1 tab. 4 ref. Sum. (En)

Efficacy of living ground covers for managing Bemisia tabaci as a geminivirus vector in tomatoes. A management scheme for the B. tabaci-geminivirus complex, which is based upon minimization of contact between the vector and the host plant, is being pursued in Costa Rica. Three-year field data on transplanting tomatoes have shown that two living ground covers associated with the crop, either "cinquillo" (Drymaria cordata, Caryophyllaceae) or coriander (Coriandrum sativum, Umbelliferae), significantly reduce whitefly adult numbers, delay geminivirus dissemination, decrease disease severity, and provide yields as high as 27-30 t/ha, with very satisfactory net benefits. The main advantages and disadvantages of this approach are discussed.