Investigate the Impact of Different Organic Fertilizers Against Three Important Pests Under Rooftop Cultivation Conditions

As an effective method worthy of use as a complement to other methods of integrated pest management programs for controlling the tomato leafminer, Tuta absoluta Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), the cotton mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) and the root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid and White) (Tylenchida: Heteroderidae), the present study aimed to investigate the effects of using different types of organic fertilizers on the insect pest populations on tomato plants and nematodes on thyme plants under rooftop cultivation conditions, compared to the use of pesticides. The obtained results on insect pests showed that the selected insecticides which were tested against T. absoluta and P. solenopsis showed the highest effects on populations of these pests. For organic fertilizer, its treatments achieved very satisfying effects on the tested insects. The effects of compost, compost tea and the mixture of both of them were generally increased by the increase of the elapsed time after treatment more than the insecticides treatments on T. absoluta and P. solenopsis. The effects of compost and compost tea were positively correlated with the used rates, and the tested mixtures treatments which containing both compost and compost tea together showed obviously higher reduction effects on T. absoluta and P. solenopsis populations. With respect to the nematode, M. incognita, numbers of galls, egg-masses and nematode were significantly affected by the used nematicide, emamectin benzoate, where it achieved the highest effectiveness compared to the tested compost tea concentrations. On the other hand, emamectin benzoate and compost tea treatments at 10% and 15% concentrations showed the highest efficacy against M. incognita galls, while compost tea at 20% concentration showed the highest effect against nematode individuals.