Silverleaf Whitefly - Integrated Pest Management

Integrated Pest Management

The silverleaf whitefly is a very costly and common pest to the agricultural world. It destroys crops and causes the transfer of a variety of viruses that affect agricultural plants in harmful ways such as the earlier ripening of tomatoes through the tomato yellow leaf curl virus. As silverleaf whiteflies continue to destroy crops, scientists are trying to find ways to combat these agricultural pests. Some major controls for this pest have come from the development of oils from agricultural wastes, usage of natural enemies such as the four species of Eretmocerus (Eretmocerus sp, Eretmocerus mundus, Eretmocerus hayati, and Eretmocerus emiratus), employment of trap crops, release of insect growth regulators, and implementation of the Light-Emitting Diode Equipped CC trap (LED-CC).

Most of the control tools that have been created affect the plant and soil properties at a minimal level. Scientists are currently focusing on targeting the whitefly through safe mechanisms that do not cause pollution or contamination (i.e. insecticides). It is important to be able to reduce the number of B. tabaci individuals that settle on plants as to decrease plant damages such as those caused by viral transmissions. This pest can be hindered by reducing settling, decreasing oviposition, and abating its population development.