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Photo credits: Science Development Network
Copyright: Robin Hammond / Panos
Irrigation may cause invasive pests to spread across Africa
“Irrigation can create growth conditions for pests or pathogens by allowing a host plant to grow where it otherwise wouldn’t grow, thus changing the distribution of the pest.” -Dan Bebb, University of Exeter
Written by Ines Nastali
- Africa’s future warmer, wetter climate will favor the growth of exotic crop pests
- Irrigation will also increase habitat for insects such as the tomato leaf miner.
- The moth has destroyed thousands of hectares of fruit in Sudan
Irrigation systems in sub-Saharan Africa create conditions that attract devastating exotic plant pests such as the tomato leafminer, a Kenyan study has found.
East Africa is particularly vulnerable to infestations of moths because the region’s temperatures and seasonal rainfall vary greatly. climate changeThe researchers warned that they found that fields were being watered more frequently, resulting in more areas becoming suitable habitat for the destructive insect.
In addition to tomatoes, the tomato leaf miner also attacks crops such as potatoes, peppers, eggplants and tobacco. The pest is native to South America but was introduced to Europe in 2006 and has since spread to the Middle East and Africa.
Read the full article: Science Development Network
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