Farmer’s Knowledge on Thaumatotibia Leucotreta (Meyrick) an Economic Pest of Avocado Production in Tanzania
Thaumatotibia leucotreta (Meyrick) is a Lepidopteran pest that feeds on more than 70 plant species, both wild and cultivated. A study was carried out in Tanzania to assess farmer’s knowledge regarding the invasion of pests in avocado fruit production in Tanzania. The study interviewed 588 small-scal...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2025-12-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Fruit Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/15538362.2025.2458690 |
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| author | Juliana G. Shikoshi Angela G. Mkindi Patrick A. Ndakidemi Ernest R. Mbega Kelvin M. Mtei |
| author_facet | Juliana G. Shikoshi Angela G. Mkindi Patrick A. Ndakidemi Ernest R. Mbega Kelvin M. Mtei |
| author_sort | Juliana G. Shikoshi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Thaumatotibia leucotreta (Meyrick) is a Lepidopteran pest that feeds on more than 70 plant species, both wild and cultivated. A study was carried out in Tanzania to assess farmer’s knowledge regarding the invasion of pests in avocado fruit production in Tanzania. The study interviewed 588 small-scale avocado farmers to gather their knowledge on the presence of the pest, the extent of infestation on fruits, and the impact on fruit production and marketing. A total of 45 orchards were inspected to determine the infestation level of T. leucotreta in 225 randomly selected avocado trees. The findings revealed that 56.1% (n = 330) of the farmers had no idea about any insect pests infesting avocado fruits, while 77.6% (n = 456) of farmers were unaware of T. leucotreta, presence; however, only 22.4% (n = 132) confirmed to have seen damage symptoms caused by the pest on avocado fruits. It was further observed that 51.6% (n = 1158) of the 2250 sampled fruits exhibited T. leucotreta damaging signs (white exudes or frass on fruit surface), thereby confirming the presence of T. leucotreta in farmers’ fields. Furthermore, farmers reported that diseases, poor marketing environment and premature fruit dropping were the main challenges faced in avocado production. These findings highlight farmer’s limited knowledge on T. leucotreta right from its presence, damage level to the potential impact on avocado production in Tanzania. Hence, the study recommends the need to provide such knowledge to farmers and propose management strategies through collaborative research with farmers for increased production. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-61ac649a20e3462ba8afa36578bc4519 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1553-8362 1553-8621 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Fruit Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-61ac649a20e3462ba8afa36578bc45192025-01-28T08:51:58ZengTaylor & Francis GroupInternational Journal of Fruit Science1553-83621553-86212025-12-01251566810.1080/15538362.2025.2458690Farmer’s Knowledge on Thaumatotibia Leucotreta (Meyrick) an Economic Pest of Avocado Production in TanzaniaJuliana G. Shikoshi0Angela G. Mkindi1Patrick A. Ndakidemi2Ernest R. Mbega3Kelvin M. Mtei4School of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha, TanzaniaSchool of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha, TanzaniaSchool of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha, TanzaniaSchool of Life Sciences and Bioengineering, The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha, TanzaniaSchool of Materials Energy, Water and Environmental Sciences, The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha, TanzaniaThaumatotibia leucotreta (Meyrick) is a Lepidopteran pest that feeds on more than 70 plant species, both wild and cultivated. A study was carried out in Tanzania to assess farmer’s knowledge regarding the invasion of pests in avocado fruit production in Tanzania. The study interviewed 588 small-scale avocado farmers to gather their knowledge on the presence of the pest, the extent of infestation on fruits, and the impact on fruit production and marketing. A total of 45 orchards were inspected to determine the infestation level of T. leucotreta in 225 randomly selected avocado trees. The findings revealed that 56.1% (n = 330) of the farmers had no idea about any insect pests infesting avocado fruits, while 77.6% (n = 456) of farmers were unaware of T. leucotreta, presence; however, only 22.4% (n = 132) confirmed to have seen damage symptoms caused by the pest on avocado fruits. It was further observed that 51.6% (n = 1158) of the 2250 sampled fruits exhibited T. leucotreta damaging signs (white exudes or frass on fruit surface), thereby confirming the presence of T. leucotreta in farmers’ fields. Furthermore, farmers reported that diseases, poor marketing environment and premature fruit dropping were the main challenges faced in avocado production. These findings highlight farmer’s limited knowledge on T. leucotreta right from its presence, damage level to the potential impact on avocado production in Tanzania. Hence, the study recommends the need to provide such knowledge to farmers and propose management strategies through collaborative research with farmers for increased production.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/15538362.2025.2458690AvocadoPersea americanaThaumatotibia leucotretasmall-scale farmerspestsurvey |
| spellingShingle | Juliana G. Shikoshi Angela G. Mkindi Patrick A. Ndakidemi Ernest R. Mbega Kelvin M. Mtei Farmer’s Knowledge on Thaumatotibia Leucotreta (Meyrick) an Economic Pest of Avocado Production in Tanzania International Journal of Fruit Science Avocado Persea americana Thaumatotibia leucotreta small-scale farmers pest survey |
| title | Farmer’s Knowledge on Thaumatotibia Leucotreta (Meyrick) an Economic Pest of Avocado Production in Tanzania |
| title_full | Farmer’s Knowledge on Thaumatotibia Leucotreta (Meyrick) an Economic Pest of Avocado Production in Tanzania |
| title_fullStr | Farmer’s Knowledge on Thaumatotibia Leucotreta (Meyrick) an Economic Pest of Avocado Production in Tanzania |
| title_full_unstemmed | Farmer’s Knowledge on Thaumatotibia Leucotreta (Meyrick) an Economic Pest of Avocado Production in Tanzania |
| title_short | Farmer’s Knowledge on Thaumatotibia Leucotreta (Meyrick) an Economic Pest of Avocado Production in Tanzania |
| title_sort | farmer s knowledge on thaumatotibia leucotreta meyrick an economic pest of avocado production in tanzania |
| topic | Avocado Persea americana Thaumatotibia leucotreta small-scale farmers pest survey |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/15538362.2025.2458690 |
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