Fall armyworm (FAW) was reported for the first time in Africa in 2016. FAW is widely distributed in Ethiopia, causing significant damage to maize. Nine synthetic insecticides belonging to different ...chemical groups and 11 pesticidal plants (botanicals) were tested for their efficacy against FAW under laboratory, greenhouse, and field conditions. In the laboratory, Radiant, Tracer, Karate, and Ampligo caused over 90% larval mortality 72 h after application. Malathion had moderate activity, causing 51.7% mortality 72 h after application, while Carbaryl was less effective, causing 28% mortality 72 h after application. In the greenhouse experiment, all synthetic insecticides reduced foliar damage to maize compared to the untreated control. Chemical sprays did not affect plant height, stem thickness, or leaf number. The highest fresh weight (471 g) was obtained from plants treated with Radiant. Among the botanicals tested,
,
, and
resulted in the highest percentage larval mortality (>95%) 72 h after application. In the field, non-treated control plants showed extensive leaf injury compared to the synthetic insecticide- and botanical-treated plants. The synthetic insecticides and botanicals that showed high efficacy against FAW larvae can be used as components for integrated pest management (IPM) plans for FAW under smallholder farmer conditions in Ethiopia and elsewhere in Africa.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The fall armyworm (FAW),
, threatens maize production in Africa. A survey was conducted to determine the distribution of FAW and its natural enemies and damage severity in Ethiopia, Kenya and ...Tanzania in 2017 and 2018. A total of 287 smallholder maize farms (holding smaller than 2 hectares of land) were randomly selected and surveyed. FAW is widely distributed in the three countries and the percent of infested maize fields ranged from 33% to 100% in Ethiopia, 93% to 100% in Tanzania and 100% in Kenya in 2017, whereas they ranged from 80% to 100% and 82.2% to 100% in Ethiopia and Kenya, respectively, in 2018. The percent of FAW infestation of plants in the surveyed fields ranged from 5% to 100%. In 2017, the leaf damage score of the average of the fields ranged from 1.8 to 7 (9 = highest level of damage), while 2018, it ranged from 1.9 to 6.8. In 2017, five different species of parasitoids were recovered from FAW eggs and larvae.
(Hymenoptera: Braconidae) was the main parasitoid recorded in Ethiopia, with a percent parasitism rate of 37.6%.
Cameron (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) was the only egg-larval parasitoid recorded in Kenya and had a 4.8% parasitism rate. In 2018, six species of egg and larval parasitoids were recovered with
being the dominant larval parasitoid, with percentage parasitism ranging from 16% to 42% in the three surveyed countries. In Kenya,
(Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) was the dominant egg parasitoid, causing up to 69.3% egg parasitism as compared to only 4% by
. Although FAW has rapidly spread throughout these three countries, we were encouraged to see a reasonable level of biological control in place. Augmentative biological control can be implemented to suppress FAW in East Africa.
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AbstractPost-harvest losses occur during storage mainly due to spills, fungal contamination, and pest damage. Therefore, this study was carried out to evaluate the effect of post-harvest management ...and sanitation practices by grain traders on the quality of stored grains in Kenya. A total of 342 grain traders, distributed among three counties, namely Nairobi, Embu, and Machakos, were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Maize and common beans were the main crops stored in trader’s stores. Most of the traders obtained grains from the retail brokers (39.9%) and most of the grain stores were rented (73.3%). Traders sold stocks of grains less than a month and in the first three months. The grain traders used mainly propylene bags (>84%) and bought new propylene bags for the new stock (51%). The highest proportion of grains was sold to individual consumers or local retailers. Grain sampling followed by sorting and drying were the main procedures carried out within the traders’ stores after receiving new stock. In case of deteriorated grains caused by fungal infection, insect, or other factors, most traders immediately sold the grains while other traders sold to animal feed manufacturers. Most traders had knowledge of grain standards, but more than 95% of them used their own standards to grade their grains, and < 3% of the traders used East African grain standards. Inspection of insects infestation in stores by traders was ranked first (95.4%) followed by rodents (71.7%) and mold contamination (42.5%). These findings highlight the intervention needed in the practices of grain traders to reduce food losses.
Adzuki bean beetle, Callosobruchus chinensis (L.) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae), is one of the most important pests of pea (Pisum sativum L.) crops in Ethiopia. The study focused on the association of ...resistance potential in the no-choice test of pea genotypes managed at different fertility levels and trait contributions. Based on the significance of fertility levels, genotypes were grouped into four, six, and five clusters, viz. Under neither rhizobium and phosphorus, rhizobium alone and rhizobium and phosphorus, respectively. Regardless of fertility levels, the inter-cluster distance (D2) values of the two potential clusters were highly significant (P < 0.01). At all fertility levels, the average performance of genotypes in each cluster for individual traits to infestation varied significantly. Genotype distribution patterns tended to group together into a small number of clusters. Eighty genotypes of the pea (Pisum sativum L. subsp. sativum and Pisum sativum L. subsp. abyssinicum A. Braun) were systematically managed under three fertility levels, and the first four principal components accounted for 94%, 92.3%, and 94.2% of the total variation. The primary trait that determines the resistance potential of pea genotypes is the trait susceptibility index (SI), which exhibits highly significant and adverse associations with critical traits such as the date of adult emergency and the percentage of seed coat, while exhibiting highly significant and favorable associations with the remaining traits at all fertility levels. The remaining characteristics showed highly significant positive or negative correlations within and particularly with the characteristics that determine resistance. Therefore, the cultivar "Adi" from "Pisum sativum L. subsp. sativum" had higher susceptibility compared to other genotypes, while the small-seeded pea genotypes "Pisum sativum L. subsp. abyssinicum A. Braun"; fpcoll-1/07, fpcoll-2/07, fpcoll-21/07, and fpcoll-43/07 were moderately resistant.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Little information is available on the epidemiology of varroosis caused by Varroa mite, Varroa destructor infestation in Ethiopia, although it is a devastating honeybee disease that results in ...significant economic losses in beekeeping. Therefore, between October 2021 and October 2022, a cross-sectional study was carried out in different agroecology zones in Southwest Ethiopia to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors for varroosis, as well as the effects of this disease on honeybee colonies and honey production. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify possible risk factors for the prevalence of V. destructor. A total of 384 adult honeybee and worker or drone brood samples were collected from honeybee colonies and examined using standard diagnostic techniques in the laboratory. The result shows that the prevalence of V. destructor was found to be 39.3% (95% CI 34.44–44.21) and 43.2% (38.27–48.18) in adult honeybees and brood, respectively. The major risk factors for the prevalence of V. destructor in the study areas included agroecology (OR = 5.2, 95% CI 1.75–14.85), type of hive (OR = 2.9, 95% CI 1.17–17.03), management system (OR = 4.3, 95% CI 1.23–14.70), and colony management (OR = 3.5, 95% CI 1.31–9.14). The lower level of colony infestation in adult bees and brood was measured as 1.97 ± 0.14 and 3.19 ± 0.25, respectively. Season, colony status, colony management, and agroecology were among the determinant factors of the level of varroa mite infestation in adult bees and brood. The results of the study demonstrated that honey production losses are largely attributable to V. destructor infestation. Therefore, it is critical to inform the community about the effects of V. destructor on honey production and develop and implement effective management strategies for this disease. In addition, further research should be done to identify and isolate additional factors that contribute to varroosis in honeybees in different regions.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
This study aimed to analyze farmers’ perceptions of maize production constraints and determine the effects of push–pull technology (PPT) on crop yield, pest control, and improving soil fertility ...status. Increasing fertilizer prices and pesticide prices, FAWs (fall armyworms) and stemborers, declining soil fertility, and drought are the main maize production constraints in the area. Seventy percent of the respondents indicated that an increase in input prices such as those of fertilizer and seeds is the major constraint in the area, while FAWs (55%) and stemborers (44.3%) were ranked the third and fourth major constraints. About 67% of farmers reported that stemborer damage to maize in PPT plots was either minimal or non-existent. Fifty-five percent of farmers stated that the damage caused to maize by FAWs was low or that there was no damage in PPT plots. PPT reduced stem borer infestation from 83% to 44%. The yield gained from PPT plots ranged from 18% to 31%. Soil samples taken from PPT plots showed improved soil organic carbon, organic matter, total nitrogen, and cation exchange capacity.
The quality of feed plays an important role in the growth and development of silkworms and eventually in the economic traits of cocoons. This study was conducted to evaluate ten castors (Ricinus ...communis L.) genotypes and their feeding values on the rearing performance of Eri Silkworm (Samia cynthia ricini Boisduval) (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae) at Tepi, southwest Ethiopia. A total of ten castor genotypes were evaluated in a randomized complete block design (RCBD), and the suitability of castor genotypes as feed for a mixed strain of Eri-silkworm was also evaluated in a completely randomized design (CRD) under laboratory conditions. A hundred worms were used in each replication. Castor genotypes showed significant differences in fresh leaf yield. Among the castor genotypes tested, genotype 219645 recorded 439 g of ten fresh leaf yields. Results of Eri-silkworm rearing performance depict that a shorter larval period (22 days), a higher effective rate of rearing (94.54%), and a shorter life cycle (58 days) were observed in Eri-silkworm fed on leaves of the 200390 genotype, while a higher larval weight (6.16 g) was recorded in the Abaro genotype. However, higher cocoon weight (3.26 g), pupal weight (2.46 g), shell weight (0.45 g), and silk ratio (13.80%) were found in Eri-silkworms fed on leaves of genotype 219645. Hence, based on silkworm rearing performance, genotype 219645 showed relatively superior results and is recommended for future development work. Further studies should continue giving more emphasis to the multilocation study of genotype 219645 to understand its performance in the diverse growing environment.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Coffee, Coffea arabica L. is a vital crop in Ethiopia's social, cultural, and national economy. Despite its dominant role in the country, the crop is challenged by various insect pests, which reduce ...coffee yield and quality. The urticating ant or biting ant, Tetramorium aculeatum Mayr (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), is an important pest in coffee that affects farming activities in Southwestern Ethiopia. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of some natural insecticides for the control of biting ants. Nine insecticide treatments were evaluated both under ex-situ and in-situ conditions in CRD and RCBD designs, respectively. Under the ex-situ evaluation, all the insecticide treatments caused significantly higher mortality of biting ants and caused complete mortality within 24 h. Under field conditions, the insecticides showed significant variations in the percent of evacuated nests, and the number of newly constructed nests. In both efficacy tests of ex-situ and in-situ experiments, the mortality of biting ants and percent of evacuated nests in the coffee trees treated with oxymatrine and nimbicidine were found to be comparable and effective as the deltamethrin 2.5% EC. All the insecticide treatments significantly reduced the number of newly constructed nests compared to the control plot. On the other hand, deltamethrin 2.5% EC significantly decreased newly constructed nests after 30 days of application compared to the other insecticide treatments. Generally, the natural insecticides effectively minimized the biting ant infestation, but further studies are essential on the frequency of spray to use them for sustainable management approaches of biting ant in the coffee plantation.
Ant, Bio-insecticide, Bioassay, Coffee, Efficacy.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The availability of bee forage limits honeybee productivity and is very important for beekeepers. Therefore, the current study aimed to identify the major botanical resources of honeybee, A. ...mellifera scutellata, in Southwest Ethiopia. Between October 2019 and October 2020, 69 group discussions (8–12 beekeepers), field observations, and pollen analysis were used to collect data. A total of 72 honey samples were collected from five districts at different seasons for pollen analysis. Most of the honey samples tested (93.06%) were multifloral, while 6.94% were monofloral. Melissopalynological analysis indicated that Eucalyptus camaldulensis (52.02%) was the predominant pollen type and is considered monofloral honey. Terminalia spp. (25.96%), Guizotia spp. (17.80%), and Bidens spp. (17.61%) were secondary pollen types and classified as multifloral honey. Terminalia spp., Guizotia spp., Vernonia spp., Bidens ssp., Plantago spp., and E. camaldulensis were pollen types recorded in honey samples in all agroecologies. Beekeepers ranked Schefflera abyssinica, Vernonia amygdalina, and Cordia africana as the first source of pollen and nectar for honeybees in highland, midland, and lowland, respectively. Additionally, V. amygdalina, Coffea arabica, Croton macrostachyus, and C. africana were commonly observed bee flora in all agroecologies. Honey bee management, such as bee forage shortages, the occurrence of brood and swarming, varied significantly (P < 0.05) among different agroecologies. In the present study, 53 honeybee plants were identified as pollen and nectar sources for honeybees. Various herbs (41.50%), trees (30.20%), and shrubs (28.30%) played a major role in honey production. Thus, beekeeping should be integrated with vegetation conservation for livelihood improvement and food security. Furthermore, existing bee flora should be cultivated in areas to increase the harvesting of honeybee products and improve the apiculture industry.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The productivity of maize in Ethiopia has remained lower than the world average because of several biotic and abiotic factors. Stemborers and poor soil fertility are among the main factors that ...contribute to this poor maize productivity. A novel cropping strategy, such as the use of push-pull technology, is one of the methods known to solve both challenges at once. A push-pull technology targeting the management of maize stemborers was implemented in the Hawassa district of Ethiopia with the ultimate goal of increased food security among smallholder farmers. This study evaluated farmers’ perception of push-pull technology based on their experiences and observations of the demonstration plots that were established on-farm in Dore Bafano, Jara Gelelcha and Lebu Koremo village of the Hawasa district in 2016 and 2017. This study examined farmers’ perception of the importance of push-pull technology in controlling stemborers and improving soil fertility and access to livestock feed. In both cropping seasons, except for Jara Gelelcha, the maize grain yields were significantly higher in the climate-adapted push-pull plots compared to the maize monocrop plots. The majority (89%) of push-pull technology-practising farmers rated the technology better than their maize production methods on attributes such as access to new livestock feed and the control of stemborer damage. As a result, approximately 96% of the interviewed farmers were interested in adopting the technology starting in the upcoming crop season. Awareness through training and effective dissemination strategies should be strengthened among stakeholders and policymakers for the sustainable use and scaling-up of push-pull technology.
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