With this trap, I said bye to moths

In the harvest seasons before January 2017, farmer Douglas Gitonga, from Central Imenti in Meru County, rued losses from his mixed tomato farm.

Now Gitonga is pretty confident that his production will increase owing to a triangular gadget that gives his crops protection against a formidable pest that has cost him massive crop losses.

“It works as a trap,” he says. “This moth gets attracted by pheromones strategically placed within the frame. A detachable paper, placed inside the trap, has an adhesive material which sticks the moths.”

Known scientifically as Tuta absoluta, the pest, a member of the moth family, causes large galleries into the leaves of a tomato plant. Once it attacks, it causes havoc.

“The larvae of Tuta absoluta mine into leaves of target plants. The larvae feed on mesophyll tissues and make irregular scorch patterns on leaf surface. It can eat throughout the entire leaf, causing substantial losses in production,” Grace Mureithi, a crop biotechnologist explains.

Tuta absoluta is the ultimate nightmare for tomato farmers.

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“This pest destroys my crop and causes me severe losses,” Gitonga says. “I had tried spraying with pesticides before but this didn’t seem to work as effectively as I hoped it would.”

The moth is resistant to pesticides.

“It is difficult to control Tuta absoluta by spraying with pesticides,” Ms Mureithi says, adding: “The pest is known to burrow into the plant. Chemicals are only effective when the pest is on the surface of the plant and not hidden inside.”

According to the biotechnologist, Tuta absoluta are best controlled by hormone based traps.

“This pest is known to rapidly create resistance against pesticides,” Grace explains.

When the paper trap is full (with hundreds of stuck moths) it is replaced by another trap. Trapped moths quickly starve to death.

Trapping, Mureithi adds, is a very promising control method for the male adults of Tuta absoluta. This reduces mating incidence and in the process reduces the number of viable eggs.

The gadget’s maintenance is relatively cheap, Gitonga says.

“I buy pheromones at Sh250 every six weeks. And when the sticky paper fills up I pull it out and replace it with new ones. I will be getting better harvest this time round gauging from how my crops are progressing.”

Traps, Mureithi says, ensure minimum amount of insecticide application. Pesticides, she says, have previously been linked to destruction of biodiversity as well as cause for illnesses in human beings.

The moth also affects potatoes and common beans.