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. Tuta 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, Shakir Al-Zaidi, Dr. CChem,
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
Williams-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,” Williams-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 Amphligo for instance, or
whatever Bayer has got on its own, you are lying because all the places
where Tuta has occurred, there has always been biological entry in
solving the situation because a 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 Bayer and Syngenta 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.
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ReplyDeleteThanking AgroNigeria for exposing the limitations of a purely chemical approach to managing Tuta Absoluta. A sustainable solution requires targeting all life stages with biological strategies. NACL Industries Limited offers effective Agrochemical Products to support integrated pest management in agriculture.
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