Workshop on pest and disease incursion, occurrence and management in Seychelles |29 December 2017
Farmers and staff of NBA, SAA and MoFA at the workshop (photo source: Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture)
On December 15, 2017, the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture (MOFA) in collaboration with the National Biosecurity Agency (NBA) and the Seychelles Agricultural Agency (SAA) conducted a half-day workshop on Pest and Disease Incursion, Occurrence and Management at the district administration office at Grand Anse, Praslin.
Present at the workshop were staff from the NBA, SAA and the MoFA as well as a number of farmers from Praslin.
The main aim of the workshop was for the NBA to disseminate information to farmers and other interested stakeholders about recent developments relating to pests/diseases in Seychelles and in the region, which are directly or indirectly affecting our country.
The NBA commented that such an activity increases the farmers’ knowledge on pests and diseases, as well as their identification and management. Home growers can also benefit by learning to control pests in their gardens without using toxic pesticide methods, through the means of Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The NBA has said that they will conduct the same workshop on Mahe during the coming year.
During the workshop, four types of pests/diseases were said to have been predominant this year, including the tomato leaf miner (TutaAbsoluta), fruit flies (CeratitisCapitata and ZeugodacausCurcurbitae), fall armyworm (Spodopterafrugiperda) and the tomato leaf curl virus. Information relating to the identification, damages and examples of management measures for these 4 types of pests/diseases are detailed below.
Tomato leaf miner
Recorded in Seychelles in January 2017 and causes damage to both leaves and fruit, mainly in tomatoes.
Examples of management measures
- Cultural Measures: Crop rotation with non-solanaceous crops (preferably cruciferous crops), ploughing, removal of infested plants and complete removal of post-harvest plant debris and fruits.
- Non-Chemical Control: The use of Neem oil (Neem-Baan, Neemik), Bacillus thuringensis
Fruit flies
The melon fly was first detected in quarantine traps around the International Airport in November 1999 and is a major pest of cucurbitaceous vegetables. The Mediterranean fruit fly was first recorded in Seychelles in the 1900s and its main host plants are guava, tomato, chilli, starfruit and citrus fruits.
Examples of management measures
- Male Annihilation Technique (mass trapping of male fruit flies)
- Sanitation (collecting and destroying all infested fruits containing fruit fly eggs/maggots)
- Bait Application Technique (protein bait is combined with a killing agent and applied in a localised spot to attract flies)
- Population Monitoring (understanding the population of insects in the field to guide control measures by using traps baited with attractants and insecticides)
Fall armyworm (FAW)
First reported on Mahe on July 28, 2017 and has a preference for grass.
Damage from FAW pest
Examples of management measures
- Clean cultivation and weeding are recommended to remove wild hosts and reduce potential adult resting sites.
- Adequate nutrient supply (mineral fertilizer, manure, compost) supports vigorous plant growth.
- Intercropping provides shelter for and increases number of predators (ants, spiders, beetles)
Tomato leaf curl virus (TLCV)
Reported in second quarter of 2017 with farms on Mahe and Praslin being affected.
Damage
- Earliest symptoms are marginal leaf yellowing of the newest leaves with mild cupping
- Severe stunting and reduction of leaf size
- Upward cupping/curling of leaves
- Chlorosis on leaves and flowers
- Reduction of fruit production and significant yield losses (90-100%)
Examples of management measures
- Use only virus and whitefly-free transplants/seedlings and seeds
- Remove infected plants with early symptoms of the disease and place in plastic bags or destroy by deep burying or burning
- Net houses fitted with insect exclusion nets