Biopesticides Production Training in Machakos County, Kenya

Summary

Dr. Juuu, a myologist at the Natural History Museum of Denmark and assistant professor at the University of Copenhagen, is in Kenya to collaborate with Plant Village on biological pest control. The focus of their work is on entomopathogenic fungi that target agricultural pests like the fall armyworm, whiteflies, and banana aphids. Dr. Juuu is training teams from Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya to mass-produce these fungi for pest control, promoting integrated pest management as an eco-friendly alternative to synthetic pesticides. The project aims to expand globally, engage young scientists, and improve agricultural sustainability.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker, Juuu, is a myologist at the Natural History Museum of Denmark and an assistant professor at the University of Copenhagen.
• 😀 Juuu is currently in Kenya collaborating with Plant Village to study the fungal pathogen *Metarhizium* that targets the fall armyworm, a major pest in agriculture.
• 😀 The team is isolating the entomopathogenic fungi from food samples in crop fields, then culturing and sequencing them to evaluate their efficacy in pest control.
• 😀 A significant part of the project involves visiting banana farms to investigate *Aedes* mosquitoes, which are vectors of banana disease in East Africa.
• 😀 Juuu is training teams from Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya on the basics of mycology, specifically focusing on fungal identification, culturing, and mass production for pest control.
• 😀 The training aims to equip local teams with the skills necessary to mass-produce entomopathogenic fungi (enop fi) as part of integrated pest management (IPM) strategies.
• 😀 The entomopathogenic fungi will primarily target pests like the fall armyworm, whiteflies (vectors of cassava mosaic disease), and *Aedes* mosquitoes (vectors of banana disease).
• 😀 The goal of the project is to test the efficacy of these fungi both in laboratory conditions and in the field before they are commercialized to farmers.
• 😀 The project advocates for the use of biological control methods over synthetic pesticides, emphasizing the environmental benefits of fungi-based pest control.
• 😀 The broader aim is to scale up the project globally, engaging young scientists and ensuring the successful implementation of biological pest control systems across various regions.
• 😀 Farmers will also be trained on the mode of action, application, and benefits of entomopathogenic fungi, which offer an environmentally-friendly alternative to chemical pesticides.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of Dr. Juuu's collaboration in Kenya?

Dr. Juuu is collaborating with researchers from Plant Village in Kenya to study entomopathogenic fungi (EF), which are natural predators of insect pests, particularly focusing on controlling the fall armyworm and whiteflies that impact agricultural crops.

What is entomopathogenic fungi and how is it used in pest control?

Entomopathogenic fungi are fungi that infect and kill insects. In the context of agriculture, they are used as biological control agents to manage pest populations, providing an alternative to chemical pesticides.

What specific pests are the researchers focusing on in this project?

The project is primarily focused on controlling the fall armyworm and whiteflies, both of which are significant pests in East African agriculture. Whiteflies are also vectors for plant diseases like cassava mosaic and banana bunchy top.

How are the fungi being studied and prepared for use in pest control?

The fungi are being isolated from crop fields, cultured in Petri dishes, and examined under microscopes. DNA sequencing is also used to study the fungi in more detail, to understand their potential for pest control.

What is the main goal of the training provided to teams from Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya?

The training aims to equip teams with the skills needed to identify, culture, and mass-produce entomopathogenic fungi. This will allow them to use these fungi for pest control in agriculture, focusing on integrated pest management (IPM).

Why is there a focus on mass-producing entomopathogenic fungi?

Mass-producing entomopathogenic fungi will enable large-scale, cost-effective use of these fungi as biological pest control agents. This is a key part of the project’s goal to make the fungi available to farmers for pest management.

What benefits does biological pest control offer over synthetic pesticides?

Biological pest control, such as using entomopathogenic fungi, is environmentally friendly, sustainable, and less harmful to non-target organisms compared to synthetic pesticides. It reduces the chemical load on the environment and helps maintain biodiversity.

What agricultural diseases are being targeted by this project?

The project is addressing plant diseases transmitted by pests like whiteflies, particularly cassava mosaic disease and banana bunchy top, both of which have significant economic and food security impacts in the region.

How does the project contribute to global pest management efforts?

The project aims to expand the use of biological control methods globally, by training local teams and scaling up the production of entomopathogenic fungi. This could have far-reaching benefits for sustainable pest management in agriculture worldwide.

What is the long-term goal of the collaboration and training?

The long-term goal is to develop a sustainable, commercialized solution for pest control through the mass production of entomopathogenic fungi, ultimately reducing reliance on chemical pesticides and promoting environmentally friendly agricultural practices.