Claims by a few agro-chemical companies that they possess potent chemicals that can eliminate Tuta Absoluta (Tomato Leafminer) have been debunked.

The companies – who are major chemical companies of international standing – have asserted they have effective and efficient chemicals which could exterminate lycopersicon esculentum’s scourge christened ‘Tomato Ebola’ in Nigeria.

Contrary to this assertion however, AgroNigeria can authoritatively reveal that chemical solution to Tuta Absoluta is at best temporary. T. Absoluta can only be controlled through comprehensive program targeting all life stages.

Reacting to the claims made by these companies through an e-mail conversation with AgroNigeria, Managing Director, Russell IPM Ltd, Dr. Shakir Al-Zaidi, said: “It is normal to have such claims as it is true most insecticides will kill Tuta absoluta but you need repeated application which will increase the insect resistance to pesticides increase as well as the level of pesticide residues in the crop. Eventually the control fails and the crop destroyed.”

He maintains that Tuta absoluta can only be controlled through “comprehensive program targeting all life stages. In Nigeria, Russell IPM is demonstrating such program which proved successful in other African counties,” Al-Zaidi states.

In the same vein, Managing Director, Agronet Nig. Ltd, and partner of Russell IPM Ltd. – an Integrated Pest Management company – Mr. Tunde William-Funmilayo, while fielding questions from AgroNigeria during an exclusive chat in respect of the claims, rebuffed the claims; insisting chemical solution doesn’t provide security beyond the first usage. “Once you apply for the first time, yes it seemingly might have worked but, by the next planting season the moths will regroup and because it is a three-pronged attack – larva, pupa and the moth itself – it can position itself in the cravats of the tomato that the insecticide spray may not be able to reach.”

Another issue is that “larva is found in the ground and it operates in the night such that when you are spraying in the day it is already sleeping – it has gone away -except you are going to come back in the night and spray your tomato crop,” William-Funmilayo said.
He maintained Russell IPM biological solution comprehensively attacks the three stages of the evolution of Tuta problem. “It takes out the actual moth that ordinarily procreates to result in the larva, it also handles the eggs with the pupa; so in a comprehensive sense, you are addressing the problem.”

He said he is confident that Russell provides the best and most effective solutions for mass trapping and monitoring Tuta Absoluta with efficient and effective monitoring solutions.

Also reacting to claims by these companies that they possess ready-made solutions to Tuta Absoluta pest infestation, a key player in the Nigerian agriculture industry who did not want his name in print revealed to AgroNigeria: “If you say you are going to solve Tuta Absoluta problem with just spraying of pesticides for instance, or whatever chemical any agro-allied company might claim to possess, you are lying because all the places where Tuta has occurred, there has always been biological entry in solving the situation because chemical solution will not help.

The source maintained that “in fact, if you insist on chemical solution to solve the problem you will find that you will be back to the situation where the European Union (EU) was complaining about the Nigerian beans; insisting the beans are replete with chemical residue. In fact, findings have shown that biological solution is cheaper,” the source maintained; stressing that even these chemical companies admit their chemical is not cheap.

“They have said so on several occasions themselves. It is simply because they are emphasising chemical solution that is why they were able to convince the governments to intervene on behalf of the marketer or the producer such as the likes of Kano State government, Kaduna State government and even the Federal Government are now being hoodwinked to be in bed with them; but serious-minded businesses like the Dangote, or Dansa are already sensing that chemical approach is just a short-term intervention and that it does not help their business case and so are already beginning to review their strategy to incorporate biological solution and Russell IPM Ltd is the biggest name when it comes to biological solution to Tuta Absoluta. In fact, Russel IPM has a comprehensive blog dedicated to Tuta,” the source noted.