Natural enemies to the tomato borer moth and pheromone traps are being used to halt the insect's damage to crops in the Middle East, the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) has announced.

FAO pest management expert Khaled Alrouechdi, said the tomato borer, or Tuta absoluta, has bred quickly and moved easily over borders.

"Some countries have been able to minimize the insect's ability to reproduce, and limit its potential to spread and damage crops. FAO's objective is to replicate this success as the pest makes its way east and south east."

The FAO is favoring 'soft' pest control in Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen rather than pesticides because this has worked in the Mediterranean.

"There are two reasons why we aim to reduce the level of pesticides used: first, the heavy application of chemicals is not environmentally sustainable; second, the tomato borer has been known to rapidly develop resistance to insecticides."

The small brownish moth was first introduced from South America into Spain in 2006 and later spread to countries in the Mediterranean Basin and the Middle East. As well as tomatoes it likes potatoes, eggplants, peppers and beans.

The FAO has been using Integrated Pest Management (IPM) schemes relying on predators and parasitoids,  pheromone traps and insect proof screens and double doors on greenhouses and better nursery management.

"The use of pheromone traps, collectively by farmers, to eliminate insects using what we call the 'attract-and-kill' method is one of our most promising options," said Alrouechdi.

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