In the last few decades, the notable increase in trade of agricultural commodities between countries, as well as the variable means of the exchange of agricultural products between countries around the world has led to the spread of transboundary pests and diseases.

Many of these transboundary pests and diseases have good adaptive capability for the new environment. They could rapidly reproduce and impose a serious threat to the agricultural crops in the new environment with lack of specialized control measures and tools that should be often developed or introduced to this new environment, such as bio-control agents.

Tomato borer (Tuta absoluta) is an invasive plant pest with high reproductive capability and is deemed as one of the most serious and destructive pest of tomato crop. It can be carried by consignments of fresh tomato fruits, seedlings, packaging materials or wind currents.

The pest originated from South America and was recorded the first time in Europe in Spain in 2006 and has recently invaded the Near East region. In 2004, the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO) added this pest to its action list of pests recommended for regulation as quarantine pests.

In Lebanon, the first records of T. absoluta were in April 2010 in the coastal areas of Jbeil and it was spread all over Lebanon causing devastating damage and seriously affecting the production of protected and open field tomato.

As a first reaction, Lebanese farmers were intensively applying pesticides to control T. absoluta resulting in high pesticide residues, high cost of tomato produce, and resistance to pesticides and adverse effects on the environment.

Tuta absoluta is a very challenging pest to control. Effectiveness of chemical control is limited due to the insect's nature of damage as well as its rapid capability of development of insecticide resistant strains. The adoption of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is crucial in order to manage Tuta absoluta.

The Regional Project, "Management of Tomato Borer: Tuta absoluta in Near East Region" implemented by FAO starting 2012, made important contributions to develop capacities of the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture employees, University students, and tomato farmers. To better manage T. absoluta, farmers were introduced to alternative management approaches such as biological control. They were also trained on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) of tomatoes with a special emphasis on T.absoluta and the identification of beneficial insects.

A survey of Tuta absoluta natural enemies was done all over Lebanon with the support of an international expert; the results of the survey were very positive, two important natural enemies were found in Lebanon Macrolophus pygmaeus and Nesidiororis tenuis. The project also trained the Lebanese Ministry of Agriculture employees on how to hear these natural enemies, and a plant growth chamber was procured for this purpose. The biological control capacities developed through the project will provide the foundation for the development, maintenance and continuity of application of biological control measures in future IPM programmes.

Project: Management of Tomato Borer: Tuta absoluta in Near East Region.
Published: May, 2016.