Evaluation of Certain Non-Conventional Nanoparticles Agents against Certain Insect Pests of Tomato, Solanum lycopersicum

This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of silica nanoparticles (SiO₂-NPs) and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) in comparison to the insecticide imidacloprid, against major insect pests of tomato crops. The target pests included whitefly; Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius, 1889), tomato leaf miner; Tuta absoluta (Meyrick, 1917) tomato thrips; Thrips tabaci (Lindeman, 1889) and jassids; Empoasca lybica (De Berg, 1883) in addition to the two-spotted spider mite; Tetranychus urticae (Koch, 1836) and several natural insect predatory species such as Nesidiocoris tenuis (Reuter, 1895),Chrysoperla carnea(Stephens, 1836), and Coccinella spp. (Linnaeus, 1758). Field trials were conducted under open-field conditions over two successive growing seasons. The biological activity of the tested treatments was assessed by calculating the reduction percentages of the pest populations. Silica and zinc oxide Nanoparticles (NPs) were applied at field concentrations of 100 and 500 ppm. Results indicated that zinc oxide nanoparticles at 500 ppm were the most effective treatment against the target pests, followed by silica nanoparticles at the same concentration, and then imidacloprid. Notably, both nanoparticle treatments exhibited high safety toward beneficial predatory species. This study underscores the broader potential of nanoparticles in agriculture as a sustainable pest management strategy, capable of enhancing crop resilience and productivity while minimizing pest-related damage. These findings support the integration of nanotechnology into pest control programs and emphasize the importance of further interdisciplinary research to fully harness its potential in sustainable farming practices.