Zambia Agribusiness Society

Tomato damaged by Tuta absoluta Tuta absoluta’s threat to Solanaceous crops originated from South America before spreading to other parts of the world. The common name for Tuta absoluta is the tomato leaf miner , named so because of the pest’s preference for tomato. This dangerous pest favours tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) and sometimes potato (S. tuberosum). Tomato leaf moth has a life cycle of 29 to 38 days depending on the temperature. The pest prefers higher temperatures meaning the higher the temperature, the faster it will reproduce and the more damage it will inflict on the plants. This is not to imply that it is not there during the cold season, in my experience, this is an ever present enemy of progress. Female leaf moths can lay up to 260 eggs for their entire lifetime, a hell lot of eggs right? The life cycle is such that when fertilized eggs are laid, they hatch into Larva (caterpillar form) which transforms into a pupa which later becomes an adult insect (moth).

General Requirements Chinese does well in warm seasons of the year. Optimum temperatures for growing are 20ºC to 25ºC, with minimum temperatures of 18ºC and maximum 30ºC. A well-managed chinese crop should yield 5 tons per Lima with a leaf cutting period of 40 to 50 days. First leaves can be harvested 21 days after transplanting. Land Preparation/Soil Type Deep well-drained loamy soils with a pH range from 5.5 to 6.5 is ideal for Chinese cabbage. Effective rooting depth is 60cm. Plough and disc to a 60cm fine tilth seedbed. Avoid planting Chinese cabbage on land previously planted to other brassicas for at least one season. Planting and Transplanting Sow directly by drilling in the farrows 1 to 2cm deep or raise seedlings in nursery beds and transplant 4 to 5 weeks later. Transplant during the cool part of the day (early morning or late afternoon) to avoid wilting of the plants. Space the plants at 20cm between plants and 60cm between rows to give a plant population