Understanding Greenhouse Tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum L.) Growers’ Perceptions for Optimal Phthorimaea absoluta (Meyrick) Management—A Survey in Greece

Konstantinos Β. Simoglou, Marianna Stavrakaki, Konstantina Alipranti, Kyriaki Mylona and Emmanouil Roditakis ()
Additional contact information
Konstantinos Β. Simoglou: Regional Unit of Drama, Department of Quality and Phytosanitary Inspections, Rural Economy & Veterinary Directorate, 66133 Drama, Greece
Marianna Stavrakaki: Department of Agriculture, School of Agricultural Sciences, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 71410 Heraklion, Greece
Konstantina Alipranti: Department of Agriculture, School of Agricultural Sciences, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 71410 Heraklion, Greece
Kyriaki Mylona: Department of Agriculture, School of Agricultural Sciences, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 71410 Heraklion, Greece
Emmanouil Roditakis: Department of Agriculture, School of Agricultural Sciences, Hellenic Mediterranean University, 71410 Heraklion, Greece

Agriculture, 2024, vol. 14, issue 12, 1-19

Abstract: The tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum L.) leafminer, Phthorimaea absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), is an extremely invasive pest and is threatening tomato production worldwide. Several strategies have been developed and implemented for managing P . absoluta . Effective pest control strategies based on integrated pest management (IPM) schemes include different cultural practices and techniques. This study seeks to (a) examine the perspectives, attitudes, and opinions of greenhouse tomato producers in Greece regarding different methods of P . absoluta management and (b) to determine whether the perceived damage caused by P . absoluta could be predicted by the implementation of various control management strategies. A questionnaire was employed to ascertain the views and beliefs of the participants. The questionnaire comprised five-point Likert scale questions. Principal component analysis (PCA) and binary logistic regression analysis were applied to examine the relationship between the reported perceived insect damage and the utilization of control techniques. The study findings indicate that greater adoption of alternative control methods and higher levels of adherence to preventive measures against P . absoluta are associated with a perception of reduced levels of damage. Conversely, individuals with a strong reliance on pesticides use are more likely to perceive a higher level of damage. Ultimately, as tomato growers are trying to deal with P . absoluta , more education and research on other alternatives could help the reduction of chemical use, promoting more environmentally friendly practices. The findings highlight integrated pest management over pesticides for sustainable tomato production. This can guide future research and extension efforts to develop tailored P . absoluta management approaches for Greek greenhouse growers and similar environments.

Keywords: crop protection; chemical alternatives; farming practices; grower attitudes; preventive measures; chemical control; pest resistance; cultural methods (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/12/2291/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/14/12/2291/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jagris:v:14:y:2024:i:12:p:2291-:d:1543382

Access Statistics for this article

Agriculture is currently edited by Ms. Leda Xuan

More articles in Agriculture from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().