Promising new biopesticides for use in microbial control of major pests in African cropping systems
M. TAMO (1), I. Godonou (1), B. James (2), R. Srinivasan (3), J. N. Maniania (4), S. Ekesi (4), S. Nakamura (5), T. Adati (5)
(1) IITA, Cotonou, BENIN; (2) IITA, Freetown, SIERRA LEONE; (3) AVRDC, Tainan, TAIWAN REP OF CHINA; (4) Icipe, Nairobi, KENYA; (5) Tokyo University of Agriculture, Tokyo, JAPAN
Phytopathology 101:S224

The development of biopesticides based on entomopathogenic organisms was spearheaded in Africa by the LUBILOSA project, which successfully developed a selected strain of Metarhizium anisopliae into a commercially viable product, Green Muscle™, used for the control of hopper bands of locusts and sahelian grasshoppers. Spin off research from this project included the search for novel entomopathogenic organisms against the variegated grasshopper Zonocerus variegatus, diamondback moth Plutella xylostella, and termites. Also, the synergistic effects of low doses of conventional insecticides sprayed together with biopesticides were assessed in the context of an IPM approach. At the same time, an ecological model used to investigate the interactions between Green Muscle™ and predation revealed that hoppers treated with biopesticides get slower with time and become easy prey for birds. Collaborative studies with icipe and AVRDC have investigated the possibility of developing biopesticides against flower thrips and the pod borer Maruca vitrata, two key cowpea pests in Africa. A strain of M. anisopliae is currently being commercialized against flower thrips in East Africa, while the Maruca vitrata Multiple Nucleopolyhedrovirus (MaviMNPV) is being developed into a commercially available biopesticide in Taiwan. Again, the action of these entomopatogenic organisms is combined with other biopesticides (e.g. neem oil) to obtain a broader control of cowpea pests in a sustainable management approach.

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