In 2006, the South American tomato moth found its way to the African continent. In just a short time, the pest created devastating crop failures in tomato fields, creating an enormous challenge for Kenyan farmers. To protect the tomatoes from the moth, many farms turned to chemical insecticides, some of which were extremely potent. Controlling the tomato moth and other pests with chemical insecticides has negative effects, though – on humans, on animals and on the soil.
In this project, Biovision aims to promote the research and application of sustainable pest control. The focus is on setting up traps, using biopesticides, monitoring the pest population, and deploying tomato pests’ natural enemies. The mix of measures is intended to show that plant protection also works sustainably and that pesticide-free production of tomatoes in the region is entirely possible.
This should not only lead to a healthier product that consumers can enjoy without hesitation; it is also aimed at the health of the farmers and at pesticide-free living fields and soils.
Project name:
Project budget in CHF :
International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), Kenya
This project is supported by SDC
In the first project phase, pesticide-free pest control was researched, tested and implemented in tomato fields. Together with our project partners, we discovered that the sustainable measures used work very well to keep tomato moths in check. These measures included but were not limited to pheromone traps and the deployment of parasitic wasps, which are a natural enemy of the moth.
The task now is to further expand the measures. More and more farmers are expected to use the components of pest control that work and that offer a genuine, affordable alternative to toxic pesticides.
In the long term, this should also raise awareness of sustainable agriculture. Biovision wants to encourage healthy, pesticide-free food not only among farmers, but also among consumers.
