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In South-East Asia, cocoa production is dramatically affected by cocoa pod borer (CPB) infestations. As an alternative tool to chemical control, the efficacy of attract-and-kill strategy (CPB sex-pheromone as attractant and Delta trap without sticky liner sprayed with cypermethrin solution as killing station) was evaluated and compared with current standard CPB management approach as control treatment during two main cocoa harvest seasons in Malaysia (with 100 µg and 33.3 µg CPB-pheromone loading per station, respectively). In both seasons, attract-and-kill strategy was highly effective at reducing male flight activity (p < 0.05) in attract-and-kill plots comparing with standard CPB management plots. For the percentage of CPB-infested pods, the attract-and-kill strategy (100 µg) was as good as the conventional pesticide spray applications of cypermethrin (p = 0.083) in first season. However, it was significantly (p = 0.021) reduced in the second season with lower pheromone loading (33.3 µg), indicating that this semiochemical based strategy is far superior to and more feasible than the currently applied conventional synthetic pesticide treatment and is therefore a good alternative in CPB integrated pest management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus (TYLCV) and Tomato Leaf Curl Virus (ToLCV) are the currently known begomoviruses in Uganda. The relationship with their whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci) vector and its management were not known in Uganda. A direct relationship was expected between these begomoviruses and whiteflies at Buwama in Mpigi district of Uganda. Farmer practices were expected to have limited efficacy. To investigate this, a completely randomised block design was used for all trials with six treatments replicated three times. Treatments evaluated were farmer whitefly pest management practices. These included both chemical pesticide and non-pesticide applications. Data on whitefly population and tomato yellow leaf curl virus disease incidence was recorded weekly, and analysed using SAS and SPSS statistical programmes for ANOVA, and correlations. Ranked means, coefficients of variation and standard errors were noted. Virus-vector relationship field studies established that virus occurrence varied in space and time, and with management practices, crop development stage, and weather conditions. A negative relationship (R = -0.14, p 0.04) was established between number of plants infected with TYLCV (sensu lato) and percentage marketable tomato yield. Tomato maturity was inversely propotional to whitefly infestation (R = -0.5, p 0.0001). Uprooting and application of dimethoate was most effective of the six treatments. Tomato leaf curl virus diseases and whitefly management options were established in Uganda.