INIA La Platina publishes new technical sheet on whitefly in peppers: identification and sustainable management

INIA La Platina published a new technical sheet about the greenhouse whitefly (Trialeurodes vaporariorum), a polyphagous pest with worldwide distribution that affects more than 250 plant species, including agricultural crops, fruit trees, ornamental flowers, and weeds. In Chile, its presence has been reported from Arica and Parinacota to Magallanes and even in Rapa Nui, affecting crops such as bell pepper, tomato, lettuce, melon, bean, squash, alfalfa, avocado, kiwi, grapevines, and various floral species. It also develops on weeds like mallow and ñilhue, making it a high-incidence pest in different productive systems. The sheet, prepared by Nancy Vitta and Virginia Aguilar from INIA La Platina, provides detailed information about the insect's biological cycle, the damages it causes, and its integrated management. The main impact is indirect: the secretion of honeydew on which sooty mold develops, a fungus that weakens the plant and reduces yield. Among the management strategies, ...