Tuta absolutaMeyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae): A New Threat to Tomato Production in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

In sub-SaharanAfrica, vegetable crops are an essential component of sustainable development, with a significant contribution to food security and nutritional balance, but also an important source of income for resource-poor growers, especially in urban and peri-urban areas (FAO 2012). However, a major constraint to growing field horticultural crops is the reduction in yield and quality caused by insect pests by direct feeding or as plant disease vectors (James et al. 2010; Ekesi et al. 2011). Chemical control is the main control strategy implemented by growers to cope with insect pests (Ngowi et al. 2007; Grzywacz et al. 2010). Extensive and sometimes inappropriate use of chemical insecticides to control insect pests increases production costs and negatively impacts food safety (residues), human health and environment, especially biodiversity and beneficial arthropods (Desneux et al. 2007; Biondi et al. 2012). The implementation of effective and ecologically-sound integrated pest management (IPM) strategies is needed to develop sustainable vegetable production.