Farmers’ Perspectives on Tomato Leafminer (Tuta absoluta) in Tomatoes Production: A Case study of Kathaana Tomato Growers in Machakos County in Kenya

Abstract

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is an important vegetable crop worldwide and locally in Kenya. However, tomato farming is constrained by tomato leafminer (Tuta absoluta), an invasive insect pest. The pest cause severe yield losses in tomato production of 80 - 100 % if not controlled. This study determined the knowledge, perceptions and management practices of tomato leafminer. The study targeted Kathaana tomato growers from Machakos County in Kenya. A stratified sampling procedure was employed. Kathaana tomato growers are organized into five blocks. Within each block, farmers were randomly sampled and administered with a semi-structured questionnaire to collect the data. A total of 135 tomato growers were interviewed in this study. Data collected was cleaned and analyzed descriptively using Statistical Packages for Social Scientists (SPSS). From the survey, 99% of the respondents knew Tuta absoluta with 52 % of the farmers rating yield losses associated with the pest infection in tomato production to be more than 75 %. About 76 % of the respondents reported the larva stage of the pest as the most destructive stage. Majority of the farmers (97 %) perceived the pest problem to be severe during hot and dry seasons. Farmers knew and employed various methods of controlling the pest including physical and cultural, biological and the use of synthetic insecticides. However, about 99% of farmers majorly used synthetic insecticides, the method they perceived as the most efficient in controlling Tuta absoluta with 65 % of farmers reporting a spraying frequency of up to 10 times per growing season. From the study, it is clear that Kathaana tomato growers know Tuta absoluta and various management options available for the pest. However, to reduce the amount of synthetic pesticides used in controlling the pest, sensitization on the use of physical, cultural and biological controls before applying synthetic insecticides in managing the pest is important.