UK: Natural Enemies Field Reservoirs play a critical role in the management of papaya mealybug, CABI study reveals

Published 2024년 5월 29일

Tridge summary

A study led by CABI has found that the use of Natural Enemies Field Reservoirs (NEFRs), a technology developed by late CABI scientist Riaz Mahmood, can effectively manage the papaya mealybug pest in Kenya. The technology increases the population of the natural enemy parasitoid Acerophagous papayae, leading to higher parasitism rates and lower infestation levels of the pest. The low-cost technology, which involves constructing reservoirs in farmer fields to enhance A. papayae proliferation, has the potential to reduce the use of synthetic pesticides and promote sustainability in farming. The research, funded by several organizations including CABI's PlantwisePlus programme, suggests that further studies are needed to establish the relationship between generalist predators and host-specific parasitoids.

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Original content

Natural Enemies Field Reservoirs – technology created by the late CABI scientist Riaz Mahmood – play a crucial role in the sustainable management of the papaya mealybug pest according to new CABI-led research in the journal Biological Control.The researchers found that the establishment of farmer-managed Natural Enemies Field Reservoirs (NEFRs) led to an increase in the absolute and average count of the natural enemy parasitoid Acerophagous papayae used to manage the papaya mealybug (Paracoccus marginatus) in Kenya.Indeed, the rise in A. papayae populations per leaf elevated parasitism rates, leading to an overall reduction in the infestation levels of the papaya mealybug per leaf. The presence of NEFRs, the researchers argue, resulted in an increase in the type (species) and number (abundance) of predatory arthropods in the respective treatments.Severely impacts the livelihoods of smallholder farmersPapaya mealybug invaded East Africa between 2015 to 2020. The pest causes 57-91% ...

Source: Cabi