Abstract: Ticks of the genus Rhipicephalus are important parasites of livestock in the world. Rhipicephalus ticks cause huge economic losses to cattle and have a great capacity to develop resistance to chemical acaricides. There is the need therefore to develop alternative strategies that could complement the existing control methods of this ectoparasite. Entomopathogenic fungi are being considered as a promising option for the control of ticks on-host and off-host. The aim of this study was...
Abstract: Amaranths are African indigenous vegetables (AIVs) that are gaining popularity in several countries around the world due to their nutritional, medicinal and economic values. Insect pests are however a major challenge to optimum production of amaranths. The lepidopteran defoliator moth commonly known as Hawaiian beet webworm/amaranth leaf-webber, Spoladea recurvalis has been reported to be a major pest in amaranth fields, with the potential of causing complete defoliation under seve...
Abstract: Pathological potential of the fungus Beauveria bassiana Balsamo on the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria Forsk was evaluated with an aim to develop a mycoinsecticide as a supplement to the persistent chemical insecticides used for desert locust control in order to min imize the pollution in agroecosystems. Conidial suspension of B. bassiana when topically applied to locusts was found to be effoctive under 27.5 ± 2.50°C and 90% RH. Comparative stage susceptibility studies showed...
Abstract: It is not well understood how termites survive in hemiedaphic habitats with diverse array of potentially infective fungi. In the present study, it was initially found that Macrotermes michaelseni detected a virulent isolate of Metarhizium anisopliae from some distance in a specially designed Y-olfactometer and avoided direct physical contact through olfaction. The overall objective of the study was to evaluate the relationship between virulence and repellency of different isolates ...
Abstract: Studies were carried out to establish the role and significance of rice stem borers as pests of rice crop in irrigated low land rice ecosystems in Tanzania; and to evaluate the effectiveness of some management options against the pest. A survey by means of structured questionnaire was init ially used to assess the farmer’s perception on rice stem borers and their management practices in three wards of Kilombero district in Morogoro Region, namely, Mkula, Sanje and Signali. This w...
Abstract: Phytopathogenic fungi and bacteria cause enormous crop yield losses worldwide. Over the years, management of plant pathogens has primarily relied on the use of synthetic chemical antimicrobials and development of disease resistant varieties. Exploration for biologically active compounds from plants with an aim of discovery and development of novel and eco-friendly biopesticides to combat current and emerging phytopathogens has received increased interest in the recent past. This st...
Abstract: Smallholder subsistence farming is important in the production of food crops for basic livelihoods and income generation in rural areas. However, yields have remained low due to high disease, weed and pest incidences. Currently, crop pests and diseases are largely controlled by use of chemicals, which have adverse effects on the environment and nontarget organisms. There is need for new methods that are environmentally safe to supplement existing control strategies in order to enha...
Abstract: Insect pollination sustains the biodiversity of 90% of wild plants, and 75% of crop species for food and nutritional security. Chemical pesticides used to manage arthropod pests constitute a key driver to the unprecedented declines of insect pollinators worldwide. Hence, biopesticides based on entomopathogenic fungi (EPF) are being promoted as safer alternatives. The effects of EPF on insect pollinators have not been investigated in detail for the application in pollinator-resource...
Abstract: Metarhizium anisopliae isolate ICIPE69 is a highly virulent fungal pathogen against several thrips species such as western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis), bean flower thrips (Megalurothrips sjostedti), onion thrips (Thrips tabaci) and others infesting key vegetable crops in Africa. Recently the isolate has been commercialized for pest control under the trade name, Campaign ®. The efficacy of the entomopathogenic fungi is known to be influenced by the prevailing climati...
Abstract: The fall armyworm (FAW) is a major pest of maize in America and its outbreaks in 2017 in Africa threatened maize, a staple food crop in the region. The effect of parasitoids, nine synthetic insecticides, eleven botanicals, five entomopathogens and pheromone lures have been studied against FAW in 2017 and 2018. Survey conducted in Jimma, Awash Melkasa, Hawasa, East and West Gojam identified three different species of parasitoids from FAW larvae belonging to Hymenoptera and Diptera. ...
Abstract: Crickets are drawing interest as sustainable source of protein for food and feed worldwide. However, there is little information on microbial quality of edible crickets thus the need for a profound insight into their safety. The objective of the study was to determine the microbial load of two edible cricket species Scapsipedus icipe and Gryllus bimaculatus and to evaluate the efficiency of different processing methods (boiling, sundrying, freeze-drying, snap freezing and deep fryi...
Abstract: Soil is the primary reservoir for fungi of which Aspergillus and Fusarium species are the main causal agents of maize ear rot and mycotoxin production. Season and cropping systems are known to influence soil fungal community structure. It is imperative to establish the distribution and density of soil fungal communities as a requisite for formulating strategies for management of ear rot infections and mycotoxin contamination. The current study was carried out to investigate the dis...
Abstract: Tsetse fly-borne trypanosomiasis remains a significant problem in Africa despite years of interventions and research. The need for new strategies to control and possibly eliminate trypanosomiasis cannot be over-emphasized. Entomopathogenic fungi infect specific arthropod hosts through the cuticle and penetrate deep into the internal tissues causing death in about 3-14 days depending on the initial infectious dose. In addition, they can reduce blood feeding abilities in haematophago...
Abstract: Banana production in Kenya has been on the decline due to among other factors, pests and disease of which banana weevil is major. Although, entomopathogenic fungi such as Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae have been used successfully to control various agricultural and pasture pests, lack of effective application system limits their wider application.This study therefore seeks to evaluate the potential of utilizing the fungus to control the banana weevil using infected w...
Abstract: Cellulolytic microorganisms such as fungi and bacteria are responsible for much of the cellulose degradation in soils. Despite this vast number of cellulase producers, there is a deficiency of microorganisms that can produce significant amount of the three cellulase enzyme specifities i.e. endoglucanases, exoglucanases and cellobiases to efficiently degrade cellulose to fermentable products. Little emphasis has been given to cellulase production from bacteria despite their extremel...