Role of Mass Trapping in the Management of Leafminer (Tutaabsoluta) on Tomato in the Central Highlands of Kenya

Abstract

Tomato plays a critical role in meeting domestic and nutritional food requirements, generation of income and creation of employment for both the rural and urban populations in Kenya. However, its production is threatened by the Tomato leafminer (Tuta absoluta). Tomato leaf miner (Tuta absoluta) is an important pest of tomato and can cause significant damage if not managed. Farmers mainly rely on chemical pesticides to manage this pest which has resulted in pest resistance and therefore the need for other alternatives that can be incorporated in an Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Integration of mass trapping in a management program could be one such alternative. Field experiments were set up to determine the effectiveness of various IPM packages for the management of Tuta absoluta in tomatoes compared to the farmer strategy of using chemical pesticide alone. The data collected was on Tuta absoluta incidence and yield. The integration of Mass Trapping, Azadirachtin, Bacillus thuringiensis and Chlorantraniliprole significantly reduced Tuta absoluta infestation under open field grown tomatoes. From this study, it can be concluded that mass trapping plays an important role in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) which could be the best approach for the management of Tuta absoluta in tomato.

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