Q. I am attaching a picture that shows the infestation on my tomato plant leaves. This tunnelling destroys the leaves of my vegetable plants every year. I spray my plants with organic concoctions, such as baking soda, vegetable oil and red chilli powder and, at times, crushed garlic mixed with water. But nothing helps. Please guide how to get rid of this infestation and avoid this destruction of my tomato plant leaves.

A. Looking at the photograph, it appears that your tomato plant is under attack from leaf miners. It is a very common pest when it comes to tomato plants. Small adult flies, scientifically known as Liriomyza sativae and Liriomyza trifolii, are generally detrimental in this case. These pests lay eggs on the leaves, from which larvae hatch. The larvae then tunnel through the leaf, consuming it from within. The larvae then fall to the ground and transform into pupas, which then transform into flies. This process occurs after every one to two weeks. Therefore, the pest attack on the plant spreads very quickly.

Leaf miners are not caterpillars or fruit borers. They live and feed inside the leaf tissue, so contact pesticides usually don’t........

© Dawn (Magazines)