Advances in Life Science and Technology www.iiste.org ISSN 2224-7181 (Paper) ISSN 2225-062X (Online) Vol.20, 2014 24 Surveillance on the Sucking Insect Pests and their Natural Enemies on Tomato Crop SAJJAD ALI KHUHRO*, ABDUL WAHEED SOLANGI, ABDUL GHANI LANJAR Department Of Entomology, Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam *Corresponding Author: SAJJAD ALI KHUHRO Email: sajjadento.sau@gmail.com ABSTRACT The experiment was conducted at the experimental area of Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam during 2013. The Roma variety was cultivated for this purpose, the all agronomic practices were carried out accordingly. The temperature 15-24ºC and relative humidity 45-68% was recorded during research work. The results of the present experiment showed that sucking insect pests as well as natural enemies’ population was observed through out cropping season from 1 st week of March to 1 st week of May 2013. The results reveled that the maximum population of whitefly (5.5±0.16/leaf) was recorded followed by jassid (4.7±0.21/leaf), aphid (4.4±0.37/leaf) and thrip (2.9±0.17/leaf) on tomato crop. However, the maximum population chrysoperla carniea (1.2±0.16/plant) was recorded followed by spider (2.6±0.23/plant) and lady bird beetle (2.5±0.22/plant) was recorded on tomato crop. The results further reveled that the over all impact of relative humidity on the most of the insect pests showed negative correlation. However, the temperature showed that over all positive impact of all the insect pests and predators except whitefly and spider. Key Word: Solanum lycopersicum, Surveillance, sucking insect pest, Predators INTRODUCTION Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is one of the most important vegetable in the world. Tomato has been bred to improve productivity, fruit quality, and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Tomato has been widely used not only as food, but also as research material (Seisuke Kimura and Neelima Sinha 2008). The tomato are known to contain many compounds that play an important role in the prevention of cancer, heart disease, and many other common health problems. It is also rich source of several important nutrients, (Saleem Shaikh., 2011). It is a good source of vitamins A, B, and C. It is ranked second important vegetable crop after potato (Baloch, 1994). In Pakistan tomato is cultivated on 41.5,000 hectares. With an annual production of 426,3000 tons and in sindh province it is cultivated on an area of 6,2000 hectares with total production of 34,0000 tons (GOP,2005). Usually tomato crop is attacked by the many kinds of insect pests. All parts of the plants offer food, shelter and reproduction site for insects. Insects can cause unthrifty growth or death of the tomato plant and damage of fruit in the from of scarring, tissue destruction and abreaction of shape or colour ( Lange, and Bronson 1981). One of the limiting factors to the profitable production of tomato is damage by insect pests (Praveen and Dhandapani., 2002). In recent years, sucking insect pests observed become major pests of tomatoes produced in open field and in high tunnels (Ayanava Majumdar., 2013). Insects inflict injury to plants and stored products either directly or indirectly in their attempts to secure food (Butani., 1979). Insects that cause more than 10% damage are considered as major pests (Butani and Jotwani 1984). This situation has risen mainly due to elimination of natural enemies, resurgence of pests, and development of insecticide resistance and out-break of secondary pests. The tomato aphid, are devastating insect pests of tomato in different districts of Punjab which are close to Sindh province (Aslam and Razaq, 2007). Bemisia tabaci alone can cause 10–90% damage depending upon the severity of the infestation and crop stage. Currently available cultivars lack sufficient plant resistance to provide protection against aphids. One of the major insect pests of tomato is Aphis gossypii. Crop plants attacked by this pest include cotton, citrus, coffee, egg plant, pepper and tomato (Rana, 2005). Insect-plant interactions involving the cultivated tomato and its relatives in the genus Lycopersicon have been intensively studied for several decades, resulting in one of the best documented and in-depth examples of the mechanistic complexities of insect-plant interactions, which encompass both herbivores and their natural enemies (George G. Kennedy 2003). The control of insect pests by natural enemies presents an environmentally friendly method of controlling pests. This involves the activities of predators, parasitoids and pathogens as well as climatic factors in maintaining the population of insect pests below the economic injury level (Douglas, 2003). Ladybird beetle, Cheilomenes sp for example is used in controlling aphid population, while the larvae of Chrysopera carnea feed on all soft-bodied insects like aphids and the white fly B. tabaci (Webb, 2004). METHODOLGY The experiment was conducted on “Surveillance on the sucking insect pests and their natural enemies on tomato” at the experimental field, of Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam, during 2013. The Roma variety was cultivated for this purpose on an area of one acre. The plant to plant and row to row distance was maintained