Farmers’ driven approach for field validation and economic analysis of adaptable IPM Technology in tomato

Three year trials in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum L.) were carried out in Daluhera, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh during 2006–09 with a view to study the economic viability of adaptable IPM technology in a farmers participatory approach. The IPM technology comprising of raising healthy nursery using Trichoderma harzianum (c.f.v. 2×10⁹) enriched FYM (@10g/100g FYM/m²); covering nursery bed with nylon net for preventing whitefly and sowing of leaf curl resistant hybrids; adopting wider spacing of 90×60 cm, transplanting 1 marigold row/14rows of tomato as trap crop; one or two sprays of azadirachtin (Neem Baan @10 ml/litre) against aphids in early stages, erection of pheromone traps @ 5/ha for monitoring fruit borer adult moths; releasing Trichogramma chilonis @ 1.0 lakh/ha 4–5 times; spraying of HaNPV(a) 250 LE/ha 2–3 times in the evening with 2% jaggery against young larvae, collection and destruction of damaged fruits and leaf curl affected plants; and need based application of emamectin benzoate 5 WDG @ 0.25g/litre of water for borer and mancozeb for early blight was very effective in reducing the incidence of pest and minimizing the yield losses. The adoption of IPM technology resulted in reducing the number of chemical sprays to 6.6 from 12.1 in non-IPM fields with higher fruit yields of 17.44, 19.0 and 45.1 tonnes/ha in IPM and 14.56, 17.1 and 42.0 tonnes/ha in FP fields and with higher CBR of 1:1.98, 1:1.92 and 1:3.85 in IPM and 1:1.58, 1:1.65 and 1:3.47 in non-IPM fields.