scholarly journals Natural Enemies of <i>Calidea panaethiopica</i> (Heteroptera: Scutelleridae): An Insect Pest of <i>Jatropha curcas</i> L. in the South-Sudanian Zone of Burkina Faso

2016 ◽  
Vol 04 (04) ◽  
pp. 201-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Younous Wakaï Djimmy ◽  
Souleymane Nacro
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alizèta Sawadogo ◽  
Issaka Zida ◽  
Marc Kenis ◽  
Souleymane Nacro

Abstract In Burkina Faso, the leaf beetle Aphthona whitfieldi is the main insect pest of the biofuel plant Jatropha curcas. The beetle affects plant growth and seed yield, but the impact on yield has never been properly quantified. This study was conducted on-station and on-farm in the district of Léo, southern Burkina Faso, in 2015. It aimed at evaluating the yield losses that A. whitfieldi inflicts to J. curcas. The first experiment used 25 caged trees in their first year of fruit production, on which various amounts of beetles were released. When 200 beetles were released, the defoliation level reached 55% and caused 61% of yield loss. Releases of 400 or more beetles caused a defoliation level of at least 74% and seed losses of 98%. On-farm observations were made on attack levels and seed yields in three different types of plantations, i.e. pure plantations, plantations intercropped with food crops and hedges. These observations showed that defoliation levels over 50% were common in the three types of plantations, resulting in very low yields. This study shows the importance of beetle damage in the cultivation of J. curcas. This is likely one of the reasons for the very low yields, which, among other causes, led to the abandonment of J. curcas plantations in the region.


2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hosam M. K. H. El-Gepaly

AbstractSorghum panicles offer a very rich microenvironment for many insect pest species and their natural enemies. Thirty arthropod species belonging to 28 families, pertaining to 9 orders were obtained from sorghum panicles planted in Sohag Governorate, Egypt, during the 3 successive seasons of 2016–2018. Out of these species were 14 pests, 16 predators, and 3 parasitoids. Lepidopteran and hemipteran pests were the most dominant species-infested sorghum-panicles during the mature stages of the panicles. Three microlepidopteran pests, the noctuid, Eublemma (Autoba) gayneri (Roth.); the pyralid, Cryptoblabes gnidiella Millière, and the cosmopterigid, Pyroderces simplex Walsingham, were recorded as major pest species infesting sorghum panicles in Sohag Governorate. The dipteran parasitoid species, Nemorilla floralis (Fallen) (Tachinidae) emerged from the pupae of the E. gayneri and C. gnidiella, while the hymenopteran parasitoid, Brachymeria aegyptiaca (Chalcididae) was obtained from the pupae of all the studied microlepidopteran pests. Spiders, coccinellids, and Orius spp. were the dominant predators collected form panicles. Post-harvest, larvae, and pupae of lepidopteran pests, especially P. simplex recorded (147, 96, and 79 larvae) and (47, 30, and 73 pupae)/10 panicles in 2016, 2017, and 2018 seasons, respectively.


Author(s):  
Léna Durocher-Granger ◽  
Tibonge Mfune ◽  
Monde Musesha ◽  
Alyssa Lowry ◽  
Kathryn Reynolds ◽  
...  

AbstractInvasive alien species have environmental, economic and social impacts, disproportionally threatening livelihood and food security of smallholder farmers in low- and medium-income countries. Fall armyworm (FAW) (Spodoptera frugiperda), an invasive insect pest from the Americas, causes considerable losses on maize to smallholder farmers in Africa since 2016. The increased use of pesticides to control FAW in Africa raises concerns for health and environmental risks resulting in a growing interest in research on biological control options for smallholder farmers. In order to evaluate the occurrence of local natural enemies attacking FAW, we collected on a weekly basis FAW eggs and larvae during a maize crop cycle in the rainy season of 2018–2019 at four locations in the Lusaka and Central provinces in Zambia. A total of 4373 larvae and 162 egg masses were collected. For each location and date of collection, crop stage, the number of plants checked and amount of damage were recorded to analyse which factors best explain the occurrence of the natural enemy species on maize. Overall parasitism rates from local natural enemies at each location varied between 8.45% and 33.11%. We identified 12 different egg-larval, larval and larval-pupal parasitoid species. Location, maize growth stage, pest density and larval stage significantly affected parasitoid species occurrence. Our findings indicate that there is potential for increasing local populations of natural enemies of FAW through conservation biological control programmes and develop safe and practical control methods for smallholder farmers.


Plant Disease ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 99 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. A. Ellison ◽  
A. Sawadogo ◽  
S. Braman ◽  
S. Nacro

A new disease was identified on the biofuel crop Jatropha curcas in 2012 in Burkina Faso that is causing serious yield losses. The disease was found to be widespread in both Sissili and Comoé Provinces. It causes characteristic leaf lesions, fruit necrosis, and cankers on young stems and branches. There was evidence of multiple infections on plants over the growing season, with regrowth evident from below old cankers, but there was little fruit production from infected branches. A detailed monitoring and assessment was undertaken of the disease progress in a severely infected field, over a 7-week period. The disease symptoms progressed from chlorosis through a necrotic phase and, in approximately 83% of replicates, stem cankers developed that resulted in dieback and lodging of branches. Colletotrichum truncatum and a member of the species complex C. gloeosporioides sensu lato were consistently isolated from fresh stem samples showing early symptoms (chlorosis). Koch's postulates were undertaken, to establish the pathogenicity of the two species. No symptoms were observed on plants inoculated with C. gloeosporioides; however, leaf and stem lesions developed after inoculation with C. truncatum, which was reisolated from the diseased tissue, confirming it as the disease-causing agent. Preliminary management practices for the disease are proposed.


Insects ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shovon Chandra Sarkar ◽  
Endong Wang ◽  
Shengyong Wu ◽  
Zhongren Lei

Companion planting is a well-known strategy to manage insect pests and support a natural enemy population through vegetative diversification. Trap cropping is one such type of special companion planting strategy that is traditionally used for insect pest management through vegetative diversification used to attract insect pests away from the main crops during a critical time period by providing them an alternative preferred choice. Trap crops not only attract the insects for feeding and oviposition, but also act as a sink for any pathogen that may be a vector. Considerable research has been conducted on different trap crops as companion plant species to develop improved pest management strategies. Despite this, little consensus exists regarding optimal trap cropping systems for diverse pest management situations. An advantage of trap cropping over an artificially released natural enemy-based biological control could be an attractive remedy for natural enemies in cropping systems. Besides, many trap crop species can conserve natural enemies. This secondary effect of attracting natural enemies may be an advantage compared to the conventional means of pest control. However, this additional consideration requires a more knowledge-intensive background to designing an effective trap cropping system. We have provided information based on different trap crops as companion plant, their functions and an updated list of trap cropping applications to attract insect pests and natural enemies that should be proven as helpful in future trap cropping endeavors.


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