Tuta absoluta: Experts advocate biorational approach
Tuta absoluta, the tomato leaf miner, one of the most devastating pests affecting tomato crops in Nigeria recently surfaced in Kano State and some other parts of the region causing scarcity of the produce. Sadly, the pest seems to defy various measures taken by farmers to fight it off. Many farmers have come to the conclusion that, once a tomato plantation is affected nothing can be done to remedy the situation.
Moreover, experts have also warned tomato farmers against excessive insecticide application in the treatment of tuta infection which they said can result to the poisoning of the tomato fruit thereby making it unsafe for consumption.
Speaking Nigeria tomato during the investment roundtable meeting with the theme, ‘Expanding Pathways for Investment in the Tomato Value Chain’, organized by TechnoServe with support from Rockefeller Foundation, the Country Director, Syngenta Nigerian, Mr. Sunny Ameh, stated that farmers tend to spray their affected tomato plantation about 15 times thereby poisoning the fruits.
“There is an urgent need for farmers to be educated in the management of this stubborn insect. The recent adoption of biorational insecticide application by experts had shown remarkable impact and we believe if tomato farmers are being adequately educated on this, the menace of Tuta absoluta will gradually become history,” he said.
Similarly, an agricultural expert in Kano, Malam Usman Yusuf, revealed that recent findings suggest that biorational insecticides are a good alternative to synthetic ones, adding that possible use of biorational insecticides in the management of tomato leaf miner in organic farming system is found to be more effective and far safer.
“Tuta absoluta has become a key pest of tomato in several world regions and its geographic distribution is rapidly expanding.
“The extensive use of insecticide can cause on the one hand several undesired side-effects on human and environment safety, and on the other hand resistance development of the pest may occur. It is therefore necessary to apply environmentally-friendly strategies such as the biorational in addressing the issue,” said Malam Usman.
According to TechnoServe Nigeria Country Director Larry Umunna, the time has come for tomato farmers in the target five states to start benefiting from the fruit of their labour, adding that it is also time to collaborate with the private sector and relevant governmental bodies to build a competitive and sustainable business around agriculture in general and tomato in particular through the attainment of 20% post-harvest losses reduction.
He added that as a leader in harnessing the power of the private sector to help people lift themselves out of poverty, the project will attempt to link small scale tomato farmers to information, capital and markets in order to create lasting prosperity for their families and communities, adding that 45,000 small holder tomato farmers from Kano, Jigawa, Katsina, Kaduna and Plateau states will receive assistance of improved inputs and technologies that are designed to positively impact on farm productivity while addressing post-harvest losses.