Menace of Tomato Leaf Miner (Tuta absoluta [Meyrick,1917]): Its Impacts and Control Measures by Nepalese Farmers

Abstract

A multi-site study was conducted in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Kavre, and Pokhara, Nepal, to assess the impact of Tuta absoluta and identify effective control measures from the farmers' perspective. A total of 480 tomato-growing households were randomly selected for the study. The pest posed a significant threat to tomato production, resulting in increased labor requirements (29.96%), increased expenditures on crop protection and control measures (62.18%), and significant yield losses of up to 85%. The results showed that the pest was ranked as the most important pest of tomatoes by the majority of respondents (88%), with the flowering stage being highly susceptible (99.73%). The study highlighted that the overuse of chemical pesticides disrupts integrated pest management practices, while all the respondents affected by T. absoluta used chemical and cultural control methods without using biological control methods due to a lack of knowledge. About 77.27% of the respondents used physical control methods. Among the control methods used, tomato leaf miner (TLM) bait (0.764) was rated as the most effective, followed by chemical pesticides (0.586) and sanitation (0.502). The research highlights the importance of raising awareness of integrated pest management strategies, including the use of biological control methods, for effective and sustainable management of T. absoluta. These findings will help improve pest management practices and support the long-term sustainability of tomato production in Nepal.