Entomologia, ornitologia e herpetologia: pesquisas atuais
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Tomato Leaf Miner, Tuta Absoluta Meyrick: A Menace to Tomato Production in Ethiopia

Garuma Nemera Roge

Tomato is one of the commonly grown vegetable crops in Ethiopia. The crop has many biotic and abiotic production constraints. Among the biotic constraints, tomato leaf miner, Tuta absoluta, is the most limiting factor of tomato production in Ethiopia. The insect is believed to have been introduced into Ethiopia via the eastern part of the country. Nowadays, the insect has spread too many tomato-producing regions of the world. Factors such as the insect's high biotic potential, large host range, and human transportation have contributed much to the wider dispersal of T. absoluta. The insect is highly devastating in its both native and introduced areas and can cause total yield loss if left unmanaged. Though many control methods exist, early detection and monitoring are the best strategies to quarantine the insect on the spot area. Using effective bio-rational insecticides combined with other integrated pest management components is an alternative way of managing T. absoluta when the other control methods failed to manage it.