Author Archives: sukahumbu

Tomato russet mite (Aculops lycopersici) Credit: Biovision-Infonet They are very tiny, approximately 0.2 mm long, and cannot be seen with the naked eye. They are yellowish, brown or pink. They have a ringed conical body with the head and two pairs of legs at the large end. They complete the lifecycle in 1 week; this […]

Tomato mirid bug (Nesidiocoris tenuis) Credit: Biovision-Infonet It is slender, greenish in colour with a dark brown tint on the forewings. Eggs are laid singly on the growing points, petioles and stems of the tomato plant. The young bugs (nymphs) resemble the adults, but initially have no wings. Older nymphs have wing pads. The tomato […]

Spider mites (Tetranychus spp.) Credit: Biovision-Infonet Spider mites are important pests of tomatoes. They are more prevalent in dry areas. Infested leaves show a white to yellow speckling and then turn pale or bronzed. High spider mite infestation causes defoliation, which leads to production of smaller fruits with lower content of ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Spider […]

Fruit borers (Helicoverpa armiguera, Spodoptera littoralis) Credit: Biovision-Infonet Fruit borers such as the African bollworm (Helicoverpa armigera) and leaf-eating caterpillars such as the cotton leafworm (Spodoptera littoralis) attack the developing and mature fruit of tomato. The African bollworm, also known as the tomato fruit worm, is one of the most destructive insect pests of tomato, causing yield losses as […]

Tuta absoluta (tomato leaf miner) Credit: Biovision-Infonet Tuta absoluta is a new insect pest of tomato plant in sub Saharan Africa. The moth pest originated from Peru and has spread to Europe, Africa and Asia. In Africa, T. absoluta was detected in Tunisia (2009), Ethiopia (2012), Senegal (2013), Sudan (2010) , Tanzania and Kenya (2014) and in Uganda […]

Thrips (Thrips tabaci, Frankliniella occidentalis, F. schultzeii and Ceratothripoides brunneus) Thrips may also be a problem in tomatoes in Kenya. Thrips are small (about 1 to 2 mm long). They usually feed on the lower surface of leaves puncturing them and suck the exuding sap. They also attack buds, flowers and fruits. Attacked leaves have a silvery […]

Tobacco whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) Credit: Biovision-Infonet Tobacco whitefly is a serious pest of tomatoes. Whiteflies attack tomatoes from seedling to mature stage. They suck sap from the leaves, and may weaken the plants. Feeding of whiteflies cause yellowing of infested leaves. Immature stages (nymphs) produce honeydew on which sooty mould grows. Heavy honeydew or mould […]

Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) Credit: Biovision-Infonet Root-knot nematodes are very destructive to tomatoes. Damage is most serious on light sandy soils in furrow-irrigated crops. The nematodes cause small lumps known as root knots or galls on the roots. Heavily infected roots are severely distorted and swollen. In time the roots rot. The affected plants are either […]

Aphids (Aphis gossypii, Myzus persicae) Credit: Biovision-Infonet Aphids such as cotton aphid (Aphis gossypii) and the green peach aphid (Myzus persicae) suck plant sap, which can reduce plant growth; they also secrete honeydew, on which sooty moulds growth. Sooty mould on fruits reduces their market value. These aphids may also transmit virus diseases during feeding such […]