Pests

: 09 August 2017; Hits: 11908

Control fall armyworms with this simple procedure

fall army worm by BBC.jpg

The fall armyworm pest has ravaged more than 300,000 hectares of crops in Africa

Fall Armyworm Moth is a migratory pest native to North and South America. This pest occurs in large numbers and its caterpillars cause severe damage to more than 80 plant species especially cereal crops such as maize and rice.

The army fall worm which caught many farmers off-guard in 2017 has ravaged more than 750,000 acres of maize in Africa in putting hundreds of millions of people at risk of hunger.

There is a risk of further spread into Europe via the Mediterranean basin and Asia through the Middle East if the pest is not controlled according to the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

To control this pest, farmers should plant early and adhere to regional planting calendar by avoiding late and off-season planting. Avoid planting new crop near infested plants and use recommended fertilizers. Farmers should also keep fields weed free to boost plant vigor.

Mass trapping should be done by setting up 4-6 FAW Pheromone traps per Ha to suppress the moth population.

The potential effective insecticides against this pest include: Diazinon, Alpha Cypermethrin, Chlorpyrfos, Diflubenzuron Triclorfon (Dipterex), Chlorantraniliprole, Spinetoram, Emamectin benzoate, Indoxacarba and Lambda Cyhalothrin.

For effective control in maize, spray at least three times starting two weeks after emergence, at knee high and just before tasseling. However these products need to be used appropriately at right environmental conditions to minimize development of pest resistance. All farmers in a given locality should spray to avoid neglected farms, which become breeding grounds for the insect and a source of re- infestation.

Farmers are discouraged from moving infested plant materials to areas where the pest has not been reported.

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: 08 August 2017; Hits: 5792

Agro firm unveils poultry’s I-2 ND Vaccine

I-2 ND Vaccine.jpg

Farmers admitting I-2 ND Vaccine to a chicken. It is the only intervention that protects chicken from Newcastle disease. Photo: galvmed.org

Kenyan poultry farmers are set to benefit from I-2 ND Vaccine that will see Newcastle Disease attacking their poultry wiped out thanks to Kenya Agricultural & Livestock Research Organization (KALRO).

According to KALRO Newcastle Disease is a major constraint to indigenous chicken productivity in Kenya and often causes 80- 100% mortality in unvaccinated flocks.

“Outbreaks of Newcastle disease (ND) are unpredictable in many parts of the country and often discourage farmers from investing in the management and welfare of rural chicken,” said Vincent Ochieng assistant Research officer, KALRO.

In many cases, vaccination against ND is the only intervention that protects chicken from Newcastle disease.

Commercially available vaccines for the control of ND are effective but require a cold chain during storage and transportation to end users. As such they are not suitable for small, multi-aged, scattered free ranging chicken in rural areas where cold chains are rarely available or difficult to maintain.

“Commercial vaccines are ideal for large flocks and are packaged in large doses making them unsuitable for farmers with smaller flocks,” said Ochieng.

Rural production systems have not been conducive for vaccination since they are viewed as low input systems often controlled by women who may not have access to services for various reasons.

Most of the 30 million birds reared in Kenya are free range indigenous chicken whose potential in poverty alleviation is unexploited.

A market ready chicken is currently sold at about Ks. 1,000 and their demand especially in urban markets is increasingly competing with broilers.

Disease control through vaccination has the potential to improve their productivity thus increasing their supply to the market.

The search for a vaccine appropriate for the Kenyan indigenous chicken production system, which is easy to distribute and administer in a rural set-up was thus envisioned.

The thermostable vaccine is best administered via an eye drop. The I-2 vaccine can retain its protective ability for 8 weeks at 28°C when in freeze-dried form and stored in the dark.

Results from trials in Kenya have shown that I-2 ND vaccine provides 62% protection against Newcastle disease virus in chicken under a free ranging system and over 96 % protection under a confined system.

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: 02 August 2017; Hits: 16988

Farmers using diatomite for pest control

Diatomite. It can also be used as a natural preservative for protecting stored grains. Photo:

As farmers grapple with voracious pests in farms and stores, new pest control methods are being fronted as the ultimate solution to the farmers’ woes. But the pests are developing resistance to these pest control arsenals further fanning the crop attacks.

But age old methods still reign and are proving potent even in environmental protection. One such method is the use of diatomite, a powder made up of fossilized microscopic plants called diatoms. The plants once lived in the oceans and lakes, which covered much of the world in prehistoric times. Today they remain as deposits of soft porous white rock. In Kenya the African Diatomite Industries Company mines diatomite at Kariandusi near Gilgil and Soysambu.

This porous white rock is pounded to extremely fine powder, consisting of millions of small particles which have very sharp edges. So how does diatomite work against insects,and why is it deadly to them?

Most insects have a waxy outer shell covering their bodies. When diatomite's sharp edges come into contact with an insect or a parasite, the protective coating is pierced, causing the insect to dehydrate and die. This makes diatomite an excellent and totally natural pest control, with no risk of chemical damage to animal tissue.

By rubbing the dust into an animal's coat, it can be used as a control for fleas, lice and other external pests. When used correctly, diatomite is effective against ants, aphids, bollworm, salt marsh caterpillar, cockroaches, maize worms, earwigs, houseflies, fruit flies, leaf perforators, leaf hoppers, lygus bugs, mites, pink boll weevils, red spider mites, slugs, snails, termites, and many other insects.

Australian and American farmers have for decades relied on diatomite to control pests in both cattle and plants.
The very strict US health laws do not require products containing the substance to carry a warning, but one should avoid breathing in diatomite dust.

Diatomite, a naturally occurring siliceous sedimentary mineral compound, is relatively unknown in Africa. Not even in South Africa do the farmers know about Diatomite, even though the country boasts some top quality diatomaceous earth, all of which is mined in the Northern Cape.

Diatomite can also be used as a natural preservative for protecting stored grains. A farmer is required to apply 3 kilos of the substance to each ton of maize, barley,, wheat, oats, rice, rye, sorghum or mixtures of these grains directly after harvesting. Coating the grain's outside surface can be done when the grain is being moved into storage.

Following strict rules on use of chemicals in agricultural produce exported to European Union markets in the last few years, Kenyan companies growing flowers for export to this market are increasingly turning to diatomite for pest control.

Diatomite can be mixed with water and sprinkled over the vegetables. In Kenya diatomite is on the market under the name KensilF.

A kilogramme of KensilF goes for Sh20. For trade enquiries farmers interested in buying diatomite should get in touch with the company

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Tuesday, 01 February 2022 [quote=Mike Norton-Griffiths]What is the contact for the company??[/quote] Hi M...

Monday, 31 January 2022 What is the contact for the company??