Tomato Leafminer (Tuta absoluta Meyrick 1917): A Threat to Tomato Production in Africa
Journal Title: Journal of Agriculture and Ecology Research International - Year 2017, Vol 10, Issue 1
Abstract
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is an important vegetable crop for income, food and nutrition in Africa. Production of the crop is currently threatened by leaf miner [Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)]. Heavy infestation by T. absoluta has been reported to cause yield losses ranging from 80-100%. Tuta absoluta has high rate of reproduction and short life cycle making it very dominant in the infested tomato fields. Insecticide application for control of the pest is uneconomical for subsistence farming and beyond the earnings of majority of resource-poor farmers in Africa. Use of host resistance and or integrated pest management (IPM) strategies is slightly or not in use thus making the pest reign in the majority of African countries. This review discusses how T. absoluta threatens production and recommends some focal areas towards addressing this pest problem in the tomato industry in Africa.
Authors and Affiliations
Never Zekeya, Musa Chacha, Patrick A. Ndakidemi, Chris Materu, Maneno Chidege, Ernest R. Mbega
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP317190
- DOI 10.9734/JAERI/2017/28886
- Views 116
- Downloads 0
Response of Golden Torch (Heliconia psittacorum × spathocircinata) to Pre-emergence Herbicides (Primextra Gold and Gardoprim A) and Their Effectiveness on Weed Control
Field experiment was conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm of the University of Port Harcourt in 2012 to evaluate the response of Golden Torch (Heliconia (psittacorum × spathocircinata) and weeds to Primextra-Gold...
Ethnobotanical Survey of Endangered Antimalarial and Analgesic Plants of Togo for the Safeguard of the Medicinal Biodiversity
The correlation between the threat of species and the use of medicinal plants is necessary for the preservation of this biodiversity. However, in Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in Togo, where the majority of the popula...
Allelopathic Effect of Three Wild Species on Seed Germination and Seedling Growth of Vicia faba, Hordeum vulgare and Triticum aestivum
Many wild and cultivated grasses, exhibit allelopathy to exclude the associated species by reducing their regeneration. This process involving secondary metabolites produced by plant influence the growth and development...
Performance of Leucaena leucocephala, Seedlings in Two Agro-climatic Regions of Kenya
A study was conducted to determine the response of Leucaena seedlings planted in two variant agro-climatic regions, Chepkoilel Campus and Maseno in Kenya. The experiment was a 2-factor (provenance – site) split plot desi...
Preliminary Results of Effect of Four Stimulants on the Latex Flow Rate in Hevea brasiliensis after Tapping
The effect of some latex yield stimulants on flow rate in Hevea trees was investigated using NIG 805 clone as the test clone in the clonal garden of the Rubber Research Institute of Nigeria, Iyanomo, Benin City. The Heve...