Farmers complain about the spread of tomato worm and its damage to agricultural crops

Agadir24

Farmers continue to suffer from the tomato worm “Tuta Absoluta” pest that is stalking their crops, causing significant losses in some fields.

According to some farmers, no farmer has been spared from this virus due to the difficulty of containing it, stressing that it causes losses of up to 20 percent of production, while it rises to 35 percent when combined with the tomato leaf curl and dwarf virus (ToBRFV).

They reported that this disease can lead to the complete uprooting of plants, a recurring scenario even on farms that follow the best agricultural practices and make great efforts to prevent it, as without the efforts made, losses can reach 70 percent or more.

The same professionals pointed out that the severity of the damage increases especially before the harvest, and the uprooting rate may reach 100 percent, considering that the damage recorded since June raises concerns regarding the possible effects on the next season.

In response to this issue, the head of the Moroccan Interprofessional Federation of Fruit and Vegetable Producers and Exporters, Hussein Adrdour, revealed that the tomato worm is not a new phenomenon, and if the farmer is not vigilant, the disease spreads quickly.

Adhrour confirmed that some damages were recorded in certain areas, but he considered that this matter would not affect the national production of tomatoes, according to his expression.

However, the spokesman stressed the need to follow the necessary medications and pesticides in order to protect the covered houses and combat the spread of the tomato worm or virus, because its spread will lead to the complete destruction of the crop.

It is noteworthy that tomato farmers in Morocco have been suffering since 2008 from the repercussions of the tomato worm’s damage to their crops. Despite their efforts to control this pest, it remains a source of concern, as it has caused them huge losses at various times.

Efforts to combat this pest are limited by the development of tomato worm resistance to traditionally used insecticides, such as “abamectin”, and the matter is further complicated by restrictions on the use of insecticides, as Europe this year allows only five active substances.

Farmers believe that excluding effective insecticides containing “spinosad” from the list of permitted substances exacerbates the difficulty of combating this pest, not to mention the contribution of high temperatures and humidity this summer to the spread of the tomato worm significantly.