Tuta Absoluta: A Global Looming Challenge in Tomato Production, Review Paper

Abstract

Tomato is very important vegetable crop of the world. It is consumed as fresh table tomato and as raw material for food processing industries. However, the production of this important vegetable crop is facing unprecedented challenge from South American originated pest known by the local name tomato leaf miner and scientific name Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae). Tomato leaf miner is a devastating pest of tomato and other Solanaceous crops in many vegetable crop growing areas around the world. Despite its recent introduction, it has become a major economical pest of both outdoor and greenhouse tomatoes in the Middle East, Mediterranean basin of Europe and North and Eastern Africa. Under heavy infestation yield loss in the range of 80-100% is common. Regarding its life cycle, this pest has high rate of reproduction and short life cycle. The damaging stage of tomato leaf miner is the larval stage. After egg hatching, the larvae make a way into tomato fruits, leaves, flower buds and young shoots on which they feed and develop creating mines and galleries.

Key words: Tuta absoluta; tomato, Distribution, Chemical control, Bio-control, Damage