Desarrollo de una metodología de infestación artificial de plantas de tomate con el pasador del fruto

two tomato plants (s. lycopersicum cv. maravilla) pruned to two stems with females of neoleucinodes elegantalis (one, two, four, six adults, and the control) were enclosed in cages (1.5 x 1.5 x 1.8 m) under the randomized complete block design. the treatments were replicated four times. the variables fruit by fruit borer (%) and mean number of entrance holes of fruit borer per fruit were evaluated per plant. only the variable affected fruit by fruit borer (%) presented significant differences between treatments. the affected fruits were increased in 5.29% by every female introduced into the cage. if it is needed to get fruits losses similar to those seen in very susceptible commercial plots (50-60%) six female must be introduced into the cage.