Towardsdevelopmentofaparasitoidco3ageindustryintheSahelforbiological control of the millet head minerMalick Ba1, Baoua I., Kabore A., Amadou L., Karimoune L., Sarr I., Salha H., Dabire L.C., Muniappan R., Norton G.,

1ICRISAT-Niger, Email: b.malick@cgiar.org

²  Background of the biological control program

²  Optimized H. hebetor rearing technique for enhancement of numbers and longevity of emerging H. hebetor parasitoids

²  Optimized H. hebetor release techniques for better control of MHM

²  Identify/test egg parasitoids for enhancement of the BCP

²  Economic feasibility of establishing a cottage industry for parasitoid production

OUTLINE

Pearl millet

3/26/15, 2:17 AM

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Pearlmillet,Pennisetumglaucum(L.)R.Br.,isthestaplecropofthedryregionsofAfrica.

Background informationThe millet head miner, Heliocheilus albipunctella

Background informationThe current biological control with Bracon hebetor

² Releases of parasitoids are needed every growing season

² Currently parasitoids numbers could only be increased only few weeks before releases

² Mass rearing still need fine-tuning (male-biased sex-ratio in the offspring)

² Timely release of H. hebetor parasitoids is challenging

²  Parasitoids only target late instars larvae, control of eggs could enhanced the BCP

Challenges

Fine-tuning Bracon mass rearing

Diet use for C.

cephalonicalarvae

TotalH.

hebetor

produced

H.hebetor Femalepropor?on

Millet 1481

Millet+Sorghum 101450%cowpea 30.60±6.11 38.56

Millet+cowpea 2240 25%cowpea 40.70±8.27 54.30

Millet+Groundnut 174 20%cowpea 31.30±5.86 53.04

Millet + Sorghum

C o w p e a +

Groundnut

1763

5%cowpea 29.00±4.26 29.66

Fine-tuning Bracon mass rearing

Current Bracon

rearing method

New Bracon

rearing method

R0 14.50 168.40

Rm 0.22 0.38

T (days) 12.38 13.49

DT (days) 3.20 1.82

Projected No Bracon progeny/ mo 20,226 289,944

Projected No host larva used/ mo. 13,764 7115

Fine-tuning Bracon release technique MatchingreleasesofparasitoidswithMilletheadmineradultsflight

05

1015202530354045

4weeks 6weeks

Zinder

Sadore

ALerfirstappearanceofmilletheadminer

%parasiQzedlarvaeofthe

MHM

Fine-tuning Bracon release technique Numberofparasitoidsneededpermilletacreage

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Control 400 800 1600

Year2015 Year2016

%parasi?zedlarvae

Numberparasitoidsreleasedfor5km2

Exploring use of egg parasitoids

Countries

%eggsparasi?zedby

TrichogramNiger

4-7

Senegal

12

Trichogrammatoidaearmigerawasthemainemergingparasitoid

Exploring use of egg parasitoids Host

Number emerging

offspring of T. armigera from

batches of 50 eggs

Development time (days)

Heliocheilus albipunctella 25 7.4

Ephestia Kuehniella 11 7.42

Coniesta Ignefusalis 8 7.6

Corcyra cephalonica 51 7.25

Helicoverpa armigera 3 6.5

Noorda blitealis 3 7

Economic assumption for cottage industry ²  Discussions with farmers in villages have established the

“public good” nature of distributing the parasitoids.

²  If one farmer adopts, his/her neighbors benefit which affects willingness to adopt the technology

Timetobuyparasitoidstoprotectmypearlmillet

Solu?onistoestablishbusinessesthatselltofarmers’groupsinmul?plevillages

Economic assumption for cottage industry ²  Economic assessment indicate that a

business that sells bags to 13-65 villages could expect first year profits of $50.95 - $1,996.47

²  A business needs to sell parasitoids to circa 12 villages to cover its costs

²  Individual bag must be sold at a price between $1.29 and $3.08 to cover the costs of outputting 13-65 bags.

²  If individual farmers each contribute $0.09 to a cooperative purchasing agreement, a village must contain at least 557 paying households to afford a set of bags at the going rate of $3.34/bag.

Pilot testing of community base cottage industry

Villages Individual purchases

Group purchases

Total sale

10 28 9 189 parasitoid bags

Key findings ²  The current rearing technique can be significantly improved for

cost-effective mass parasitoid production;

²  Parasitoid multiplication can start 4 weeks prior to on-farm release in mid-July when the rainy season is well established and temperatures have cooled;

²  Number of parasitoid needed per millet acreage is identified ²  Farmer unions were able to produce and sell parasitoids to their

fellows

²  Willingness of farmers to purchase parasitoid bags ²  Parasitoids production cost and selling price well documented ²  Eggs parasitoid are in the pipeline

Keyfindings•  AddiQonofcowpeaflourtothedietofCorcyra

cephalonicaincreasequalityofH.hebetor•  NumberofparasitoidneededpermilletacreageisidenQfied

•  Farmerunionswereabletoproduceandsellparasitoidstotheirfellows

•  Willingnessoffarmerstopurchaseparasitoidbags•  ParasitoidsproducQoncostandsellingpricewelldocumented

•  Eggsparasitoidareinthepipeline

Thank You