What is tuta absoluta?
You are probably in tomatoes farming or interested in starting out in tomatoes farming. Well, this is a term you have heard and will keep on hearing throughout the production life cycle of your tomatoes.
Well, Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera gelechildea) is a highly destructive insect pest to tomato plants and fruits.
How does Tuta absoluta infest tomatoes?
The larvae of Tuta absoluta mine the leaves producing large galleries and burrowing into the fruit, causing a substantial loss of tomato production. The larvae feed on mesophyll tissues and make irregular mines on the leaf surface.
Mined fruits allow fungal diseases to enter, leading to the rotting of the fruit before or after harvest.
This reason makes them very dangerous in that you might think you are off the hook only to realize your fruits are rotting in storage.
Ensure you are out of the woods every time you do tomatoes production by taking steps to prevent Tuta absoluta from attacking your farm.
Damage by Tuta absoluta results in between 50% to 100% yield reduction of your tomatoes.
Severely attacked tomato fruits lose their commercial value and can lead to huge losses for you as a farmer.
How do we control Tuta absoluta
Chemical control
Involves the use of chemicals.
Biological control
This involves the use of pheromones and other insects that feed on tuta.
Cultural control
Plowing, manuring, irrigation, crop rotation, solarisation, and the elimination of symptomatic leaves and destruction of infested tomato plants can be used. Also, the removal of alternative reservoir hosts such as nightshades is strongly recommended before and during the cropping cycle.
Based on its small size and ease of handling, the most effective trap is a small plastic container with entry windows cut on the sides filled with motor oil over water.
These traps are most effective when placed near the ground level