INTRODUCTIONThe moth of the tomato, perforating moth, "cogollero" of the tomato, mining worm of the tomato or mining of leaf and stems of the potato ( Tuta absoluta ) is a little lepidopterous insect of the family Gelechiidae .

This plague of Latin American origin is present at Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, but does not appear over the 1,000 meters of altitude, neither at zones of low temperatures, since temperature is a limiting factor for its survival. It arrived at Spain in 2006. Since then, it has propagate very easy being a big injured the Southern Spanish zone's with intensive tomato crops. One year later also appeared in Morocco and Algeria. About the end of 2008, the plague affected at cultivations of tomato in the south of France, Italy and Tunisia. Some companies in Holand has also detected it in plants from Spanish exporters.

It attacks all the solanums being his preferred the tomato, although also it affects the potato, the eggplant ( solanums solanum ) and in minor cases the pepper ( solanums capsicum ).

INFORMATION AND TREATMENT

CYCLEWith highly potential reproduction ( they can get to the 12 generations a year ), adults come from nighttime flights while in the daytime they hide between the foliage. The female makes her setting in the face of the leaves, but also they can be in other organs of the plant. A female puts eggs between 40-50 during one's lifetime, going sometimes up to the 260 eggs. The female's life is of about 2 weeks and the males of 1 week. The minimum temperature of activity is 9 C.

ASPECTEGG

Eggs are cylindrical, of beige white color to yellow, measure 0.4 mm in length for 0.2 of diameter and often they deposit in the back of the young leaves,

nerves or the stem outer edge. The egg becomes dark when it is close to open.

LARVAEggs turn into caterpillar, upgrowing at galleries in the sheet, stem or fruit and it goes out to the exterior for transforming into pupa, normally in the ground.

This is the moment where the plague harms in bigger measure to the

cultivation and where his elimination with the habitual treatments becomes more difficult, since the larva will not eliminate with an insecticide of contact, only the adult insect, without getting to break off the life cycle. Larvae go by four larva stadiums of 1mm to 8 mm of length of dark-brown head while his body goes varying of cream-colored to greenish with pink stains in the reverse and a nigral line behind the head from the second larva status.

Between the phases of larva molt, caterpillars go temporarily out to the exterior of the galleries of the leaves or fruits.

While he has foods, the stage of larva ( caterpillar ) will not get into dormancy.

PUPABehind his larva status, it is transformed into pupa in the ground on the surface of the leaves or enclosure inside the galleries, in terms of the environmental conditions.

The pupa often is coated of a white and silky bud.

ADULTBoth adult's sexes show filiform antennas and head, thorax, palp and wings of bleak tones with black stains in previous wings. Females have the brown and broader thorax than the male.

They get up to 10 mm.

The spice needs from 29 to 38 days to complete its cycle, according to temperatures, and presents a high number of yearly generations ( 10-12 ). Low temperatures are a limitative factor to his survival.

Damages IN CULTIVATIONSJust born larvae penetrate into the tomato fruits, in the leaves or in the stems they feed themselves of, creating perforations and galleries. Fruits can be attacked from their formation, could have given place they get rotten to at a later time for the action of secondary pathogens, what enables a fast observation of the symptoms. The larva gets out of a fruit to enter another one.

On the leaves, larvae live on only the textile of the mesophyll, leaving intact epidermis. Mines are irregular and at a later time they necrotize themselves. The galleries on the stem affect the development of the attacked plants.

Damages are important if an opportune detection does not come true and if a good prevention is not started.Control of the plagueThe moth of the Tuta absoluta can decrease the performance of the cultivations of tomato and other solanums between a 50 and a 100 % and your presence also limits the exportation of the product to different countries. Prevention and the suitable management of the plague are, therefore, crucial.

The greenhouse and his direct surroundings should be free from old plants, fruits and weeds, in order to prevent the transition of the plague of the cultivation previous to the new.

Prevent that the adult issues penetrate into the greenhouse, closing all the openings of ventilation with mesh mosquito net. The meshes used against the insects ( 6 x 9 thread/cm2 ) are fine enough to stop Tuta absoluta. Repair all the holes of plastics. Place a double door on the entrance of the greenhouse.

The chemical control often fails due to the resistance of Tuta absoluta to a large number of pesticides, but also because great part of his development has place inside the plant where they do not catch up with the normal pesticides.

Throughout it mixture of InsecSTOP 1like insecticide of contact against adult and InsecSTOP 2 recommended like systemic treatment to protect the plant against the larvae from within the stem, fruit or sheet.

DOSE FOR THE TUTA

1st application:1,5L of InsecSTOP1 each 1000L of water + 6L of InsecSTOP 2 each 1000L of water

2nd application and following:After 7 days 1,5L/1000L of InsecSTOP 1 + 3L to 6L of InsecSTOP 2 each 1000L of water ( depending of the affectation of cultivation ).

APPLICATIONS SHOULD BE DONE BY NIGHT or at the last hour of the afternoon since it is an insect of nighttime habits. In the daytime they hide and the product of contact will not be so effective.( if we stirred a tomato plant in the daytime, we will see how the insect goes out )

Repeating every 7 days.

The product is made based on vegetable extract and does not have security period.

The product doesn't acts against eggs, so we will have to waint untils egg brakes ( in the tuta it takes about 4-5 days ) in order that it transform to larva phase and to make the second application, breaking off the life cycle of the insect.

The following applications will have a control of the plague, since it settle fields very easy and most probably the around will have the same problem.

In the phase of control and only in greenhouse, Delta traps with pheromones Pherodiscon is also interesting to have ( or other home remedies ) because it will serve us as indicator to know the quantity of tuta that we have, area of propagation and the presence of other plagues.

The elimination of the plague with only pheromones it is difficult since

pheromone only attracts the male and adult insect. In outdoor cultivation you can attract insects of nearby fields.

InsecSTOP1 acts for contact eliminating the adult population attacking his muscle system ( behind the application of the product a liberation of acetylcholine contracts the muscle fibers and the nervous system of

the insect takes place )

InsecSTOP2 acts for sistemia, being absorbed by root or by leaf. It is effective in his larva phase. The product will be circulating inside of the plant during 7-10 days, protecting to the plant from inside and killing the larva

when try to eat some part of the plant.

InsecSTOP 1+2 it’s an AGRARES iberia SLproduct.

+ INFO at: http://www.agrares.com/es/tuta-absoluta/tuta_absoluta.htmor calling +34 618518702