After a 2023-2024 campaign marked by heavy losses, tomato producers in Morocco, particularly in the Souss-Massa region, are returning strongly to biological control methods. A sustained demand for beneficial insects reflects this renewed commitment, even as the supply of natural predators has been under pressure in recent weeks.
Last year, a collective decision to exclude Nesidiocoris tenuis (or Nesi), a predator insect of the dreaded Tuta absoluta, weakened protection systems. The reason: concerns about its possible involvement in the transmission of the ToBRFV virus, responsible for severe damage to tomato crops. This preventive withdrawal, however, resulted in a resurgence of infestations, forcing some producers to uproot their plants prematurely.
A return to a more balanced strategy
The difficulties encountered have pushed farmers to reassess their technical choices. As a result, Nesi is gradually regaining its place in greenhouses, alongside other biological control tools such as black chromatic traps, pheromone-based attractants, and entomopathogenic nematodes, whose effectiveness against Tuta absoluta larvae is beginning to be validated by initial field observations.
Towards a better-organized sector to meet demand
Despite this resurgence in demand, suppliers are keen to reassure. At Koppert Maroc, a major player in the sector, it is claimed that operations are under control thanks to careful planning of insect releases, in connection with the scheduled expansion of cultivated areas under cover, both in the south and in the Oriental region.
The enthusiasm for these ecological solutions is part of a global context of reducing the use of synthetic chemical products, whose effectiveness is eroding in the face of resistance pressures. After the chaotic episode of 2023, the sector seems to have learned from its mistakes: producers are now turning to more robust integrated pest management models, focusing on sustainable and better-anticipated biological strategies.