Management of Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus in Commercial Tomato Farms in Kano State, North West Nigeria

Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus (TYLCV), transmitted by the whitefly Bemisia tabaci, is a devastating begomovirus affecting commercial tomato production across Nigeria's irrigation belts. In Kano State, where dry-season tomato farming supplies major urban markets, TYLCV outbreaks have caused crop failures and economic instability for commercial growers. This study evaluated the effectiveness of integrated management strategies for TYLCV control in commercial tomato farms across three irrigation zones in Kano State. A randomised complete block design was used to compare five management treatments, including insecticide-alone, reflective mulch-alone, resistant variety-alone, combination therapy, and an untreated control. Disease incidence, whitefly population counts, marketable fruit yield, and cost-benefit ratios were measured over two consecutive cropping seasons. The combination of resistant variety deployment, reflective silver mulch, and scheduled imidacloprid applications reduced TYLCV incidence by 74 percent relative to the untreated control and produced the highest marketable yield of 18.6 tonnes per hectare. Reflective mulch alone reduced disease incidence by 42 percent, indicating practical value for resource-limited farmers. Cost-benefit analysis showed that the combination treatment yielded the highest return on investment despite higher input costs. The study recommends the combination therapy approach as the primary management recommendation for commercial tomato farmers and proposes revised extension guidelines tailored to Kano State irrigated production contexts. Keywords: TYLCV, Bemisia tabaci, tomato, integrated management, Kano State.