Integrated pest management in a cotton-growing area in the Southern Rift Valley region of Ethiopia: development and application of a supplementary food spray product to manage pests and beneficial insects

ABSTRACT

Cotton crop Ethiopia is a high-value crop and the strategy for pest control is insecticide-dependent with no consideration of beneficial insects. We carried out a study in 2013 and 2014 to determine the effectiveness of a food spray product developed with local ingredients from Benin (BFP), a food spray product developed from Ethiopian ingredients (EFP), and mixtures of the individual food spray products with and without neem extracts. Applications of BFP and of EFP alone attracted and retained beneficial insects and significantly reduced the number of pests, and increased cotton yields and profitability. The net margins of 18,418 and 18,642 Ethiopian birr (ETB)/ha were achieved from the plots treated with BFP and EFP, respectively, and 13,000 ETB (US$1 = 19 ETB) was achieved from the unsprayed plots. Addition of neem extract to the food spray products decreased the number of beneficial insects attracted to the food spray plots. In conclusion, food sprays can be used as part of integrated pest management (IPM) for managing cotton pests and can result in significant increases in crop yields and profitability.

KEYWORDS:

• Helicoverpa spp.
• Diaparopsis sp.
• Earias biplaga
• Empoasca sp.
• Nisotra sp.
• Bemisia sp.
• Aphis gossypii
• beneficial insects
• supplementary food spray

Acknowledgments

We are very grateful to PAN-UK who is working with PAN-Ethiopia in this project, and our special thanks go to Dr Keith Tyrell, Ms Angela Russ, and Dr Stephanie Williamson for their technical guidance and support. We would like to thank the smallholder cotton farmers, agriculture experts, and extension agents of the study areas for providing field sites and assisting us in the preparation of the food sprays and field sampling. We are also very thankful to Ms Sue Edwards for her valuable support in reviewing the initial draft of the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by The Textile Recycling for Aid and International Development (TRAID), the Pesticide Action Network of United Kingdom (PAN-UK) and PAN Ethiopia, the JAC Trust, the JJ Charitable Trust, and Frugi Ltd. The funding received from these charitable organizations made it possible for Dr Robert Mensah to visit Ethiopia and to oversee the project. Dr Mensah received permission from the NSW Department of Primary Industries, Australia, to collaborate on the project.