1. First Report of Tuta Absoluta (Meyrick) Zambia.
Name of Session: Pest Surveillance in Phytosanitary Systems
Maimouna Saidi Abass
Plant Quarantine and Phytosanitary Service
Senior Agricultural Research Officer

2. Outline Introduction Methodology Results Discussion
Recommendation to phytosanitary science and conclusion

3. Introduction
Tomato - top five crops dominating smallholder systems,86% of the total value of fresh fruit and vegetable sales
Tuta absoluta Meyrick (Tomato Leaf Miner) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae)
2014 T. absoluta present in East Africa, reported in Tanzania, predicted moving southwards (Muniappan 2013)
Pest initiated PRA conducted (high likelihood of introduction and spread)
October Surveillance proposal in place - Russel IPM support
January 2016 Training – PHIs
Feb – Mar 2016 Preliminary Surveillance
April Tanzania study tour

4. Methodology
Survey: 11 districts of Zambia where the pest was reported.
Target: Tomato farms and tomato market places.
Survey Team: Plant Health Inspectors and Agricultural Extension staff
Optima lure pheromone traps

5. Methodology cont’d Traps hang at a height of 1-1.5m
above ground from tomato stakes.
Left for a minimum of one week the collected.
Extension farmers trained
Further farm visitations to collect
the pest for identification.

6. Results
Map of Zambia showing districts where Tuta absoluta was detected in April 2016.

7. Results cont’d
a) Kafue District; Left: Infested field of tomato. b)Right: Bottom: Mines of T.absoluta on tomato leaves on a farm , Top: T.absoluta damage on tomato fruit at a farm in Kabwe.

8. Results ZARI experts identified T.absoluta.
Adult moth identified based on ;
Key morphological characteristics; size, filiform antenna and black ashy bands on the forewings.
Type of damage caused
Catches on the pheromone traps
The host plant
Tanzania expert opinion

9. Discussion T.absoluta was present in all surveyed districts.
Inadequate funds for Tuta programs - limited area and scope for surveillance
Central province showed high infestation compared to the other three provinces.
high tomato producing area, tomato grown throughout the year.
may have been no break in life cycle, pupation in the soil, constant food available
(Chidege et al. 2016; Desneux et al. 2010; Desneux et al. 2011).

10. Discussion Cont’d
Identification – Only by adult moth stage and not egg, larva and pupa.
Due to;
absence of appropriate rearing facilities and equipment in the Entomology laboratory
lack of available funds to build this capacity.
Method compares favourably with methods used in other countries for first reports on T.abslouta (Chidege et al. 2016; Kilin 2010; Pfeiffer et. al. 2013).

11. Discussion Farmers reported Some farms -90% damage of the crop.
low yields, high rate of infestation
some resistance of the pest to pesticides
had to mix a variety of pesticides to achieve
this reduction.
Some farms -90% damage of the crop.
Continuous infestations facilitated by
short distances between the farms despite crop rotation
planting of alternate hosts i.e. green pepper
poor management practices i.e. rotten tomatoes kept in field.

12. Discussion cont’d
Presence of T. absoluta in the surveyed districts confirmed the outcome of the PRA conducted by PQPS
high likelihood of pest introduction and its spread.
spread attributed to several factors
movement of both seedlings and wooden crates around the country due to the high demand for tomato.
These pathways reported to contribute to the spread of the pest (CFIA 2010; Desneux et al. 2011; Muniappan 2013; NAPPO 2013).

13. Recommendation to phytosanitary science and conclusion
This is the first report of T. absoluta in Zambia.
will help trading partners and scientists in the worldwide to carry out pest risk analyses.
Recommendations
Increase awareness creation - importance of IPM, appropriate use of pesticides and food safety to farmers.
More collaboration on management of the pest and resistance studies between academic, field researchers and private sector.
Regional Collaboration.
More research on bio pesticides needed.

14. References
Agripest. (2015). Tuta absoluta and the risk to farmers in Sothern Africa. Retrieved September 6, 2015,
Brevault, T., Sylla, S., Diatte, M., Bernadas, G., & Diarra, K. (2014). Tuta absoluta meyrick (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae): a new threat to tomato production in Sub-Saharan Africa. African Entomology, 22(2),
Caparros Megido, R., Haubruge, E., & Verheggen, F. (2013). Pheromone-based management strategies to control the tomato leafminer, Tuta absoluta (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae). A review. Biotechnologie, Agronomie, Société et Environnement= Biotechnology, Agronomy, Society and Environment [= BASE], 17(3),
CFIA (2010). Tomato leaf miner- Tuta absoluta Pest Fact Sheet. Retrieved September 19, 2015, from
Chidege,M,, Al-zaidi, S., Hassan, N., Abisgold J., Elialilia K. & Mrogoro, S. First record of tomato leaf miner Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) in Tanzania (2016). Agriculture & Food Security 17 (2016) 5, 17
CSO (2008). CSO/MACO/FSRP Supplemental Surveys Central Statistics Office, Lusaka, Zambia.
Desneux, N.,Wajnberg E., Wyckhuys, K. A.G., Burgio, G., Arpaia, S. Narváez-Vasquez, C.A., González-Cabrera J., Catalán Ruescas, D., Tabone, E., Frandon, J. Pizzol, J. Poncet, C. Cabello, T.& Urbaneja.A. (2010). Biological invasión of European tomato crops by Tuta absoluta: ecology, geographic expansion and prospects for biological control. Journal of Pest Science ( 83),
Desneux, N.,Luna M.G., T. Guillemaud, & Urbaneja The invasive South American tomato pinworm, Tuta absoluta, continues to spread in Afro-Eurasia and beyond: the new threat to tomato world production. Journal of Pest Science 84( 4),
FAO (1997) ISPM Guidelines for surveillance. Rome, IPPC, FAO.
IPPC (2014a). New pest in Kenya: Preliminary surveillance report on Tuta absoluta - preliminary report by Kenya. IPPC Official Pest Report, No. KEN-01/2. Rome, Italy: FAO. Retrieved July 5, 2015 from

15. Acknowledgements PQPS Team & RMT ASTF project
Department of Agriculture
Mr Chidege Maneno of TPRI
Rangaswamy Muniappan ,
Virginia Tech University, IPM innovation lab
Mrs Never Mwambela, Dr Thomas Dubois
APPSA

16. Thank you Contact details Maimouna S. Abass Luangala (BSc. MSc.)
Senior Agricultural Research Officer/ Plant Health Inspector
Plant Quarantine and Phytosanitary Service
Linked in: maimouna.luangala
Website: