Abstract
The tomato borer, Tuta absoluta , (Meyrick) has invaded the Mediterranean basin recently from South America and it is becoming a major global pest of tomato. Tomato plants can be infested from seedlings to mature plants. In Loitokitok, the pest has devastated tomato grain in the district with yield loss being reported of up to 100%. This has resulted in loss of income for the tomato growers. Chemical control of the pest has been difficult because the pests live inside the leaves, fruits and stems. Excessive use of pesticide is dangerous can develop resistance due to its high reproduction capacity and short generation. This field study was conducted within Loitokitok in Kajiado County to find out the management practices that tomato farmers are currently using to control Tuta absoluta . The aim was to develop the efficacy of a range of insecticides applied against Tuta absoluta and to assess damage levels caused on tomato. A baseline survey was conducted by use questionnaires to collect data from farmers on the damage level, management measures and their efficacy. The results showed that in Loitokitok, tomato growing can be done up to 3 times/year due to good climatic conditions, which provide the pest with abundant all year round and favours its spread. The insecticides that are commonly used are Coragen* (chlorantraniliprole) Belt* (Flubendiamide), Profecron* (profenofos), Radiant* (spinetorum), Escort* (Emamectin Benzoate), and Pentagon*(Lambda-cyhalothrin). Most farmers were using Coragen due to its specific mode of action on several pests on Lepidoptera group. It has good efficacy against T. absoluta larvae. About 46.37% of the respondents agreed that chlorantraniliprole insecticide used by farmers were effective on the control of pests and farmers were using different insecticides depending on their accessibility and cost. Most farmers recorded the losses of up to 100% tomato yield due to pest attack. Keywords: Tuta absoluta , Tomato, Chlorantraniliprole, Loitokitok, Kajiado County, Kenya. DOI : 10.7176/JBAH/9-22-05 Publication date: November 30 th 2019
Highlights
The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) belongs to the Solanaceae family and it is one of the most valued vegetable crops.it originated from South America from where it spread to Europe and later on to East Africa in the 19th century (Wamache, 2005)
4.1 The socio-demographic characteristics of tomato farmers In Loitokitok, men constituted the majority of the respondents who were sampled within Empironi (71.4%), Namelock (73.1%) and Kisangani (69.0%)
5.0 Discussion The gender results can be explained by the fact that Loitokitok is far from the major city in Kenya where the demand for tomato is more than 90% of supply coming from farms that are within its environs (Otieno et al, 2009)
Summary
The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) belongs to the Solanaceae family and it is one of the most valued vegetable crops.it originated from South America from where it spread to Europe and later on to East Africa in the 19th century (Wamache, 2005). There are several varieties that have been developed for commercial purposes, fresh market and processing (Prasad and Kumar, 2010). The crop is important as a source of vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus and calories. It plays a critical role in meeting domestic food requirements, job creation, income and foreign exchange earner. In Kenya tomato production falls under the horticultural crops which are mainly grown under the rainfed conditions and irrigation. Owing to the unpredictable rainfall patterns, people are starting to grow tomato in the greenhouses
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