Integrated Control of Botrytis Cinerea on Greenhouse Tomatoes

Abstract

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) is presently the most produced vegetable, with about 70 million tons per year, representing 17% of total vegetable production (Kraeutler, 1995). In the USA, nearly 80% of tomato production is for processing, while in the European Union, over 50% of the tomatoes are produced for the fresh market. Fresh market tomatoes are typically produced as protected crops, and those for processing are grown in the field (Kraeutler, 1995). A variety of structures may be used for greenhouse production of vegetables, from the most simple, unheated, plastic-covered tunnels, to the most sophisticated high-investment glasshouses where plants are grown year-round in hydroponic systems with computer-controlled fertilisation, climate, and atmosphere composition (Jarvis, 1992). In Europe, glasshouse production is more typical of the northern countries while tunnels are prevalent in the south. Both types of greenhouses are used in France for tomato production, with ca. 850 hectares of minimally or unheated tunnels and 1300 hectares of high-investment, heated glass- or plastic-covered houses (Kraeutler, 1995).