A Guide to Biological Control of Fall Armyworm in Africa Using Egg Parasitoids

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2019
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Virginia Tech
Abstract

The Integrated Pest Management Innovation Lab (IPM IL) has been addressing the Fall Armyworm (FAW) problem in Africa since May 2017, when it invaded Ethiopia. Even though FAW prefers maize, it is polyphagous and can infest over 300 species of plants. Several workshops supported by international organizations were held in different parts of Africa over the past three years; however, they mostly concentrated broadly on IPM approaches for FAW management on maize, with little or no emphasis given for management on other crops.

The IPM IL has consistently focused on biological control of FAW since its involvement, as this approach can tackle this pest not only on maize but also on other crops, and additionally, it can suppress the pest on a farm, village, province, country, or regional basis depending upon the effort and resources that are made available. Further, it is compatible with joint application with all other IPM tactics in the field, except that of chemical pesticides, which would most likely impede processes using biological control.

The IPM IL, in collaboration with icipe and ICRISAT-Niger, has identified egg parasitoids – Trichogramma spp. and Telenomus remus – and some larval parasitoids which attack FAW in Africa. It is known that these parasitoids are amenable for augmentative biological control and they are being used in augmentative biological control of FAW in the Caribbean and South America.

This publication provides information on rearing and release of these parasitoids under African conditions. The IPM IL, icipe, and ICRISAT-Niger have already jointly conducted two workshops for participating countries in Africa and Asia.

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