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Kenya: New pest control techniques save mango farmers
Mango farmers in Kenya are headed for better days following the introduction of a new way to control pests ravaging the crop.
The farmers will soon reap huge profits from their produce after the introduction of a parasitic wasp and a combination of other Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques to control fruit flies which cause great damage to the mango fruit.
The fruit fly parasite referred to as Fopius arisanus was brought into the country from Hawaii after a new fruit fly species from Sri Lanka invaded the country accidentally, destroying all the other pest control practices that had been implemented since the species proved to be very aggressive.
The technique which is the brain child of the International Centre for Plant Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) and the Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with other players in the private sector have proved to be a new biological weapon against fruit flies hence saving a lot of farmers from counting losses any more.
Dr Sunday Ekesi told Xinhua recently that a senior scientist at ICIPE said that the parasitic wasp is highly efficient in controlling the fruit fly menace and can be used alongside other measures that are applied against the pest.
The Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) and the Ministry of Agriculture, he told Xinhua, have collaborated in releasing the wasps across Kenya in mango-producing regions. Tanzania, Benin, Senegal and Mozambique are countries also seeking the help of the wasp.
"As much as it was difficult to go back to the farmers advising them to switch to this new technique, it is proving to be successful as more farmers are now adopting it as it can destroy both the native and other foreign parasites that cause massive damage to the mangoes," Dr Ekesi said.
The parasite is self perpetuating, works free and needs no input from the grower.
"If the technique succeeds, farmers will greatly improve the mango yields to about 10 tonnes compared to about four tonnes when pesticides are used," the scientist explained.
Source: coastweek.com
Mango farmers in Kenya are headed for better days following the introduction of a new way to control pests ravaging the crop.
The farmers will soon reap huge profits from their produce after the introduction of a parasitic wasp and a combination of other Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques to control fruit flies which cause great damage to the mango fruit.
The fruit fly parasite referred to as Fopius arisanus was brought into the country from Hawaii after a new fruit fly species from Sri Lanka invaded the country accidentally, destroying all the other pest control practices that had been implemented since the species proved to be very aggressive.
The technique which is the brain child of the International Centre for Plant Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) and the Ministry of Agriculture in collaboration with other players in the private sector have proved to be a new biological weapon against fruit flies hence saving a lot of farmers from counting losses any more.
Dr Sunday Ekesi told Xinhua recently that a senior scientist at ICIPE said that the parasitic wasp is highly efficient in controlling the fruit fly menace and can be used alongside other measures that are applied against the pest.
The Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) and the Ministry of Agriculture, he told Xinhua, have collaborated in releasing the wasps across Kenya in mango-producing regions. Tanzania, Benin, Senegal and Mozambique are countries also seeking the help of the wasp.
"As much as it was difficult to go back to the farmers advising them to switch to this new technique, it is proving to be successful as more farmers are now adopting it as it can destroy both the native and other foreign parasites that cause massive damage to the mangoes," Dr Ekesi said.
The parasite is self perpetuating, works free and needs no input from the grower.
"If the technique succeeds, farmers will greatly improve the mango yields to about 10 tonnes compared to about four tonnes when pesticides are used," the scientist explained.
Source: coastweek.com
Publication date: 7/19/2010
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