Management of the Potato Tuber Moth by Tunisian Farmers: A Report of On-Farm Monitoring and a Socioeconomic Survey

摘要

The potato tuber moth (Phthorimaea operculella) is the most important potato pest in Tunisia. Populations are low during the cold and rainy winter period, but increase to significant levels during the hot and dry summer months. Tubers are damaged both in the field (particularly if the harvest is delayed) and in traditional, rustic stores. The efficiency of Tunisian farmers' control tactics is highly variable. Experienced farmers have developed integrated control strategies which combine cultural practices with the use of insecticides. High hilling, well-timed irrigation, early harvest, rapid handling and storage, and well-designed stores using local materials provide adequate control when combined with a single insecticide treatment as the potatoes are being stored. Less toxic pyrethroids have replaced Parathion as the insecticide most commonly used by farmers. The biological insecticide Bacillus thuringiensis has given good results in experiments.