TomatoThe tomato is one of the most vital cash cropcrops in most parts of the globe but is susceptible to insect pest. The most economically important pest attacking Solanaceae family in Pakistan is Tuta absoluta (GELECHIIDAE). During hot weather, this pest colonizes the leaves and causes severe infestation. To assesassess the leaf miner damage on the chlorophyll contents of tomatothe tomato, a trial was set out at the Directorate of Agricultural Research Vegetable and Seed productionProduction ARI Sariab at Quetta, ,Pakistan. Two commercial tomato varieties, namely the Super-ManSuperman and Shalkot in completely randomized block design. SPAD-502 meter was used in the measurement of the total chlorophyll contents pre and post infestationpost-infestation in tomato leaves of both varieties. The decrement in the leavesleaves’ chlorophyll concentration (2-40%) computed through a SPAD meter was 11%, 28%, 40% after 10, 20 and 30-days30 days post-infestation, respectively, in supermanthe Superman variety. Similarly, chlorophyll losses ratio in the shalkotShalkot variety was recorded 2%, 3%, and 10% after 10, 20-20 and 30-days’30 days post-infestation. The depletion of higher Chlorophyllchlorophyll concentration was noted to be 10-40% after 30 days long termlong-term infestation compared with after 20 (3-28%) and 10 days (2-11%) respectively. A positive correlation was observed using the Paired T-test at P< 0.05 between pest density and chlorophyll losses ratio, while a negative correlation was noted between the leaf miner attack and tomato cultivars concluding that the local variety revealed a high resistance against the pest. The use of a SPAD meter in T. absoluta management may help future IPM strategies to reduce costs of sampling and avert prophylactic insecticides.

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