World Vegetable Centre's scientists develop method to combat tomato pest

As part of the integrated pest management approach, the monitoring tools and management tools are combined to tackle the pest.
The World Vegetable Centre (WorldVeg for short) has been conducting research and development to improve home gardens for over 30 years in South Asia. (Photo| EPS)
The World Vegetable Centre (WorldVeg for short) has been conducting research and development to improve home gardens for over 30 years in South Asia. (Photo| EPS)

HYDERABAD: Scientists at the World Vegetable Centre, whose South Asia office is located at ICRISAT in Hyderabad, have developed an integrated pest management approach for controlling the notorious pest Tuta absoluta, that affects tomato crops and can destroy up to 100 per cent of the crop it infests.

The pest management approach was developed under the project ‘Resist Detect Protect: Wide spectrum insect resistance and sound management strategies to sustainably manage insect pests on Solanaceous vegetables in South Asia’. The approach was earlier tested at Madanapalle in AP, while in Telangana, the scientists have chosen Chinchalpet in Vikarabad to test the effectiveness of their approach. The farmers here have attributed around 25 per cent damage to their crops to Tuta absoluta.

They claim that the pest management technique developed by them can reduce the damage, increase the marketable yield and income of the farmers, while substantially reducing the use of chemical pesticides in tomato.

As part of the integrated pest management approach, the monitoring tools and management tools are combined to tackle the pest. The scientists use pheromones as a monitoring tool and then biopesticides — especially BT, Beauveria and neem oil — to manage the pest apart from using selected chemical pesticides, if necessary.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com