In view of the recent outbreak of Tomato disease, some agricultural experts at the University of Ibadan (UI) on Sunday proffered some solutions to the problem tagged “Tuta Absoluta, saying importing tomato seeds was not the best option.
A Geneticist by name of Morufat Balogun, told the News Agency of Nigeria in Ibadan that importing seeds to cushion the problem would further drain the nation’s foreign exchange.
She said the Federal Government should direct Plant Breeders/Entomologists to develop new tomato varieties that could adapt to the Nigerian environment.
“Tomato is a short duration crop that breeds fast; when an insect smells something in the plant that puts it away, it can’t feed on it. If the gene from such hormones is put in tomato, the pest will not feed on it. That will be a lasting solution. A cushioning solution will be when farmers grow their tomato in an insect screen environment, the insects can’t attack it. Tomato can be produced anytime of the year. So, government should build screen houses for farmers,” Ms. Balogun said.
Another expert, Biodun Claudius-Cole, a Plant Pathologist at the university, said management of the disease should be done using combination of biosecticide method, resistant crops, among others.