The Ministry of Agriculture has warned against a serious moth known as tomato leafminer and South American tomato moth. Tomato is considered as the main host plant, but the insect also attacks other crop plants of the nightshade family including potato and eggplant pepper. The Ministry has alerted to the negative impact of Tuta absoluta on the agricultural and economic sectors in the Kingdom, stressing the need to engage in overall pest control as the moth acquires resistance to most chemical pesticides. The Ministry has urged farmers to take comprehensive measures for an integrated treatment that rely on soil tillage and solarization especially for the infected crop. This method, the ministry said, will expose the insect to higher temperatures. It also called for implanting healthy pest-free tomato seedlings from reliable sources. The early registration of Tuta absoluta in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia occurred in summer 2010 and spread in all tomato-cultivation areas in the late 2010, the Ministry said Tuta absoluta is a devastating pest of Tomato. It is originated from South America. it reached Spain in 2006. Recently Tuta absoluta considered to be a serious threat to tomato production in Mediterranean region. The newly introduced pest from south America found the shores of the Mediterranean a perfect new home where it can breed between 10-12 generations a year. Each female can lay 250-300 eggs in her life-time. This pest is crossing borders and devastating tomato production both in protected and open fields. The infestation of Tuta absoluta also reported on potato, Aubergine and common beans, tutaabsoluta.com described the insect. The Ministry has alerted to the negative impact of Tuta absoluta on the agricultural and economic sectors in the Kingdom, stressing the need for overall pest control as the moth acquires resistance to most chemical pesticides, and takes the management of the integrated treatment that rely on soil tillage and solarization of an infected crop. This method will expose the insect to higher temperatures, and the use of healthy tomato seedlings and rely on reliable sources of seedlings. Tuta absoluta is a very challenging pest control. Effectiveness of chemical control is limited due to insect's nature of damage as well as its rapid capability of development of insecticide resistant strains. The use of biological factors are still largely under development and not ready to combat this pest effectively and in a cost effective way. A Sex pheromone trap is using as an early detection tool. Mass trapping and lure and Kill application of pheromone has been found to be effective to control Tuta absoluta. IPM strategies are being developed to control Tuta absoluta. Various active substances can be applied in combination with bio-rational control tactics, the dedicated website further explained.
