As the IPM Innovation Lab enters its fifth phase, it’s setting its sights on Tuta absoluta, a devastating, invasive tomato leafminer native to South America. Our work with farmers to combat this tiny moth was recently featured in the prestigious Scientific American Magazine’s blog network.
Tomatoes are a major cash crop for many farmers in West Africa. But invasive pests and diseases have the potential to cripple the industry.
Since 1993, researchers with the USAID-funded and Virginia Tech-managed Integrated Pest Management Innovation Lab (IPM IL, formerly the IPM CRSP) have been working with growers, extension agents, and specialists in the region to identify tomato pests and diseases and create new ways to manage them.
IPM work in Africa featured on Scientific American blog