Bagging Tomato Fruits: a Viable and Economical Method of Preventing Diseases and Insect Damage in Organic Production

Tomato borers, especially Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), a pest introduced in southern Europe, northern Africa and the Middle East, and diseases can damage tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruit. This study tested the economic and technical feasibility of bagging tomato fruits clusters during organic production to protect them against insects and diseases. The experiment was randomized complete block (5 blocks) and 5 treatments: bagging with organza fabric, tissue non-tissue (TNT) covering, a micro-perforated plastic, brown paper bags and no bagging (control). Four clusters were bagged/ plant at flowering, and evaluated for flower abortion, the total number of fruits set and the number of fruits damaged by insects or diseases during the sampling period. At harvest we evaluated fresh weight, size and color of the fruits and we determined their Brix degrees postharvest. Bagging of fruit with either organza fabric or TNT reduced insect borer damage by 99.7% and disease damage by 84.7%. Bagging fruit did not affect flower abortion, skin color and fruit fresh weight (average of 91.87g), but bagging either with organza or TNT delayed the harvest period by 3 days. About 350% more large fruits were produced either with TNT or organza fabric bags than in the non-bagged control. This difference represents about 30 tonnes/ha, which at an average price for organic tomatoes of US $5.15/kg, resulted in a net return of US $113,161/ha. Bagging of tomato fruit clusters with TNT or organza fabric may be an excellent option to reduce damage by insect borers and diseases for a significant economic gain. Additionally, these 2 bagging materials did not negatively affect the major qualitative and quantitative characteristics of tomato fruit.