THE USE OF ENCARSIA-FORMOSA IN INTEGRATED PROGRAMS TO CONTROL THE WHITEFLY TRIALEURODES-VAPORARIORUM WESTW (HOM, ALEYRODIDAE) ON GREENHOUSE CUCUMBER

Four different methods for the control of the glasshouse whitefly Trialeurodes vaporariorum were tested on cucumber: traps and Quinomethionate (Morestan), Encarsia formosa Gahan and Quinomethionate spray, traps followed by parasite release and Applaud combined with Actellic. All treatments were effective in controlling whitefly populations. The fastest acting treatments were those with traps, the second those with Applaud and Acetellic, in which a rapid reduction of the whitefly population occurred immediately after spraying. Releases of E. formosa after monitoring whitefly populations with traps seemed to be very effective; the whitefly populations fluctuated around low levels without the necessity for other means of control. Quinomethionate gave satisfactory results when combined with traps or Encarsia; it did not harm the parasite. Plots treated with this chemial were clean, the plants were healthy and free of red spider mite and oidium disease, which were found in other treatments and in the controls.