Eco-friendly Control of Whiteflies by Two-Fluid Fogging System with Natural Substances in Greenhouses

We have conducted 4 experiments to develop the most environmental and effective use of the two-fluid fog system to prevent and exterminate whiteflies in tomato cultivation. In particular, these experiments used Vitamini tomatoes grown in stand-alone greenhouses at Buyeo Tomato Experiment Station as subjects. Each experiment utilized the fog system in a different way. The first experiment provided the control group, which was subject to the two-fluid fog system without additional humidity control. In the second experiment, the two-fluid fog system controlled the humidity level to be above 70%. The third and the fourth experiment utilized natural substances, which were 1.5 mg/L of Neem Oil and 2 mg/L of Oleic acid respectively, without additional humidity control. From the first experiment, we could observe that a simple use of the two-fluid fog system decreased the density of whiteflies in the greenhouses. This impact of the fog system on whiteflies was greater in the second experiment. By comparing the first and the second experiment, we concluded that whiteflies are more effectively prevented by maintaining a higher humidity level via the fog system's smaller water droplets that float in the air for longer time than the standard fog system in rather dry condition. In the third and the fourth experiments, the extermination level was 78% and 76.4% respectively, comparing only 53% in the first experiment without the humidity control. Therefore, using the natural substances in addition to the humidity control increases the extermination effectiveness. Considering the similar results from the 3rd and the 4th experiments, Oleic acid has a greater appeal for its lower price. Using the two-fluid fog system to both control the humidity on a daily basis and spray the substances for occasional extermination would reduce labor cost and increase production in an environmental way.