From September 27 – 29, the First International Conference on Biological Control: Approaches and Applications took place in Bengaluru, India. In congruence with the International Organization for Biological Control’s (IOBC) Parthenium symposia, the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Integrated Pest Management hosted a symposia on Tuta absoluta. Tuta is a South American tomato leafminer that was introduced to Spain in 2006, and has now spread across Asia and Africa, with the potential to wipe out 100% of tomato crop yields.
The symposia, led by the International Association for Plant Protection Sciences (IAPPS) Working Group, was conducted on September 28 where 11 presentations addressed topics such as biology of the pest, modeling distribution, biocontrol involving parasitoids and predators, and more. Fifty people representing five continents participated, offering recommendations for future modes of control of the pest.
“Not only did this conference bring together people from all over the world,” Muni Muniappan, director of the Innovation Lab, said, “but it united us in what we should do for further management methods. Some of our final recommendations include pheromone traps, host plant resistance, to continue modeling Tuta’s movement, and to push donor agencies to support Tuta management research and outreach.”
The Innovation Lab currently has a project led by Abhijin Adiga, who presented at the conference, on tracking Tuta absoluta by its movement throughout domestic markets and has already conducted 18 workshops involving 55 countries on management of the pest.
R. Muniappan
IAPPS North America Coordinator
Global Plant Protection News 
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