winning the battle against tuta absoluta

www.Jaraja.com.ng

Winning the Battle Against Tuta Absoluta

Eggs Larva Pupa Adult

By Jaraja e-Commerce Limited – The No 1 “Made-in-Nigeria” Market Placewww.Jaraja.com.ng

Tuta Absoluta, a Voracious and Aggressive Pest

• Scientific Name of Pest: Tuta Absoluta

• Common Name: Tomato leafminer, Tomato Borer, Tomato Moth.

• Host Crops: Mainly attacks Tomato, but also attacks Potato, Eggplant andTobacco.

• Damages: T. Absoluta is characterized by a high reproduction potential.Each female can lay between 250 to 300 eggs. The eggs hatch into larvathat feeds voraciously attacking and consuming any part of the plant fromthe buds to the leaf, flowers, and fruits. T. Absoluta has a total life cycle of24 – 38 days and can produce 10 – 12 generations within a single year.They can attack at any crop stage and has been known to cause up to 100%crop destruction.

www.Jaraja.com.ng Made in Nigeria….For the world 2

Description and Life Cycle


Adult

Eggs

Larva

Pupa

The adults are silvery brown, 5-7 mm long.The total life cycle is completed in anaverage of 24-38 days, with the exception ofwinter months, when the cycle could beextended to more than 60 days. Theminimal temperature for biological activityis 4⁰C

After copulation, females lay up to300 individual small (0.35 mmlong) cylindrical creamy yelloweggs, which are often foundalongside the stem of the plant.

Freshly hatched larvae are light yellow orgreen and only 0.5 mm in length. As theymature, larvae develop a darker greencolor and a characteristic dark bandposterior to the head capsule. Larvae donot enter diapause when food is available.

Pupation may take place in the soil,on the leaf surface, within mines orin packaging material. A cocoon isbuilt if pupation does not take placein the soil. 10-12 generations canbe produced each year.

Geography and Spread


T. Absoluta was first discovered in SouthAmerican, specifically in Spain in 2006. Thefollowing year it was detected in France,Italy, Greece, Malta, Morocco, Algeria andLibya. In 2009 it was reported in Turkey.The advance of T. Absoluta continued to theeast to reach Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraqand Iran. Further advances southwardreached Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman and therest of the Gulf states. In Africa, T. Absolutamoved from Egypt to reach Sudan, SouthSudan, Kenya and Ethiopia from the eastand to reach the Senegal from the west. In2016, it was reported in Nigeria, presentlythousands of farmers have suffered hugelosses due to this pest.

Courtesy: http://www.tutaabsoluta.com/

http://www.tutaabsoluta.com/

Why the Rapid Spread?Surveys conducted by experts showed that T. absoluta is spreading very fast acrossthe continent.

• According to published data, adult T. absoluta were found more than 6 miles (10kilometers) away from tomato fields, suggesting that they can move long distancesto colonize new areas by flying or drifting with the wind currents.

• In addition, the ecological and climatic conditions of Africa are similar to those ofSouth American countries, the native region of the pest. The warm climateprovides a very conducive environment for breeding and proliferation.

To a large extent however, the rapid spread of T. absoluta has been greatly facilitatedby human activity, these include but are not limited to:

• Large scale trading/transportation of the tomato fruit between different countries;

• Abundance of smallholder farmers who do not practice phytosanitary measures;and

• Lack of strict quarantine measures and inspection of imported planting materialsand/or fresh harvest (seedling, germplasms and plant) from endemic countries.


Management Strategy

• The approach to properly manage T. absoluter has tobe a long term, strategic and holistic.

• The strategies include:• Prevention;• Detection; and• Intervention.

• While the techniques are:• Cultural• Mechanical• Chemical; and• Biological

• It is very important that the farmer be the center ofany strategy and technique of approach. They need tobe trained and empowered to apply the necessaryintervention method.


Farmer

Prevention

Cultural Practices

Detection

Mechanical Techniques

Intervention

Chemical & Biological

Approaches

Management Strategy – Cultural Practices

These strategies includes all cultural and good hygienic practices aim at preventing the onset of infestation and the include:

• Allowing a minimum of 6 weeks from crop destruction to planting the next crop to prevent carry-over of the pest from previous crop;

• Between planting cycles, cultivating the soil and covering with plastic, mulch or perform solarisation*;

• Controlling weeds to prevent multiplication in alternative weed host

• Using pest-free transplants;

• Sealing greenhouses with high quality nets suitable for T. absoluta.

• Regularly inspecting crops to ensure early detection of infestation.


Note: Soil solarization is a nonchemical method for controlling soilborne pests using high temperatures produced by capturing radiant energy from the sun. The method involves heating the soil by covering it with a clear plastic sheet for 4 to 6 weeks during a hot period of the year when the soil will receive the most direct sunlight. When properly done, the top 6 inches of the soil will heat up to as high as 60°C, depending on the location. The plastic sheets allow the sun’s radiant energy to be trapped in the soil, heating the top 12 to 18 inches and killing a wide range of soilborne pests, such as weeds, pathogens, nematodes, and insects.

Management Strategy – Mechanical Technique

This involves the use of mechanical devices suchas nets and traps to capture adult moths. Expertsadvices that:

• Before transplanting the tomato seedling fromthe nursery to the field, farmer should installsticky traps.

• As soon as more than 3-4 moths per trap arecaptured each week, start mass trapping ofmoths.

• For mass trapping of moths, farmers should usesticky traps or water + oil traps

• Installs 20 - 40 traps/hectare.


Management Strategy – Biological Approaches

• This approach involves the use of biological agents or naturalenemies of T. absoluta to control or reduce the population ofthe pest. Experiments have revealed some promising agentssuch as the damsel bug.

• A very effective biological approach is the use of the SexPheromone Lures.

• When female moths are ready to mate they releasepheromones, male are unable to resist the smell of thepheromone and always follow it to the source.

• This sex pheromone has been artificially manufactured inthe lab and are used in conjunction with sticky or watertraps to capture male moths.

• A reduction in of male moths lead to a reduction of fertileeggs, which automatically leads to a reduction of larva andreduction of damage to crops.

• Sex pheromone has been found to be highly effective and areused extensively throughout Europe, South America, NorthAfrica and the Middle East for mass-trapping of male moths.


A sticky trap setup with pheromone lure.

Male moths trapped on sticky paper. The sticky paper is replaced twice/week.

Management Strategy – Chemical Approaches

• The main control measure against Tuta absoluta has been chemicalcontrols. However, no one chemical, no matter how effective, iscapable of controlling this pest as it quickly develops resistance.

• Hence, the use of chemical control involves an Integrated PestManagement (IPM) approach.

• Thorough understanding of the different life stages and behavior ofthe pest is required and applying effective insecticides with differentmodes of actions (MoA) targeted at that particular life stage.


Management Strategy – Chemical Approaches

• Larvicides: These are effective insecticides targeted at killing the larva

• Soil Treatment: these are treatments targeted at preventing the molting pupa in the soil from emerging into adults.

• Repellants : These are chemicals used to prevent/inhibit the laying of eggs

• Adulticides : These are chemicals used to control/kill adult moths.

Adults Eggs

LarvaePupa


Summary of Integrated Pest Management (IPM)T. absoluta is a very challenging pest to control. Winning the battleinvolves the adoption of a holistic and all encompassing approach.

• Before Planting• Practice good/modern agricultural methods

• Early Stages• Trap/catch males• Use repellants to prevent laying of eggs

• Middles Stages• At this stage the eggs have been hatched and they have started to cause visible

damage to the leaves.• Use translaminate larvicides that can penetrate the leaves because the larva are

inside the leaf coils.

• Advance Stage• Here the larva has penetrated and damaged the tomato fruit.• Remove and destroy the damaged fruits. Collect damaged fruits in large, sealed

plastic bags.• Continue to use larvicides and adulticides


Conclusion - All Hands Must be on Deck• Communication

• Communication is key. Communication should be transparent, honest and confidence building,

• Communication with all Stakeholders – Farmers, Traders, Processors, Consumers etc. This is a national emergency and everybody should play their part in the solution.

• Means of communication can be through – Radio, TV, Print & Social Media, Mobile Phones, Hot lines to contact necessary agencies as well as rapid response of agencies.

• Education• There is a need for ongoing training of farmers.• Engage Schools, Research Institutions, Extension Workers, Students etc, train them to

train farmers• Set up practical farm schools.

• Integration• Intergrade the farmers , trade association, everybody who is active in the farming

community should be engaged because they have a role to play in achieving a lasting solution against this problem


About Jaraja• Jaraja e-Commerce Limited aim to showcase and accelerate trade in non oil

goods and services produced in Nigeria through our online platform -www.Jaraja.com.ng

• Our virtual market place is set up to give a face to the micro-producer,provide opportunity for the young aggregator, accelerate the growth ofsmall companies and expand the reach of the medium enterprises by givingthem a state-of-the-art platform to showcase their goods and services,bringing to the world the best of Nigeria most never knew existed.

• Jaraja seeks to lead the digital marketing of “made-in-Nigeria” products andservices.

• Telephone: 0802 427 1442, 0803 860 8755

• Email: [email protected]


http://www.jaraja.com.ng/

References and Resources• http://www.tutaabsoluta.com/

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuta_absoluta

• http://www.irac-online.org/content/uploads/Tuta_brochure_print-version_11Oct11.pdf

• Identification and Risk Assessment for Worldwide Invasion and Spread of Tuta absoluta with a Focus on Sub-Saharan Africa: Implications for Phytosanitary Measures and Management -http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0135283

• (Living with Tuta absoluta - Proposed Management Strategy) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pShdKB9mD0

• (Tuta absoluta pheromone mass-trapping) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G98uJYLum-0


http://www.tutaabsoluta.com/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuta_absoluta

http://www.irac-online.org/content/uploads/Tuta_brochure_print-version_11Oct11.pdf

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0135283

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pShdKB9mD0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G98uJYLum-0

Thank you

winning the battle against tuta absoluta

Food