Tomato Leafminer, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick 1917), an emerging agricultural pest in Sub-Saharan Africa: Current and prospective management strategies

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is an important vegetable crop for income and nutrition of small-holder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. However, it is attacked by many insect pests that cause high economic losses. This review focuses on one insect pest, namely Tuta absoluta (Meyrick, 1917) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae). Many studies have shown that chemical pesticides have failed to control tomato leafminer in many parts of the world including America, Europe, Asian and Sub-Saharan Africa, where the pest is impacting significantly the tomato value chains as farmers were unaware of the pest and unprepared to control it. The review has also evaluated current approaches used to manage T. absoluta in different countries and proposes areas for future investment in research for effective and affordable management to prevent further losses caused by T. absoluta in tomato production is Sub-Saharan Africa. Key words: Tuta absoluta, agricultural pest, pesticides resistance, pheromone trap, biocontrols