It may be small, but the Tuta absoluta, the newest pest in TT, can be deadly to crops.
Agricultural entomologist in the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries Rishi Mohansingh says the Tuta absoluta, or tomato leaf miner, can devastate 80-100 per cent of a field of tomatoes, peppers or melongene.
The tomato leaf miner is a tiny moth, about the size of a mosquito, that comes out at night and feeds on nectar and pollen, and lays its eggs mainly on tomatoes, but also other plants in the solanacaeae family.
When the eggs hatch, the larvae tunnel into the plant – leaves, stem and fruit. The larvae create bore holes which allow secondary infections (fungi and bacteria) to get into the plant and break it down, causing it to rot.
Mohansingh said, in the region, the pest is present in Haiti, Venezuela, South America and parts of Central America. As a result, the Research Division of the ministry set up surveillance and traps for the pests throughout the country.
[caption id="attachment_978267" align="alignnone" width="442"] The tomato leaf miner affecting a tomato. Photo courtesy Biobee -[/caption]
In December 2021, the tomato leaf miners were found in some traps in the counties of St George East and West. Fortunately, the staff has yet to find a plant with the symptoms, which means that, so far, the pest population is very low.
“Right now we can’t say exactly how it came into the country, because of where we picked it up – in the middle of Trinidad – and from there it slightly started to go into the Caroni area.
“Although it flies, it cannot fly that far. If we had picked it up along the borders or something, we could say it came in otherwise. So for now we don’t know, but in time, we will.”
He said the pests could spread by drifting with the wind, through planting material, and in the fruit. He urged people producing seedlings to ensure the pests are not present before selling to customers, as they could spread it. That is also why part of the ministry’s programme involves randomly checking fruit for symptoms in wholesale markets.
While the tomato leaf miner has no negative health effects on humans, its presence could affect the country’s food exports.
[caption id="attachment_978263" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Rishi Mohansingh, agricultural entomologist. Photo courtesy the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries. -[/caption]
He stressed that the tomato leaf miner is a notifiable pest by law, so it must be reported to the closest county agricultural office or the ministry’s Research Division. There is a $5,000 fine attached for failing to report it.
“If you have the pest, you will not be charged. But if you have it and don’t report it and you’re not dealing with it, then you could be charged. That is the difference. You don’t want to be harbouring this pest and it affects other people.”
What symptoms should producers look out for?
When the larvae burrow into leaves, they feed on the middle layer, which looks like a transparent blotch on the leaf. Over time, the blotch turns bro
