoptera eridania damage to tomato Solanum lycopersicum (affecting 1.7-3.4% of fruits) in plots sprayed when pests exceeded threshold levels compared to plots sprayed weekly (0.7-0.9%). Yield was similar between plots receiving the threshold-based spraying regime (464-541 marketable fruits/10 plants) and plots receiving weekly sprays (470-600 marketable fruits). The threshold-based spraying regime used seven applications of insecticide on average compared to 14 applications in the weekly regime. In the former, sprays were applied when monitoring found at least 0.7 leafminer Liriomyza trifolii larvae on tomato leaflets, or at least one armyworm on fruiting tomato plants (prior to fruiting the threshold was one armyworm/six plants). Cyromazine and methamidophos insecticides were used to manage leafminers and fenvalerate and permethrin were used to manage armyworms. Each spraying regime was replicated 12 times and tested under different planting densities (4.5, 9.0 and 18.0 feet between rows). Effects on natural enemies were not presented.

Output references
What Works 2021 cover

What Works in Conservation

What Works in Conservation provides expert assessments of the effectiveness of actions, based on summarised evidence, in synopses. Subjects covered so far include amphibians, birds, mammals, forests, peatland and control of freshwater invasive species. More are in progress.

More about What Works in Conservation

Download free PDF or purchase
The Conservation Evidence Journal

The Conservation Evidence Journal

An online, free to publish in, open-access journal publishing results from research and projects that test the effectiveness of conservation actions.

Read the latest volume: Volume 21

Go to the CE Journal

Discover more on our blog

Our blog contains the latest news and updates from the Conservation Evidence team, the Conservation Evidence Journal, and our global partners in evidence-based conservation.


Who uses Conservation Evidence?

Meet some of the evidence champions

Endangered Landscape ProgrammeRed List Champion - Arc Kent Wildlife Trust The Rufford Foundation Save the Frogs - Ghana Mauritian Wildlife Supporting Conservation Leaders
Sustainability Dashboard National Biodiversity Network Frog Life The international journey of Conservation - Oryx Cool Farm Alliance UNEP AWFA Bat Conservation InternationalPeople trust for endangered species Vincet Wildlife Trust