Tuta absoluta, a pest devastating tomato crops in West Africa (Nigeria) is also known as Tomato Ebola. The pest has crossed borders causing devastation in tomato production in both protected and open fields. It is now being reported that Tuta absoluta has been found on potato and common beans.
Tuta absoluta pest spreads quickly; it has a high reproductive potential and a life cycle that can take between 24 to 76 days, depending on the environmental conditions.
In tomato, infestation is found on apical buds, leaves, and stems, flowers and fruits, on which the black frass is visible. On potato, mainly aerial parts are attacked. Many approaches can be adopted to tackle this pest. The first approach is to attack the insect itself at the reproduction stage from the egg to adult. It’s not about attacking at the point of attack, but killing the egg before hatching, that is completely wiping it off from the farm.
Good agricultural practices is the safest way to control Tuta. Crop rotation, crop removal and selective removal and destruction of infested plants are just a few cultural practices. The use of pheromone traps is a reliable method to detect presence of the pest. Pheromone traps gives early warnings of infestation and also show the density of the insect infestation.
Mass trapping helps to reduce population in greenhouses. It should be used in combination with other control measures to achieve a tolerable level of damage and reduce reliance on insecticides. Mass trapping is a potential option for open field production. Lure and kill is another promising approach to control the male adults of Tuta absoluta with minimum amount of insecticide application.