Tomato leaf miner is a worldwide tomato killing pest, which was first discovered in mainland China in 2017 and included in the list of first-class crop pests and diseases by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in 2023. Tomato leaf miner has the characteristics of fast reproduction and diffusion, wide range of damage, etc., which can generally lead to a crop yield reduction of 20%-30%, and the heavy one is more than 50%. At present, how to do a good job in the control of tomato leaf miner moth is an important problem, and how to choose an efficient, safe and environmentally friendly agent has become a concern for growers.
Tomato leaf miner
It spreads and spreads
The tomato leaf miner is native to South America and spreads mainly with the trade of agricultural products, with a spread rate of up to 800 km per year. In 2017, the first invasion of tomato leaf miner was detected in Xinjiang, and in early 2018, it was detected that it had invaded Yunnan. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the tomato leaf miner moth has been colonized in Xinjiang, Yunnan, Shanxi, Gansu, Sichuan, Inner Mongolia, Beijing, Liaoning, Shandong and other provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government). According to data, as of October 2023, tomato leaf miner has spread to more than 390 counties in 19 provinces and cities in mainland China, and it is expanding and spreading, seriously endangering tomato production. After the crop is infected, it can generally lead to a yield reduction of 20%-30%, and the heavy one can reach more than 50%, which seriously threatens the safety of the "vegetable basket".
On November 10, 2023, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Regulations on the Prevention and Control of Crop Diseases and Insect Pests, decided to include the tomato leaf miner moth in the management of the "List of Class I Crop Diseases and Insect Pests", and required agricultural and rural departments at all levels to strengthen the monitoring of tomato leaf miner moth, strict prevention and control, and ensure that there is no large-scale spread of disasters.
In view of the occurrence of tomato leaf miner moth in mainland China in 2024, the National Agricultural Technology Extension Center predicts that this year's overall occurrence will be moderate, with more emphasis on tomato fields in some areas, more important in protected areas than in open fields, and heavier in autumn stubble than spring stubble, and the peak period from flowering to fruit maturity.
It can be used on any ground part of the tomato
Carry out hazards
Tomato leaf miner moth is mainly infested by larvae, which can be harmed at any stage of development of tomato plants or in any aboveground part.
With the growth of larvae, the submersible channel gradually widens and becomes larger, and the leaf epidermis is window paper-like, leaving black excrement, which seriously affects the photosynthesis of leaves, causing the leaves to gradually shrink and even wither.
The larvae can also eat the top buds, flower buds and fruits of tomatoes, causing the top buds to die and the flower buds and fruits to fall off. The tomato plant stops growing after the growth point is damaged. When it latent and bored the young stems, it will form cracks, affecting the normal growth and development of the plant. After the fruit is invaded, it will cause holes and deformities, and it is easy to be parasitized by pathogens and rot, which seriously affects the commodity value of the fruit.
The only dedicated insecticide
Tomato leaf miner has the characteristics of large fecundity, short life cycle and serious overlap of generations, so once found, it is necessary to carry out control measures quickly, otherwise it will pose a huge challenge to control due to its rapid dispersal rate.
Recently, the National Agricultural Technology Extension Center has formulated a green prevention and control technology plan for tomato leaf miner in 2024, and its control measures include agricultural prevention and control, physical control, mating interference or sexual trapping, biological control, and scientific medicine. Considering the diffusion rate of tomato leaf miner, scientific medication is a link that cannot be ignored in the current control process.
However, there are not many pesticides specifically registered for tomato leaf miners, and the only insecticide registered for tomato leaf miners is 60 g/L ethyl spinosad suspension of Corteva Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd. through the China Pesticide Information Network. ®
An important choice for green prevention and control
It is reported that Ellox ® is a biological insecticide that acts on the nervous system of insects. In 2009, it was launched in China as Corteva's first ethyl spinosa.
Its main active ingredient, ethyl spinosadid, is derived from actinomycetes in the soil and is produced through a special natural fermentation process that reduces residues and causes no additional harm to non-target organisms. At present, ethyl spinosasad has been included in the "List of Pesticides Allowed to Be Used in Green Food Production" of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and has been certified by the China Green Food Association as a production input with specific green biotech marks for licensed use, and has also won the "Outstanding Contribution Award for Crop Protection" by the China Plant Protection Association for many times, and won the 2008 U.S. President's Green Chemistry Challenge Award and the 2010 Agrow Awards Best New Crop Protection Product Award. Ethyl spinosad is widely welcomed by growers around the world because of its unique mechanism of action and green and safe characteristics, and is an important choice for the green control of tomato leaf miner.
On September 28, 2023, Elux ® increased the registration of leaf miner moths. In the process of controlling tomato leaf miner, the best spraying period is the small insect passage period, during which the ® application of pesticides will quickly enter the mesophyll from the leaf surface through good permeability, and quickly control the tomato leaf miner, so as to achieve the effect of rapid insect death, fruit protection and yield loss.
It is understood that in addition to tomatoes, Ailushi ® is also suitable for the control of bayberry, rice, cabbage, mango, eggplant, grapes, watermelon, cowpea and other crops. So far, 7 products under the Corteva brand ™ using the active ingredient of ethyl spinosad have landed in the Chinese market, protecting many crops from a variety of pests such as Lepidoptera, thrips, Diptera, Coleoptera, and stinging and sucking mouthparts pests.
In the future, Corteva will also overcome the problem of tomato leaf miner control for farmers through excellent product technology and in-depth field services.
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Please indicate in the following format for reprinting: Article source: Agricultural Resources Herald This article author: Ding Jiahui Editor of this issue: Peng Leyao Review of this issue: Zhai Yiting Producer of this issue: Zheng Hongyan