A local tomato demonstration in Lam Dong Province, Vietnam, brought pest monitoring, trapping and biological control together for farmers facing South American tomato leafminer. In its October 14, 2026 report, CABI described a programme that recorded lower pest density alongside fewer chemical pesticide applications than a neighbouring conventional-practice block. The results concern the combined integrated pest management programme, rather than the performance of any single trap or pheromone component.
The report looks back at a workshop and field day held earlier in 2026 in Nam Ban Lam Ha Commune. CABI worked with the Lam Dong Plant Production and Protection Sub-Department and BioPro of Da Lat Hasfarm on the activity. Around 40 farmers, commercial growers, extension staff and private-sector representatives took part, learning to identify, monitor and manage the pest. CABI did not give the exact activity date; October 14 is the report’s publication date.
Why the pest name matters
CABI identifies the South American tomato leafminer as Phthorimaea absoluta, formerly Tuta absoluta. It reports that the pest was detected in Lam Dong in 2024 and subsequently spread to several tomato-producing areas, including protected and open-field systems. The October article therefore describes management work following an earlier detection.
The EPPO Global Database uses Phthorimaea absoluta as the preferred name and includes Tuta absoluta among its other scientific names. That connection matters when comparing current pest reports with product information that still uses Tuta absoluta. In this case, the names refer to the same species. A match to another species in the same genus would require a different assessment.
Pheromone traps within a broader programme
The demonstration placed pheromone traps alongside light traps and sticky traps. These were combined with crop sanitation, pest monitoring, natural enemies, biological products and selective pesticide interventions. The account gives pheromone-based trapping a place within a wider management programme; it does not present a pheromone-only treatment.
For readers interested in monitoring, that distinction is central. Pest identification and monitoring formed part of the training, while the plot showed several management measures operating together. The report does not separate the contribution of pheromone traps from those of sanitation, biological control or the other interventions. It consequently cannot establish how much of the observed difference came from any individual component.
What the local comparison showed
The IPM demonstration plot and the neighbouring conventional-practice block each covered 1,000 square metres. According to CABI, leafminer density in the IPM plot was 43% lower, and the combined programme involved four fewer chemical pesticide applications. These observations provide a concrete account of the local comparison presented to participants.
They should also be read at that scale. A practical comparison between neighbouring blocks is different from a controlled efficacy trial across multiple sites. The figures describe the programme CABI reported, rather than an expected outcome for every tomato farm. They do not establish a universal reduction in pest density or a fixed number of applications that can be removed elsewhere. The useful lesson is the reported combination of measures and its local outcome, with those limits retained.
ECOPHERO catalog connection
ECOPHERO lists (E,Z,Z)-3,8,11-Tetradecatrienyl acetate, CAS 163041-94-9, with Tuta absoluta as its target pest. EPPO’s name reconciliation connects that catalog entry to the species discussed in the Vietnam report. The listing establishes product identity and a species-level catalog connection.
It does not establish that this ECOPHERO material was used in the Lam Dong demonstration. CABI’s reported results cannot be attributed to the ECOPHERO product, and the catalog entry is not evidence of Vietnamese registration or demonstrated local efficacy. Keeping product identity separate from field performance allows the report to inform a monitoring discussion without turning the demonstration figures into a product promise.
For a product inquiry, contact ECOPHERO with the pest name, CAS 163041-94-9 or the monitoring challenge. The Lam Dong account offers a documented example of monitoring and trapping within combined IPM, while the catalog supplies a specific chemical identity for that conversation.
Sources and image credit
- CABI PlantwisePlus exact article
- EPPO Global Database — Phthorimaea absoluta (GNORAB) overview
- Image: birdshepherder / PxHere (CC0); CC0 license; source image. Illustrative tomato foliage, not the Lam Dong event or verified pest damage.
