Contact: Project Integrated Biological Control of Grasshoppers and Locusts
1. Dr. Hans Wilps
GTZ B.P. 5217 Nouakchott, Mauritanie
Tel: ++222-2-58621, Fax: ++222-2-54423
2. Dr. Stephan Krall
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH Postfach 5180
65726 Eschborn, Germany
Tel: ++49-6196-793289, Fax: ++49-6196-797413 E-mail: stephan.krall@gtz.de
3. Dr. Ralf Peveling
Institut NLU Biogeographie, Universität Basel St. Johanns-Vorstadt 10
4056-Basel, Switzerland
Tel: ++41-61-2676-433, Fax: ++41-61-2676-434
Abbreviations:
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BBA |
German Federal Biological Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry |
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BMZ |
German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development |
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DFPV |
Department de Formation en Protection des Végétaux |
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DGaaE |
German Association for General and Applied Entomology |
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EC |
Effective concentration |
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ED |
Effective dose |
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FAO |
Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations |
|
FU |
Free University |
|
GTZ |
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH |
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IFAO |
International Fund for Agricultural Development |
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IGR |
Insect Growth Regulator |
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IIBC |
International Institute of Biological Control |
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IITA |
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture |
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LC |
Lethal concentration |
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LD |
Lethal dose |
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LOCUSTOX |
Co-operative project of the FAO and the Plant Protection Directorate, Senegal, which studies the environmental impact of locust control in Africa LUBILOSA - Lutte Biologique contre les Locustes et Sauteriaux |
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MPI |
Max Planck Institute |
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NRI |
Natural Resources Institute |
|
PMC |
Programme Management Committee |
|
TU |
Technical University |
1 Introduction
The last major mass reproduction of the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria in Africa took place in the years 1986 - 1989. In the course of combating this plague, several million litres of chemical insecticides were used at a cost of about 100 million US $. The success of the application methods remained controversial, and the influence of the insecticide on the environment and non-target organisms is difficult to estimate, since careful investigations are lacking. Moreover, little is known about the long-term effects of the pesticides and their breakdown products. Since most pesticides used have little if any specificity, substantial damage to other invertebrate fauna can be assumed. Against this background, research activity has set in world-wide, with the goal of developing environmentally friendly agents and more effective control strategies. In the framework of these activities, the BMZ (Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit and Entwicklung) funded the supraregional research project "Integrated Biological Control of Locusts and Grasshoppers" which is coordinated and carried out by GTZ - in cooperation with affected countries (Sudan, Niger, Mauritania, Madagascar) as well as national and international research institutes.
In the first project phase (1990 - 1993) only field-cage tests could be carried out because of the low prevalence of locusts. Of the large number of products tested in these investigations, the following looked most promising: various insect growth regulators, standardised neem and Melia volkensii products, as well as fungal spores. These products were tested against hopper bands starting in 1993. In parallel, the effects of the same products on non-target organisms were examined. The relevant investigations described below were carried out in collaboration with the Mauritanian Plant Protection Service (DRAP, Nouakchott). The following agents were discarded from further consideration: enriched or crude pressed neem oils (too much variability in the content of active ingredients), industrial neem products (too expensive), juvenile hormone analogues (low efficacy; field trials carried out in Madagascar) the micro-organisms Nosema locustae (no efficacy) and Beauveria bassiana (low specificity).
Beginning in 1993, because of locally increased locust reproduction, treatments of hopper bands were performed. The success of these treatments was verified in the field as well as by transferring treated larvae to field-cages.