Tomato Leafminer / Tuta absoluta
Overview
Tomato leafminer, commonly known as Tuta absoluta, is a highly destructive tomato pest.
It damages: - leaves - stems - flowers - fruit
It is especially important in protected tomato crops and long-season production.
Symptoms
Typical symptoms include:
- leaf mines
- blotch mines
- black frass
- stem tunnelling
- fruit holes
- collapsed leaf tissue
Conditions favouring Tuta
| Condition | Risk |
|---|---|
| Warm protected tomatoes | Very High |
| Continuous cropping | High |
| Poor hygiene | High |
| Crop carryover | High |
| Delayed monitoring | Very High |
Monitoring
Use:
- pheromone traps
- leaf inspections
- fruit inspections
- mine mapping
Check: - lower leaves - growing points - fruit clusters - crop edges
IPM approach
Useful strategies:
- trap monitoring
- removal of mined leaves
- crop hygiene
- avoiding crop overlap
- biological continuity
- clean-down between crops