Pests

: 25 March 2019; Hits: 6188

Scientists discover wasps that can kill 70 per cent of fall armyworm pests

Scientists at the International Center of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) in partnership with the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Organization have found new wasp species that can eliminate more than 70 per cent of fall armyworm pest.

The two wasp varieties Trichogramma and Telenomous when released into affected maize plantations lay their eggs on the fall armyworm eggs killing them before they reach the larvae stage when the pests destroy the crops.

The wasp therefore is a natural biological agent that may provide a sustainable solution to the fall armyworm pest.

Icipe in partnership with KALRO and University of Nairobi, are working on the mass production of the wasps before they are released to farmers.

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Fall Armyworm pest. Courtesy

FAW feeds on more than 80 crops, but prefers maize and can cut yields by up to 60 per cent. The female moth pest lays up to 1,000 eggs in her lifetime and can fly 100km per night.

The pest feeds on leaves and since it was detected in Kenya in 2016 farmers have been using synthetic pesticides to control it but the larvae has developed resistance hiding in the funnel to escape sprays only to emerge at night to feed on the crops.

In Kenya, over 800,000 hectares of crops mainly maize have been affected and destroyed by the pest in Kenya’s bread basket of Trans Nzoia, Uasin Gishu, Nandi, Busia, Kakamega, Kericho, Nandi, Bomet, Narok, West Pokot, Siaya, Kwale and counties in the central region.

As a result, maize production dropped from 37.8m bags in 2016 to 35.4m bags in 2017 according to the Economic Survey 2018.

In 2017, Uasin Gishu County for instance, hitherto considered Kenya’s bread basket, maize production dropped from 4.4m bags realized in 2016 to 3.7m bags, a 25 per cent drop.

Similarly, wheat yields plummeted to 430,000 bags from 466,000 bags in 2016.

Trans Nzoia County, a high maize production region on the other hand, harvested 4.7m bags of maize down from five million bags in 2016 due to Fall Armyworm infestation and maize smut disease.

In research funded by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), CABI now estimates the pest will cost just ten of the continent’s major maize producing economies in Africa a total of $2.2bn to $5.5bn a year in lost maize harvests - if the pest is not properly managed.

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: 13 March 2019; Hits: 11004

Planting coriander in your farm controls aphids, white flies and mites

Farmers can control aphids, white flies and mites in their farm by intercropping their crops with coriander (dhania) as the herb attracts the ladybird insect which feeds on the pests.

According to One Kind, a Scotland animal protection organisation, a ladybird can eat about 5,000 aphids during its three to six weeks lifespan.

One ladybird lays about 1000 eggs in clusters or rows on the underside of a leaf with a suitable prey such as aphids. After hatching, the insects start feeding immediately on the pests. The insect’s larval stage in the most active stage, where they actively feed, therefore, disarming the pests.

Presence of aphids is confirmed by black sooty mould on the affected crop.

Aphids and white flies feed on the crop from the underside of the leaves. This condition reduces the surface area for photosynthesis, the food making process in plants. Because of the extraction of the nutrient-rich sap, some leaves turn yellow due to malnourishment, which also reduces photosynthesis resulting from the absence of the green pigment.

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Dhania

Coriander plant.

Edwin Atuya, a tomato and cabbage farmer for instance suffered 80 per cent losses on his eighth an acre farm three years ago due to invasion by aphids on his crops.

“After planting three rows of coriander in between my tomatoes I learnt through observation that the herb induces ladybirds which in turn feed on the aphids thereby reducing their population,” said Atuya.

“This in turn has saved me Sh1200 every season in pesticide costs,”

For effective control, coriander is planted earlier than the main crop as this ensures they ladybirds will be ready for action once the main crop is transplanted.

This biological control of pesticides will help farmers avoid rejection of their horticultural produce in the international markets.

In 2017 for instance, Kenya’s fresh produce (fruits, vegetables and flowers) to the European Union was rejected 29 times due to infestation by pests and produce having exceeded minimum pesticide limits of 10 per cent maximum residue level.

Coriander is used as an ingredient in food acting as a spice. It helps to reduce blood sugar, control blood pressure, reducing coughs and diarrheas.

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: 13 March 2019; Hits: 6284

FAO to help farmers fight Red Palm Weevil, the world's most invasive pest species

Red Palm Weevils feeding. Photo courtesy.

The Near East and North African countries can count on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) 's unwavering support in their fight to contain the spread of the Red Palm Weevil, one of the world's most invasive pest species.

Addressing the Red Palm Weevil Donor Meeting in Abu Dhabi, Graziano da Silva thanked the United Arab Emirates (UAE) including Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, and Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, Minister for Tolerance, for hosting the event.

The meeting, co-organized by the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation and FAO, brings together agriculture ministers from the Near East and North Africa region and key regional and international organizations.

The UN agency's Director-General, José Graziano da Silva praised the UAE's $2 million contribution to FAO's five-year regional programme to combat Red Palm Weevil. The funding was announced by Mariam Al Mehairi, UAE Minister of State for Food Security, during today's meeting.

The FAO Director-General also thanked Libya for pledging $250,000 and the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development for pledging $100,00. "FAO will continue promoting regional and international collaboration aimed at controlling and eradicating the pest," he added. Previous contributions include $2 million from Saudi Arabia and $100,000 from Oman.

"Containing, controlling and ultimately eradicating the Red Palm Weevil is possible and FAO is at the forefront of efforts in this regard," Graziano da Silva said.

The Red Palm Weevil, an insect originating in South East Asia that has spread rapidly through the Near East and North Africa, is the most dangerous and destructive pest of palm trees worldwide. Feeding on the trees' growing tissue from the inside, it is particularly difficult to detect during the early stages of infestation.

Along with other palm species, the transboundary pest threatens the data palm, which, Graziano da Silva said, "has a long heritage for sustaining human lives and livelihoods in hot and arid areas" and is a "fundamental source of income and food security for rural communities as well as a significant contributor to the national economies of the region's countries.

This is particularly the case in the Arab Region, which accounts for some 77 percent of world date production as well as almost 70 percent of global date exports.

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FAO's role and required support

FAO's five-year regional Red Palm Weevil programme will benefit all countries in the Near East and North Africa region and is expected to reach millions of farmers. The total cost of the programme is $20 million

In his speech at today's donor meeting, Graziano da Silva outlined the programme, which focuses on three interrelated elements: research, capacity development and, transfer of knowledge and technology. The programme, the FAO Director-General noted, is underpinned by an integrated pest-management approach, one that has been particularly successful in Mauritania where the spread of Red Palm Weevil has been curbed, mostly thanks to the active participation of farmers and their cooperatives.

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Two years ago, FAO hosted a Scientific Consultation and High-Level Meeting in Rome to unite the efforts to tackle the Red Palm Weevil. FAO has also joined forces with important partners, such as the Khalifa International Award for Date Palm and Agricultural Innovation; the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development; the International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas, the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture, and the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (CIHEAM).

FAO is developing simple yet powerful tools to assist farmers in better monitoring and managing the Red Palm Weevil. A mobile app, SusaHamra, is used to collect standard data when inspecting and treating palms and checking pheromone traps for Red Palm Weevil. A global platform is being established for mapping field data and analytics for better decision making. Remote sensing is being combined with artificial intelligence to map palm trees for improved monitoring of Red Palm Weevil spread.

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