Pests

: 05 April 2017; Hits: 7134

New icipe facility to offer cheaper fruit-fly pesticide

FruitFly protein bait.jpg

Kenya Biologics and icipe officers during the opening of the fruit fly control protein bait facility in Makuyu, Murang'a County. The bait could cut pest control cots by 70 per cent when it is reaches the market. Photo by icipe.

Farmers could spend about 30 per cent of the current cost in controlling fruit flies with the opening of the International Centres of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) the soft protein bait manufacturing plant in Murang’a County.

Importing of pesticides and other control equipment increases the cost, which is passed on to the farmers.

But with the Fruitfly Mania manufacturing plant, which has been set up in Makuyu, the cost of the pest control media could drop by up to 70 per cent, icipe head of African Fruit Fly Programme Dr Sunday Ekesi said.

One of the core ingredients in the pesticide is extracted from yeast, which is a byproduct from industrial manufactured brew.

Female fruit flies love feeding on proteins. That is why protein baits are laced with toxicants to kill the females after feeding, Dr Ekesi said.

Fruit flies can cause up to 100 per cent loss by laying eggs in the flesh of ripe or ripening fruits. The maggots start feeding on the flesh of the fruit, causing it to ripen, rot and drop prematurely. The fruits and vegetables that survive cannot be sold.

Mangoes, plums, pears, peaches, tomatoes, citrus, capsicum and egg plant are some of the victims of the fruit fly.

Trials for the Fruitfly Mania have been concluded and, therefore, the factory is moving into commercial production.

Some pheromone traps cost between Sh450 and Sh800. Synthetic chemical may be higher than this cost, also depending on the manufacturer and the quantity.

But if Sh800 is taken as the market cost of a 400ml frutfly pesticide, a similar quantity of the Fruitfly Mania could cost about Sh240.

The Makuyu plant can produce 2,000 litres per day, which is sufficient in meeting the demand of the more than 229,000 families depending on mangoes.

RED ALSO: Tomato farmer lights lantern at night to trap more fruit flies

This biochemical method complements the research organisation’s integrated pest management pheromone trap for the mango fruit flies.

The use of sex lures separates males from mating with females, therefore, reducing population growth.

Heavy application of synthetic pesticides reduce chances of exporting the fruits to the well paying markets like the European Union, which have set limits for chemical residues in agro-products.

Synthetic chemicals also kill other friendly components of the ecosystems like bees which are key in pollination.

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: 03 April 2017; Hits: 8156

Sexual luring may end fall army worm

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Fall army worm in a maize cob. Integrated pest management may stop the rapidly spreading pest. Photo by BBC

Integrated pest management practice is one of the most effective ways of controlling the invasion of the fall army worm (FAW), which is threatening food security in Kenya and Africa.

The pest, which attacks more than 80 plants (food and non food) including maize, cotton, pear sorghum, rice, tomatoes, cucumber, pastures, onions, kales, spinaches, among others, can cause up to 100 per cent loses if uncontrolled.

“Attack on maize at vegetative stage can result in 100 per cent loss if no control is taken. Attack on young maize can totally reduce plant density, warranting re-planting,” reads a joint warning statement from the agricultural government agencies.

Chemical control has not tamed the pest, as it also mutates to counter the effects of this knock-down method. But the use of sexual lures, known as pheromones to separate males from females could help arrest the pest by preventing reproduction.

The deadly worm was first reported in the country in mid March, 2017 in Trans Nzoia, but is has spread to Bungoma, Kakamega, Busia, Nakuru, Baringo, Kericho, Nandi and Uasin Gishu counties within a month.

It spread from Uganda, in about three months after being reported in the coast of Western Africa in September 2016.

The worm has caused damage in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Togo, among other Sub Saharan Africa.

FAW is indigenous to the North and South America.

Although deep ploughing exposes the pests to the sun and predators, mechanical killing also may control multiplication given that one female lays tens of eggs, which hatch within two to seven days.

Laying of many eggs, short hatching periods, mutations, among other characters, increase the chances of survival of the pest besides colonising new areas.

The worms are green, brown or black, depending on development stage.

Mature worms have distinct white lines between the eyes, forming an inverted ‘Y’ pattern in the face. There are also pronounced black spots aligned in a square near the back end of the caterpillar.

The larvae are the most destructive stages of the pest, drilling holes on leaves, ears of maize and whorls.

Given that the pest has moved from the western to the eastern world, the climatic conditions of the two extremes are diverse and therefore, chemicals may not effectively control it given that it is evolving fast to adopt to the new areas.

A UK firm, Russell IPM, recently reported remarkable success of its IPM products in trials against the pest in Zambia and South Africa, according to African Farming website.

It destroys the maize tassel and kernels.

The pest may soon colonise the Asian continent to become a global menace, and therefore, a threat to food security.

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: 03 March 2017; Hits: 19697

New tomato variety resists leaf curl virus and wilting

Tomatoes in Mombasa By Laban Robert.JPG

Tomatoes at a demonstration farm in Mombasa ASK Grounds in 2016. Gromost company is selling a tomato hybrid that tolerates curling virus ad wilts. Photo by Laban Robert.

In dealing with losses caused by leaf curl and other deadly wilts in tomatoes, a seed company has come up with a tomato hybrid that is least affected by the diseases.
TM 20 F1 is hybrid that has been developed to help farmers escape the losses to the above diseases, which are hard to control with chemicals.
The variety from Mahindra Seed, which is being marketed in Kenya by Gromost Seeds, has helped farmers in South Africa, India, among other countries in boosting production even with the threat of the ailments.
TM 20 F1 gives up to 30 tonnes of fruit per acre under god cop husbandry practices such as trimming, staking, weeding, among others.
It is harvested for six months before yields start dwindling.
The oval fruits have a firm coat that makes them have a long shelf life to allow for a lengthy selling period in case the market is poor. A firm coat is also important in transportation.

READ ALSO: New tomato variety resists nematodes
Apart from the rolling upwards and inwards, tomato leave curling virus causes leaves to be stiff and have a purple stain on the veins. They also turn yellow, a condition called chlorosis.
The curling and turning yellow of the leaves reduces the surface are for photosynthesis. Reduced manufacturing of food in the tomatoes leaves leads to small unmarketable fruits, if formed.
The TLCV is spread by silver whitefly pest from affected crops or host weeds, which may not be victims.
Bacteria wilt and fusarium wilt cause withering of the crops following impairment of the water movement system, the xylem vessel.
When the microorganisms invade the passage, water and mineral deficiency strikes the tomatoes leading to wilting and death of the crop.
These two diseases also attack crops in the solanaceae family, which include black night shade, capsicum, cucumber, pepper, among others.

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