Dr. Gadi V.P. Reddy, an entomologist at the Western Pacific Tropical Research Center in Guam, was recently awarded an $188,000 grant from USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA) Pest Management Alternatives Program (PMAP). The grant titled Development, Implementation and Economic Evaluation of Sustainable Mite and Fruit Borer Management practices on Tomato will focus on developing an ecologically sound and cost effective Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program for tomato farmers in the region.
"The majority of growers in this region use dicofol, carbaryl , malathion, and other insecticides for the control of spider and broad mites and caterpillar pests on tomato. Usually as many as 10 insecticidal applications are applied each cropping period, which is not only expensive in terms of financial outlay but is also associated with ecological and toxicological hazards," says Dr. Reddy. This funding will allow Dr. Reddy to conduct studies that will implement the use of predatory insects, petroleum spray oils, neem oil, microbial pest control agents, and modern miticides, thereby reducing the reliance on toxic pesticides to control insect pests.