A New Insecticide/Acaricide Formulation from Lycopersicon hirsutum f. glabratum

The use of natural products for pest control in crop production has been proposed for sustainable agriculture. Crude extracts from the leaves of the wild tomato, Lycopersicon hirsutum f. glabratum possess a pest-resistance mechanism in their glandular trichomes (plant hairs) and the exudates they produce due to the presence of a mixture of methyl ketones (MKs) that has insecticidal and acaricidal properties. Type IV and VI glandular trichomes on the leaves of PI 134417 grown under greenhouse conditions were counted. Major volatile oils from glandular leaf trichomes were extracted, purified, and quantified using gas chromatography (GC) and mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The main objectives of this investigation were to: 1) monitor seasonal glandular trichomes density on L. hirsutum f. glabratum accession PI 134417 for mass production of MKs and 2) prepare a simplified formulation of MKs for potential use of PI 134417 leaf extracts, which could become a valuable source of natural products, in plant protection against spider mites and cowpea aphids. Type IV and type VI trichomes were greatest (P<0.05) in September and October (97 and 238 trichomes mm-2, respectively). Quantification of MKs in emulsified extracts of PI 134417 revealed the dominance of 2-tridecanone (the 13-carbon methyl ketone) compared to other MKs (2-undecanone, 2-dodecanone, and 2-pentadecanone) on the leaf surface. Crude leaf extracts of PI 134417 prepared in water caused 33 and 22% mortality, whereas, water extracts containing 1% Alkamuls (an organic emulsifier) caused 93 and 82% mortality of spider mites and cowpea aphis, respectively, 24 hours after exposure.