Biocontrol News and Information 35(4), 29N–38N www.cabi.org/BNI General News

IOBC Continues Its Mission on Access and ment is intended to inform policy makers and Benefit Sharing biological control practitioners and emphasizes that “The existing multilateral free exchange ethos and Under its new chair, Dr Peter G. Mason of Agricul- effective global networking of BC [biocontrol] practi- ture and Agrifood Canada, the IOBC (International tioners are foundations that deserve special Organization for Biological Control) Global Commis- consideration with regards to ABS.” The document sion on Biological Control and Access and Benefit includes two appendices, an ABS Draft Agreement Sharing has continued its mission to provide scien- and a Best Practices Policy. tific advice to encourage the implementation of practical and effective arrangements acceptable to The IOBC Commission has also begun to gather all parties for the collection and use of biological con- information on experiences of researchers working in trol agents under the access and benefit sharing countries where ABS legislation has been imple- (ABS) regime. On 12 October 2014, the Nagoya Pro- mented. The goal is to share the information among tocol came into force, three months after the 50th the global biological control community to help prac- country ratified it (www.cbd.int/abs/nagoya-protocol/ titioners understand what needs to be done to gain signatories/default.shtml). Each country that rati- access to species of importance for research and fied the Protocol will prepare its own legislation and development. regulations. Countries that choose to accede to the Protocol at a later date will be bound to its provi- 1Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diver- sions. Relevant to biological control is Article 8 sity (2011) The Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic ‘Special Considerations’ of the Nagoya Protocol Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of which states: Benefits Arising from their Utilization (ABS) to the Convention on Biological Diversity. In the development and implementation of its Web: www.cbd.int/abs/doc/protocol/nagoya-protocol- access and benefit-sharing legislation or regulatory en.pdf requirements, each Party shall: (a) Create conditions to promote and encourage research which contributes 2Cock, M.J.W., van Lenteren, J.C., Brodeur, J., Bar- to the conservation and sustainable use of biological ratt, B.I.P., Bigler, F., Bolckmans, K., Cônsoli, F.L., diversity, particularly in developing countries, Haas, F., Mason, P.G. and Parra, J.R.P. (2009) The including through simplified measures on access for Use and Exchange of Biological Control Agents for non-commercial research purposes, taking into Food and Agriculture. FAO Commission on Genetic account the need to address a change of intent for Resources for Food and Agriculture, Background such research; (b) Pay due regard to cases of present Study Paper No. 47, 94 pp. or imminent emergencies that threaten or damage Web: ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/ human, or health, as determined meeting/017/ak569e.pdf nationally or internationally. Parties may take into consideration the need for expeditious access to 3van Lenteren, J.C. and Cock, M.J.W. (2009) IOBC genetic resources and expeditious fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the use of such reports to FAO on access and benefit sharing. Bio- genetic resources, including access to affordable treat- control News and Information 30(4), 67N–87N. ments by those in need, especially in developing countries; (c) Consider the importance of genetic By: Peter G. Mason and Matthew J.W. Cock (on resources for food and agriculture and their special behalf of the IOBC Commission on Biological Control role for food security.1 and Access and Benefit Sharing).

Earlier in 2014, the Commission drafted a Best Prac- tices for the Use and Exchange of Biological Control Fungus to Control the Larger Grain Borer in sub- Genetic Resources Relevant for Food and Agriculture Saharan document that was submitted to the Food and Agri- culture Organization (FAO) Commission on Genetic An additional tool may soon be available for farmers Resources for Food and Agriculture, in response to in sub-Saharan Africa who suffer heavy losses in their call to report on voluntary codes of conduct, stored maize from an invasive pest. The larger guidelines and best practices, and/or standards in grain borer (LGB), Prostephanus truncatus, was acci- relation to ABS for all subsectors of genetic resources dentally introduced into Tanzania and Togo in the for food and agriculture. This action was the follow- late 1970s and spread to other East and West African up to Recommendation 5 of the Background Study countries including Ghana1. It can cause stored Paper No. 47 on The Use and Exchange of Biological maize losses of up to 60%2, making it one of the major Control Agents for Food and Agriculture submitted storage pests in the region. The presence of LGB by the IOBC Commission to the FAO Commission on alongside other pests such as the maize weevil, Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture2 (also Sitophilus zeamais, can make the total pest burden see BNI December 20093). The Best Practices docu- overwhelming.

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Protecting food from post-harvest loss in sub- Web: www.bugwood.org/arthropod/day5.html Saharan Africa is essential to address the challenge (accessed 23 January 2013). of food security. Substantial amounts of grain are lost from the food supply chain during post-harvest 2Phiri, N.A. and Otieno, G. (2008) Managing Pests of handling and storage. Subsistence farmers are worst Stored Maize in Kenya, Malawi and Tanzania. affected by such losses as a high proportion of their Report by MDG Centre ESA, Nairobi, Kenya. disposable income and agricultural output is devoted 3 to staple foods. Maize accounts for 25% of starchy World Bank (2011) Missing Food: the Case of Post- staple consumption in Africa, which equates to 36% harvest Grain Losses in sub-Saharan Africa. Report of daily calorific intake3. no. 60371-AFR. World Bank, Washington, DC. 4Markham, R.H., Borgemeister, C. and Meikle, W.G. In the 1980s, surveys were conducted in Mexico, (1994) Can biological control resolve the larger grain Honduras and Costa Rica to look for natural enemies borer crisis? In: Highley, E., Wright, E.J., Banks, of LGB that could be introduced as classical biolog- H.J. and Champ, B.R. (eds) Stored Product Protec- ical control agents4. Teretrius nigrescens, a predatory tion. Proceedings of the 6th International Working histerid beetle, was discovered to have a very narrow Conference on Stored-Product Protection, Canberra, host range and was strongly attracted to LGB’s 17–23 April 1994. CAB International, Wallingford, aggregation pheromone. It was first released in Togo UK, pp. 1098–1102. and later in , Kenya and Benin in the 1990s, where it was shown to reduce the number of 5Nang’ayo, F.L.O. (1996) Ecological studies on larger LGB5,6,7. However, it proved more susceptible to 8 grain borer in savanna woodlands of Kenya. chemical pesticides than LGB , making it less effec- PhD dissertation, Imperial College, London. tive in storage conditions where insecticides are used. 6Borgemeister, C., Djossou, F., Adda, C., Schneider, H., Djomamou, B., Azoma, K. and Markham, R.H. A previous project at CABI’s centre in the UK suc- (1997) Establishment, spread and impact of Teretrio- cessfully used an isolate of Beauveria bassiana to soma nigrescens Lewis (Coleoptera: ), an develop a product for controlling grain store pests, exotic predator of the larger grain borer Pros- such as the saw-toothed grain beetle, Oryzaephilus tephanus truncatus (Horn) (Coleoptera: surinamensis, in the UK. The product is currently in Bostrichidae), in south-western Bénin. the process of being registered in Europe. Environmental Entomology 26, 1405–1415.

Following on from this success, a two-year proof of 7Mutlu, P. (1994) Ability of the predator Teretrio- concept project, funded by the Bill and Melinda soma nigrescens Lewis (Col.: Histeridae) to control Gates Foundation, aims to adapt the European B. larger grain borer (Prostephanus truncatus) (Horn) bassiana technology to the African market for the (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae) under rural storage condi- control of LGB and other maize storage pests. The tions in the southern region of Togo. In: Highley, E., key question we are seeking to answer is whether the Wright, E.J., Banks, H.J. and Champ, B.R. (eds) UK B. bassiana isolate can control LGB in African Stored Product Protection. Proceedings of the 6th maize stores. The consortium CABI, Exosect Ltd and International W orking Conference on Stored- Agrauxine is working closely with collaborators in Product Protection, Canberra, 17–23 April 1994. Ghana and Tanzania to carry out laboratory and CAB semi-field trials. International, Wallingford, UK, pp. 1116–1121. 8 The laboratory pathogenicity studies have already Hodges, R.J. (1994) Recent advances in the biology been concluded and show that B. bassiana can cause and control of Prostephanus truncatus (Coleoptera: 90–100 % kill of LGB. Now the the first set of semi- Bostrichidae) In: Highley, E., Wright, E.J., Banks, field trial data have been collected, which show that H.J. and Champ, B.R. (eds) Stored Product Protec- tion. Proceedings of the 6th International Working formulated B. bassiana, when applied to maize then Conference on Stored-Product Protection, Canberra, stored in a crib for 3 months, can result in over 90% 17–23 April 1994. CAB International, Wallingford, kill of LGB, compared with only 10% mortality in the UK, pp. 929–934. untreated control. There was also an over 50% reduc- tion in the amount of maize powder – the dust formed Contact: Belinda Luke, CABI, UK. when LGB eats stored maize. Further field trials are Email: [email protected] still in progress in different climatic regions of Ghana and Tanzania with full results expected by Phil Harris, Exosect Ltd, UK. December 2014. Email: [email protected]

1Borgemeister, C., Schneider, H., Affognon, H., Pierre Grammare, Agrauxine, France. Schulthess, F., Bell, A., Zweigert, M.E., Poehling, H.- Email: [email protected] M. and Sétamou, M. (2003) Impact assessment of Teretrius nigrescens Lewis (Col.: Histeridae) in , a predator of the larger grain borer, Pros- Biopesticide Consolidates Position in the tephanus truncatus (Horn) (Col. Bostrichidae). In: Mexican Market Proceedings of the 1st International Symposium on Biological Control of , Honolulu, , The development and launch of the first Mexican bio- 14–18 January 2002. , Fungifree AB®, reported in the Electronic News 31N

Journal of Biotechnology, was previously reviewed in Fungifree AB® in Central and South American coun- BNI in September 2013. Fungifree AB® is produced tries, the development of new formulations based on by Agro&Biotecnia S. de R.L. MI, a spin-off company B. subtilis strain 83 for use as plant growth pro- of the Institute of Biotechnology – UNAM (Univer- moters, and the development of new biological sidad Nacional Autónoma de México), and was control products for other phytopathogens. developed by the scientists Enrique Galindo and Leo- bardo Serrano-Carreón, together with Carlos By: Leobardo Serrano-Carreón, Enrique Galindo and Roberto Gutiérrez. Carlos Roberto Gutiérrez, Agro&Biotecnia S. de R.L. MI, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico. Fungifree AB® was launched onto the market in Email: [email protected] / November 2012, as an alternative to chemical fungi- [email protected] / cides, to control mango anthracnose caused by the [email protected] fungal pathogen Colletotrichium gloeosporioides. The biofungicide is formulated with a specific strain of Bacillus subtilis (83) , which was isolated Fungal Formulation Shows Promise for from the mango canopy. The commercial launch was Controlling Africa’s Worst Cocoa Disease possible thanks to the participation of FMC Agro- química de México, the exclusive distributor in The development of an oil-based formulation of a Mexico, which has also actively participated in wid- fungal biocontrol agent may lead to a new control ening the use of this product in several other crops, option for smallholder cocoa farmers currently suf- following authorization by the Mexican authorities. fering the depredations of Africa’s worst cocoa disease1. To date, the biofungicide has been registered for anthracnose control in mango, papaya, avocado and Black pod disease of cocoa in West and Central Africa citrus fruits, as well as for the control of powdery caused by megakarya threatens the mildew (caused by Leveillula taurica and Erysiphe global cocoa industry because Africa supplies over cichoracearum) in (aubergine/eggplant, 70% of beans for the world market. Although disease chilli pepper, red and green tomato) and Cucurbita- caused by Phytophthora spp. occurs in all cocoa pro- ceae (courgette/zucchini, squash, melon, cucumber, ducing regions, it was generally not a serious watermelon), and to control Sphaerotheca sp. in problem in Africa until the emergence and spread of strawberry and raspberry. This makes Fungifree Phytophthora megakarya, which is thought to have AB® the biological control product with the widest originated in the / border region. spectrum against foliar diseases in Mexico. Since, as a new disease, it was first reported to be causing 60–80% yield losses in Ghana in 1985, it has Besides these commercial achievements, Fungifree become widespread in Cameroon, Equatorial AB® has been given recognition by several organiza- Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria and Togo, tions. In 2013, the Innovation for Productivity and and is present in Côte d’Ivoire. In untreated cocoa, Competitiveness Program of the Inter-American losses can be 80–100%. Current management meas- Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) rec- ures include cultural and chemical control and there ognized Fungifree AB® as one of the three most is also promise in breeding for plant resistance but, important achievements in Latin American biotech- for many farmers, are the principal con- nology in 2012. In April 2014, the Mexican trol method. Biological control would be a useful Association for Applied Research and Technological addition to control options, especially to reduce Development Executives (ADIAT) awarded dependence on pesticides. The potential of antago- Agro&Biotecnia the ADIAT Prize in Technological nistic fungi in the genus Trichoderma have been Innovation for small companies. This is the most investigated for some years and have shown prom- prestigious award that a company can receive in ising impact, but the stumbling block has been how Mexico for innovation. Most recently, in July, to make them accessible to farmers. Agro&Biotecnia was awarded the 2014 prize ‘Inno- vators of America’, in the Enterprise and Industry Research at the Institut de Recherche Agricole pour category, by Innovamerica, a Latin American plat- le Développement (IRAD) in Cameroon on Tri- form for the promotion of innovation and creative choderma asperellum conidia formulated as a ideas as a tool for regional development based on new wettable powder, with flour as the carrier, models and values. Fungifree AB® was selected from showed promise against P. megakarya, but also the 122 candidate projects from all over Latin America in limitations of the formulation, which had a limited this category. shelf-life and poor persistence in the field; it was sus- ceptible to wash-off by rain, and the conidia Taken together, these achievements and accolades desiccated rapidly after application to cocoa pods. have facilitated the consolidation of Fungifree AB® and Agro&Biotecnia in the Mexican market. Cur- Trichoderma spp. are the basis of some 90% of formu- rently, Agro&Biotecnia and FMC Agroquímica de lations of antagonistic fungi used to control plant México are in the process of obtaining certification by diseases, and most of them are granular or wettable the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI), an powder formulations. Yet oil-based formulations are independent American organization that assesses more suitable for conidia because they facilitate and certifies products suitable for organic produc- better adherence to the target and slower desiccation tion, in order to increase the potential market of the of the conidia in conditions of fluctuating tempera- biofungicide. Future plans include the registration of ture and relative humidity. 32N Biocontrol News and Information 35(4)

The IRAD team therefore assessed palm oil and soy- who was instrumental in conducting the farmer-field bean oil as carriers using combinations of five trial, was killed in a car crash in June 2014 just after emulsifying–dispersing agents and a structural it was completed. agent, with glucose as a carbon source. These initial experiments confirmed that only the emulsifier Ten- At IRAD work on testing and improving this oil- siofix NTM with structural agent Tensiofix 869 plus based biological fungicide continues. The aim is to glucose produced a stable, homogenous emulsion, provide smallholder cocoa farmers with a viable but the palm oil emulsion was very viscose, so soy- alternative to conventional fungicides for controlling bean oil was selected as the carrier. Assessment of black pod disease in cocoa and so also to honour the the viability of conidia in the selected formulation work of Joseph Mbarga. indicated a half-life of 22.5 weeks compared with 6 1 weeks in aqueous solution. The longer viability is Mbarga, J.B., Begoude, B.A.D., Ambang, Z., thought to be related to the soybean oil and glucose Meboma, M., Kuate, J., Schiffers, B., Ewbank, W., providing food as well as regulating water Dedieu, L. and ten Hoopen, G.M. (2014) A new oil- availability. based formulation of for the biological control of cacao black pod disease caused A short-term experiment with detached pods indi- by Phytophthora megakarya. Biological Control 77, cated that the conidia–soybean oil formulation 15–22. outperformed a commonly used copper hydroxide- based fungicide, Kocide 2000. Pods from of Contact: Martijn ten Hoopen, IRAD, Yaoundé, three clones (sensitive, moderately sensitive and tol- Cameroon/CIRAD, Montpellier, France. erant to P. megakarya) were inoculated with P. Email: [email protected] megakarya following protective treatment. With the conidia–soybean oil formulation, all pods were still free of disease at the end of a 4-day observation Bernard Blum 1938–2014 period, while lesions of varying severity were recorded on pods treated with water, the formulation It was with great sadness that we learnt of the alone, and conidia in aqueous suspension; Kocide sudden death in August of Bernard Blum, aged 76, a 2000 gave only 88% protection of pods from the sus- pioneer in the modern biocontrol industry. ceptible clone but completely protected pods of the other two clones. Interestingly, the formulation Bernard graduated from the National Institute of alone delayed and gave some protection from disease Agronomy in Paris in 1963. He obtained a PhD in and, although supposedly inert, may present a phys- tropical agronomy with ORSTOM (now IRD, the ical barrier to the pathogen. Institute for Development Research) and an MBA at INSEAD at Fontainebleau. In September 2013, a seven-week trial was set up at After a brief period (1965–68) at the Tropical the IRAD Nkolbisson station to assess the perform- Research Institute for Oil Palms, IRHO (now ance of the conidia–soybean oil formulation in CIRAD, the Centre for International Cooperation in protecting cocoa of the highly susceptible clone Agronomic Research for Development) in Côte SNK10 from P. megakarya in the field. Results indi- d’Ivoire, he joined Ciba-Geigy (which later became cated 90% protection after one week, and 50% Syngenta) and pursued a brilliant career in the plant protection was maintained equally well by the protection industry. conidia–soybean oil formulation and the fungicide up to 3.2 and 3.0 weeks post-spraying, respectively. The From 1993 he was a tireless campaigner for the experimental formulation maintained a measurable development of biological control and other alterna- effect up to 7 weeks, compared with 2 weeks for an tive methods for modern agriculture. He founded his aqueous suspension and 5 weeks for Kocide 2000. own company Agrometrix specializing in the devel- opment of precision agriculture. Apart from its efficacy against P. megakarya, the oil- dispersion formulation has been developed with In 1995 he founded IBMA (the International Biocon- smallholder cocoa producers in mind. Other cur- trol Manufacturers’ Association) of which he was rently available oil-based Trichoderma formulations President for the first two years and then Vice-Pres- are based on invert or reverse (water-in-oil) emul- ident for International Affairs. sions, which work well in ultra-low volume spray equipment such as misters or foggers. Knapsack In 2008 he was received into the French Academy of sprayers are, however, by far the most common Agriculture (AFA) and recently he founded the application equipment used by smallholder farmers Academy of Biocontrol together with many top bio- in Africa, and for these the conidia–soybean oil for- control experts and scientists. mulation, with its water miscibility and stability, is far better suited, giving uniform conidial distribution Over the last 20 years Bernard worked assiduously in the tank and potentially improving colonization of for the biocontrol industry and helped shape the the pods. past, current and future changes in biocontrol protec- tion and production. To assess the performance of the conidia–soybean formulation plus the persistence and viability of T. During the last five years of his life Bernard pub- asperellum under farmer-field conditions, a two-year lished a great number of articles for AFA, and at the field trial was set up. Tragically, the lead author of same time he led new biocontrol projects in south- the study described here, Joseph Bienvenue Mbarga, western France. News 33N

Bernard will always be remembered and sadly missed institutional capacity building was given high pri- by his many friends and colleagues throughout the ority. Accordingly, a greenhouse at the Ambo world. Agricultural Research Station of the Ethiopian Insti- tute of Agricultural Research was converted into a By: Michel Guillon. quarantine facility and scientists and technicians were trained in on quarantine facility operation, host-specificity testing, environmental Status of Parthenium hysterophorus Biological assessment preparation, field release, post-release monitoring and other associated activities. Control in Ethiopia In the first classical biological control project to be Following the establishment of the quarantine implemented in Ethiopia, the first biocontrol agent facility at Ambo, a culture (300 larvae and 531 has been released against an invasive weed and the adults) of the leaf-feeding beetle, Z. bicolorata, was release of a second agent is imminent. imported into it from South Africa in October 2007 to allow host-specificity tests to be conducted. The The invasive weed parthenium (Parthenium hystero- importation of the culture went ahead only after phorus) belongs to the family Asteraceae. From its obtaining the necessary permits from the Ethiopian origin in Mexico, it has spread to , Asia, the Government and USAID. Host-specificity tests on Pacific and Africa. In the Asia-Pacific region it is some 24 species of important crops grown in Ethiopia found in Bangladesh, southern China, Israel, Nepal, as well as related to parthenium were con- , Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Sri ducted. The tests showed that Z. bicolorata feeds Lanka, Taiwan, Vanuatu and Vietnam. A survey only on parthenium and does not harm other plants. conducted in eastern and southern Africa showed Based on the results of the tests, an environmental that parthenium is found in Ethiopia, Kenya, assessment statement was prepared, which indi- Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania cated that there was no negative impact on non- and Uganda1. The climate modelling program, target species, and both the Government of Ethiopia CLIMEX, used in the survey indicated that condi- and USAID gave permission for the beetle’s field tions in other sub-Saharan African countries are release. Adults of Z. bicolorata were field-released at optimum for the rapid establishment and further Woollenchiti in the Oromiya region of Ethiopia on 16 expansion of parthenium in the continent. July 2014. Preparations are underway to send addi- tional shipments to Kobo in Amhara and Haramaya Parthenium is a very successful invader because it is in eastern Oromiya for multiplication and field a prolific seed producer (a single plant can produce releases. up to 30,000 seeds), can germinate and grow in a wide range of environments, can complete its life A second natural enemy, the stem-boring curculionid cycle in a relatively short time (up to four genera- weevil Listronotus setosipennis, was brought to the tions in a single season) and can produce chemicals Ambo quarantine facility from South Africa in 2009. that can inhibit the growth of other plants. The latter Host-specificity tests were conducted on 30 crops and characteristic enables it to displace native plants other native species plants under quarantine condi- thereby making it a major threat to biodiversity. It tions. These tests showed that L. setosipennis can can reduce crop yield and displace pasture species only feed and complete its life cycle on parthenium. thereby adversely affecting livestock production. It An environmental assessment statement has been taints meat and milk when feed on it. It also approved by the Government of Ethiopia and causes dermatitis and allergic reactions in humans. USAID. Currently this organism is being multiplied in the quarantine facility for field release. Since this weed occurs on roadsides and in vacant land, fallow fields, nature reserves, pastures and Acknowledgement: This project was funded by cropped fields, it has become difficult to manage with USAID Cooperative Agreement No. EPP-A-00- chemical, cultural and mechanical control methods. 0400016-00. However, classical biological control offers an oppor- tunity to tackle it, as it is an exotic plant that has 1McConnachie, A.J., Strathie, L.W., Mersie, W., been introduced without its natural enemies. Aus- Gebrehiwot, L., Zewdie, K., Abdurehim, A., Abrha, tralia initiated biological control of parthenium in B., Araya, T., Asaregew, F., Assefa, S., Gebre-Tsadik, 1977 and, so far, nine species of and two rust R., Nigatu, L., Tadesse, B. and Tana, T. (2010) Cur- fungi have been introduced there, of which six rent and potential geographical distribution of the species and two fungi have been established. The invasive plant Parthenium hysterophorus (Aster- chrysomelid beetle, Zygogramma bicolorata of Mex- aceae) in eastern and southern Africa. Weed ican origin was introduced to Australia in 1980 and Research 51, 71–84. in 1984; it was later fortuitously introduced to Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan from India. By: Wondimagegnehu Mersie, Virginia State University, Petersburg, VA 23806, USA. In Ethiopia, a biological control programme for Email: [email protected] parthenium, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), was started in Rangaswamy Muniappan, Virginia Tech, October 2005. Since this was the first project for clas- Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA. sical biological control in Ethiopia, human and Email: [email protected] 34N Biocontrol News and Information 35(4) Biological Control of Woolly Nightshade: ruled out. They are slow to recover in spring, at least Progress in Two Countries partly because of predation of the immature stages especially, and maximum populations are not mauritianum (bugweed or woolly night- reached until autumn. Observations in shade), an evergreen or small native to indicate that predation is occurring there too. , is one of New Zealand’s newer tar- gets for classical biological control. The tingid sap- There have been sporadic lace bug population peaks sucking lace bug decoris was introduced and outbreaks in South Africa, similar to the one in 2010 using material supplied from South Africa seen in New Zealand this year. The first and largest and has now been widely released. In 2014, its first was a massive outbreak in the understorey of a pine impacts were seen when populations reached out- plantation in Mpumalanga Province in 2007, which break proportions in an S. mauritianum-infested caused extensive defoliation, reduced flowering/ pine plantation in the Bay of Plenty area of North fruiting, and seedling and even tree death. Other, Island. While this is potentially good news for New smaller outbreaks were reported nearby but wide- Zealand, it is also interesting to South African collab- spread fires destroyed all these sites and the orators in the programme. The Landcare Research opportunity for follow-up. The occurrence of out- team leading the New Zealand programme has been breaks in pine plantations in both countries may not working with Terry Olckers and his team at the Uni- have been a coincidence. versity of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in South Africa, where the lace bug was first released some 15 years Solanum mauritianum thrives in a variety of habi- ago, and drawing on the South Africans’ extensive tats, from sunny, exposed locations to partially and research on S. mauritianum biological control, ini- fully shaded sites, while field observations suggest tially when Olckers was at the ARC-PPRI that the lace bug might be doing better in shade. (Agricultural Research Council – Plant Protection Olckers’ team has been disentangling the effects of Research Institute) and later at UKZN. plant quality, shade and predation on its perform- ance. In one experiment, monitoring of shade-house Identifying a biocontrol agent for S. mauritianum grown S. mauritianum potted plants infested with that met host-specificity and regulatory require- immature or adult lace bugs and then moved to ments was a challenge because of the relatedness of unshaded, semi-shaded and shaded locations indi- native Solanum species and important Solanum cated that both immature and adult lace bugs crops. Although surveys for potential biocontrol persisted best in semi-shaded conditions and these agents by South African researchers began some 30 sites had fewest predators. Both adults and imma- years ago (and a dedicated programme was initiated tures persisted poorly in fully shaded sites, where in 1994), almost all of the many species spiders were abundant, and immatures also fared found on the plant in its native range were later dis- carded. Just two species have so far been shown to badly in unshaded sites, where ants were abundant, have acceptable host specificity for approval and with none reaching the adult stage. It may be that release in South Africa. The lace bug, found in north- the pine plantations that hosted lace bug outbreaks eastern and southern , was released provided a level of shading that minimized predation by the ARC-PPRI and latterly the Working for Water and allowed populations to expand. programme and Sappi Forests between 1999 and 2007. Although initially establishment was thought Although results with the lace bug in South Africa to be patchy, it has now been confirmed to be estab- have been slow, preliminary results for the - lished at many sites across three provinces. A second feeding weevil A. santacruzi weevil are encouraging. agent, the flowerbud-feeding weevil Anthonomus Weevils in this genus are found throughout S. mau- santacruzi from Argentina, was first released in 2009 ritianum’s native range and credited with and is now well established in KwaZulu-Natal Prov- suppressing fruit set to the low levels seen there. ince following mass rearing and releases by the Anthonomus santacruzi and its congener A. mor- South African Sugarcane Research Institute. This ticinus are commonly found in Argentina, Brazil and agent was rejected by New Zealand, however, . Although A. santacruzi, like the lace bug, because of concerns about its potential impact on a is experiencing predation in South Africa, field sur- native Solanum species of ecological/cultural impor- veys over the course of a year at coastal and inland tance. sites in KwaZulu-Natal to assess the incidence and abundance of potential predators on S. mauritianum Solanum mauritianum has a number of attributes indicate that their numbers on inflorescences in the contributing to its invasive status in the introduced field are low so predation is not expected to be a con- range, notably a fast growth rate and an excessive straint, and the weevil seems to be establishing well, fruit production whose dispersal is aided by birds. An albeit largely in coastal areas. agent such as the lace bug that reduces photosyn- thesis could be a useful agent, especially if Following the rejection of A. santacruzi for New Zea- complemented by an agent that attacks reproductive land, Landcare Research has revisited South Africa’s output, like the flower-feeding Anthonumus weevil, earlier research to identify other candidate agents but the lace bug has so far had modest impact in for New Zealand. In collaboration with Olckers’ col- South Africa. Field observations and research indi- laborator in Brazil, Professor Henrique Pedrosa cate that several factors are implicated. Lace bug Macedo at the University of Paraná, they have populations decline during the South African winter, drawn up a plan for host-specificity testing and field probably owing to poor plant quality as a result of trials at Curitiba in Brazil. Amongst species they are low rainfall since temperature as a factor has been testing are the flowerbud-feeding weevil A. mor- News 35N ticinus that is found with A. santacruzi in the field, in countries such as Vietnam and Thailand. On the and a stem-boring weevil, Conotrachelus squalidus. other hand, it is a chief food security crop in Indo- nesia, where approximately 50% of locally cultivated Sources: Hayes, L. (2014) Lace bug does best in the cassava is directly used for human consumption1. shade. What’s New in Biological Control of Weeds? 69, p. 2. Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd 2014. Throughout the world, cassava crops are affected by myriad arthropod pests, such as whiteflies, mealy- Hakizimama, S. and Olckers. T. (2013) Are native bugs and mites (e.g. 2,3). Until the turn of the predators likely to influence the establishment and century, Southeast Asian cassava was virtually free persistence of Anthonomus santacruzi (Curculion- from limiting pests and diseases. However, the idae), a biological control agent of Solanum recent appearance of a complex of invasive mealy- mauritianum (Solanaceae) in South Africa? African bugs and emerging diseases has greatly altered this Entomology 21, 372–376. situation, and farmers now face difficulties in sus- taining their yields and safeguarding harvests. The Olckers, T. (2011) Biological control of Solanum appearance of these novel plant health threats is mauritianum Scop. (Solanaceae) in South Africa: directly related to increased global trade and associ- will perseverance pay off? African Entomology 19, ated movement of infested planting material, 416–426. deficient quarantine systems, and pervasive crop expansion. Patrick, K. and Olckers, T. (2014) Influence of shade on the persistence of Gargaphia decoris (Tingidae), a In 2008, the cassava Phenacoccus mani- biological control agent of Solanum mauritianum hoti was first reported from Thailand and has since (Solanaceae) in South Africa. African Entomology 22, spread to Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao in press. PDR), Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia4,5. Widely considered to be the foremost pest threat to global Contact: Terry Olckers, University of KwaZulu– cassava production, Ph. manihoti historically caused Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, major losses to cassava production and associated 3209 South Africa. livelihoods in the African continent6. In Thailand, Email: [email protected] Ph. manihoti led to country-wide yield losses of up to 30% in the first year following its detection. In Indo- Simon Fowler, Landcare Research, nesia, where Ph. manihoti is spreading in key PO Box 69040, Lincoln 7640, New Zealand. cassava growing areas of central and eastern Java, Email: [email protected] substantial impacts have been forecast for local food security, welfare and the sound functioning of rural economies. The Loss of a Giant in Weed Biological Control Similarly, the exotic papaya mealybug, Paracoccus Many colleagues and friends of Dr Peter Harris were marginatus, was reported during 2008–10 in mul- saddened to hear of his passing in August of this tiple Southeast Asian countries (i.e. Thailand, year. He will be remembered for his many pioneering Cambodia, Vietnam and Indonesia)4. Aside from successes in classical weed biological control, and papaya, this pest seriously affects several other agri- also for his vision, tenacity and leadership in seeing cultural crops, including mulberry and cassava. In the science advanced and implemented. Both in 2010, yield losses due to Pa. marginatus were esti- Canada and internationally, he was respected as a mated at 10–40% in key cassava cropping regions in trail blazer and builder of foundations, and thus India7. acknowledged as a major contributor to the respected institutions and reputation we cherish today within Lastly, exotic long-tailed such as Ferrisia our applied discipline. A more detailed article on virgata and Pseudococcus jackbeardsleyi have been Peter's contributions will be appearing in the March found on Asian cassava crops for many years, issue of BNI. although rarely at high densities. In fact, F. virgata was termed a key pest of citrus, guava, custard By: Rosemarie De Clerck-Floate apple, cashew and coffee, but caused few problems in cassava (e.g. 8,9). Over the past decade, however, long-tailed mealybug populations have increased Parasitoids Introduced into Indonesia: Part of a dramatically in cassava, with some farmers esti- Region-wide Campaign to Tackle Emerging mating yield losses up to 80% due to F. virgata Cassava Pests and Diseases outbreaks; this possibly occurs in areas with pro- longed drought, anaemic soil fertility levels or high Cassava (Manihot esculenta) is the world’s fourth incidence of cassava diseases (which debilitate most important agricultural commodity after rice, plants)3. Factors such as warmer temperatures, a wheat and maize, and features prominently in the longer dry season, or enhanced use of pesticides are diet of millions of people throughout the tropics. thought to have contributed to this increase of both Grown on over 18 million hectares worldwide, cas- long-time invaders. sava cultivation sustains the livelihoods of countless smallholder farmers, many of whom operate in Aside from this complex of mealybug pests, (novel) degraded environments. In South and Southeast plant diseases have equally come to impact on South- Asia alone, cassava is grown by more than eight mil- east Asian cassava production. Cassava witches’ lion farmers and is the engine of the rural economy broom (CWB) is a systemic disease caused by phyto- 36N Biocontrol News and Information 35(4) plasmas that was initially reported in the region in In countries that have been spared from cassava 1993. In 2008, severe CWB outbreaks occurred in mealybug invasions, such as China and the Philip- central Vietnam, bringing 10–15% yield losses and pines, research is urgently needed to build resilience 25–30% reduction in cassava starch content1. In into cassava cropping systems. Tactics such as hab- early 2014, CWB was reported from all major cas- itat manipulation can boost the abundance of locally sava cropping areas in mainland Southeast Asia, occurring natural enemies and thereby make cas- with 80% of fields affected by the disease, and sava crops less susceptible to colonization by average field-level incidence of 30% in certain coun- invasives. Last but not least, it is essential to thor- tries (authors’ unpublished data). oughly assess (unintended) side-effects of the large- scale adoption of neonicotinoid application for treat- To address this plant health crisis, the International ment of planting materials, which has accompanied Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) and national mealybug invasions in some key cassava growing partner institutions have joined forces in the imple- areas. mentation of a region-wide integrated pest and disease management (IPDM) programme, through The current EU-funded, IFAD-managed initiative an initiative funded by the European Union (EU) consists of regional monitoring, applied research, and managed by the International Fund for Agricul- extension and capacity building to further address tural Development (IFAD). This programme is emerging cassava pest and disease threats. As part providing almost seamless follow-up to invaluable of this effort, monitoring in 450 cassava plots (dis- activities initiated by the Food and Agricultural tributed throughout Southeast Asia) has shed light Organization of the United Nations (FAO) (with sup- on the geographical distribution and incidence levels port through CIAT and the International Institute of the emerging pests and diseases identified in this for Tropical Agriculture, IITA), in cooperation with article. Applied research has been initiated to public and private institutions in Thailand and else- develop low-cost and environmentally sound solu- where in the Greater Mekong Subregion. In tions for cassava pest and disease control. While a lot November 2009, the parasitoid Anagyrus lopezi was of work remains to be done to ensure long-term pest/ imported from IITA-Benin and 2000 pairs of the disease control, this IPDM programme accentuates wasp were released in a cassava field in eastern the value of and need for collaborative research with Thailand10. FAO subsequently worked together with national, regional and international partners to safe- national institutions to release A. lopezi in Lao PDR guard the sustainability and profitability of this (2011), Cambodia (2012) and Vietnam (2013). At important crop for the Asia region. most release sites in mainland Southeast Asia, A. lopezi has established well and is providing rela- 1Howeler, R.H. (ed.) (2010) A New Future for Cas- tively good control of Ph. manihoti populations11. In sava in Asia: Its Use as Food, Feed and Fuel to late March 2014, Bogor Agricultural University Benefit the Poor. Proceedings of the 8th Regional teamed up with CIAT, FAO, the Thai Department of Workshop on Cassava, Vientiane, Lao PDR, 20–24 Agriculture and Thai Department of Agricultural October 2008. Extension to introduce the parasitic wasp into Indo- nesia. In the latest development, 3000 A. lopezi 2Waddington, S.R., Li, X.Y., Dixon, J., Hyman, G. wasps were released in a field cage in Bogor in and Carmen de Vicente, M. (2010) Getting the focus western Java in September 2014 as a first step in right: production constraints for six major food crops what – hopefully – could become a nation-wide in Asian and African farming systems. Food Security mealybug management campaign in Indonesia. 2, 27–48.

Classical biological control has also become the 3Bellotti, A., Herrera, B.V. and Hyman, G. (2012) mainstay of mealybug pest management for Pa. mar- Cassava production and pest management: present ginatus, with recent releases of the (exotic) parasitic and potential threats in a changing environment. wasp Acerophagus papayae (in India, ), as Tropical Plant Biology 5, 39–72. promoted through the US Agency for International Development12. Following parasitoid releases, 4Muniappan, R., Shepard, B.M., Watson, G.W., papaya mealybug populations have dropped consid- Carner, G.R., Rauf, A., Saritami, D., Hidayat, P., erably on Indian papaya (and cassava) crops, but Afun, J.V.K., Goergen, G. and Ziaur Rahman, much remains to be done to stem the spread and A.K.M. (2009) New records on invasive insects impact of this pest in other countries in Asia7. (: ) in Southeast Asia and West Africa. Journal of Agricultural and Urban Hence, for both Pa. marginatus and Ph. manihoti Entomology 26, 167–174. control programmes, follow-up research is needed to carefully document establishment, spread and per- 5Parsa, S., Kondo, T. and Winotai, A. (2012) The cas- formance of parasitoids under a range of (climatic, sava mealybug (Phenacoccus manihoti) in Asia: first biophysical) settings. Also, eventual interference records, potential distribution, and an identification with or facilitation by local biodiversity should be key. PLoS ONE 7, e47675. assessed. Lastly, tactics have yet to be deployed to further boost the efficacy of some of these parasitoids 6Neuenschwander, P. (2001) Biological control of the in cassava monocultures. Equally, endemic natural cassava mealybug in Africa: a review. Biological enemies deserve attention as they could provide val- Control 21, 214–229. uable pest control services, but may lack essential food, host or shelter opportunities in simplified cas- 7Myrick, S., Norton, G.W., Selvaraj, K.N., Natarajan, sava crop ecosystems. K. and Muniappan, R. (2014) Economic impact of News 37N classical biological control of papaya mealybug in country. Among the Tetranychoidea, several mem- India. Crop Protection 56, 82–86. bers of Tetranychidae (spider mites) and (false spider mites) are injurious to 8Mani, M., Krishnamoorthy, A. and Singh, S.P. vegetables, ornamentals and fruit crops. At least two (1990) The impact of the predator, Cryptolaemus species of Tarsonemidae (thread-footed mites) cause montrouzieri Mulsant, on pesticide-resistant popula- serious losses on a wide variety of crops. For tions of the striped mealybug, Ferrisia virgata (Ckll.) instance, Polyphagotarsonemus latus can acutely on guava in India. International Journal of Tropical damage chilli and potato crops. The panicle mite, Insect Science 11, 167–170. Steneotarsonemus spinki, is a fairly recent problem on rice in several rice-growing areas. Gall-forming 9 Balakrishnan, M.M., Sreedharan, K., Venkatesha, mites and rust mites in the Eriophyoidea are per- Bhat, P.K. 1991. Observations on Ferrisia virgata sistent problems on a number of crops such as (Ckll.) (Homoptera: Pseudococcidae) and its natural coconut, litchi, mango and pigeonpea. Phytophagous enemies on coffee, with new records of predators and mites thus continue to pose problems, and in the host plants. Journal of Coffee Research 21, 11–19. future populations of other currently innocuous mites may flare up. 10Winotai, A., Goergen, G., Tamo, M. and Neuen- schwander, P. (2011) Cassava mealybug has reached With increasing interest in biological control and Asia. Biocontrol News and Information 31, 10N– organic farming, the crucial role of predatory mites is 11N. being appreciated. Indeed, some multinational com- 11 mercial firms are now trying to introduce and Lim, G.S. and Moekchantuk, T. (2013) Back-to- market predatory mites in India. office report cum report of final meeting. FAO TCP project (TCA/RAS/3311): Capacity building for Close to 200 predatory phytoseiid mite species have spread prevention and management of cassava pink been recorded in India1, while species in the Ascidae, mealybug in the Greater Mekong Subregion, Ho Chi Anystidae, Bdellidae, Cheyletidae, Cunaxidae and Minh City, Vietnam, 4–8 November 2013. Stigmaeidae have also been reported2. Their exploi- Web: www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/rap/files/ tation in biological control has largely to be realized, meetings/2013/141104-report-casava.pdf although previous research suggests this should be expanded. 12Sirisena, A., Jonathan, E.I. and Suresh, S. (2013) Biocontrol of papaya mealybug in Sri Lanka and In the 1960s, the predatory mite Typhlodromus India. Biocontrol News and Information 34(1), newsami was imported from Malaysia3 for trials 5N-6N. against several mite species in tea, and research con- By: Kris A.G. Wyckhuys, CIAT – Vietnam. tinues today on the use of phytoseiids for control of Email: [email protected] this important pest group in the crop. There is also potential for mite-based biological control in small- Aunu Rauf, Bogor Agricultural University, holder crops. Limited field trials have indicated that Indonesia. the exotic predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis Email: [email protected] (which has established in India) and the indigenous species Amblyseius tetranychivorus, Neoseiulus long- Johannes Ketelaar, FAO. ispinosus and N. barkeri are efficient predatory Email: [email protected] mites for targeting phytophagous mites. For example, in field trials in Solan (Himachal Pradesh), N. longispinosus proved to be a good option for man- agement of T. urticae on capsicum, and as effective as New Repository Facilitates Mite Research at acaricide treatment. In addition, it is possible that NBAIR predatory mites could be used for targeting thrips Research on agriculturally important mites is part and whiteflies. The indigenous mite species are ame- and parcel of the mandate of India’s Bangalore-based nable to mass rearing and novel and farmer friendly National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources techniques have been developed at NBAIR to mass (NBAIR) – the recently renamed National Bureau of rear them. Agriculturally Important Insects (NBAII). On 17 July 2014, a new ‘Mite Repository’ was inaugurated Other categories of interest to Indian acarologists at NBAIR by the Deputy Director-General (Crop Sci- are insect-parasitic mites as well as phoretic mites, ence) of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research which remain poorly investigated. (ICAR), Dr Swapan Kumar Datta, in the presence of NBAIR Director, Dr Abraham Verghese. The reposi- Mite research in Bangalore has a strong history. For tory will cater for mite collection, and example, the earlier avatar of NBAIR/NBAII, the characterization. Project Directorate of Biological Control or PDBC, carried out research on the biological control of the The number of acarologists with an interest in tax- coconut eriophyid mite, Aceria guerreronis, utilizing onomy is dwindling in India. Consequently, it is the acaropathogen Hirsutella thompsonii4. The new getting tougher for plant protection practitioners to Mite Repository at NBAIR will provide a resource for get existing or newly emerging mite pests identified. further research at NBAIR and country-wide to pro- mote knowledge of India’s mites, which will improve More than 25 species of mites are considered serious prospects for biological control to be implemented in pests on various agri-horticultural crops in the association with this key arthropod group. 38N Biocontrol News and Information 35(4)

1Karmakar, K. and Gupta, S.K. (2011) Predatory least partly because of pests and the costs of trying to mite fauna associated with agri-horticultural crops manage them. Pesticide use is heavy with many and weeds from the Gangetic Plains of West Bengal, reports of adverse health and environmental impacts India. In: Moraes, G.J. de and Proctor, H. (eds) from farming families. Acarology XIII: Proceedings of the International Con- gress, Recife, Brazil, 23–27 August 2010. Farmer surveys in four cashew growing regions and Zoosymposia 6, 62–67. monitoring in experimental plots indicated the main pests to be the mosquito bug Helopeltis theivora, var- 2Gupta, S.K. (2002) A monograph on plant inhab- ious species of curculionid shoot borers and a fruit- iting predatory mites in India, Part 1: Orders: nut borer, Nephopteryx sp. Of lesser importance were , Astigmata and Cryptostigmata. Mem- coreid bugs and leidopteran leaf rollers while a leaf oirs of the Zoological Survey of India 19, 1–183. miner, Acrocercops syngramma, and an aphid, Aphis gossypii, were minor pests. 3Rao, V.P., Datta, B. and Ramaseshiah, G. (1970) Natural enemy complex of flushworm and phytopha- Because of prevailing pesticide use, no weaver ants gous mites on tea in India. Tea Board Scientific were found in orchards during the surveys. For the Publications Series No. 5, 53 pp. year-long field experiment, colonies were established in one plot, which was compared with a cyper- 4Sreerama Kumar, P. (2010) Hirsutella thompsonii methrin-treated plot. Regular monitoring indicated as a mycoacaricide for Aceria guerreronis on coconut that weaver ants provided equivalent or better con- in India: research, development, and other aspects. trol than insecticide for most of the above pests In: Sabelis, M.W. and Bruin, J. (eds) Trends in during some or all seasons; any concerns that weaver Acarology – Proceedings of the 12th International ant attendance might exacerbate aphid problems Congress, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 21–26 were allayed. August 2006. Springer, pp. 441–444. Not all economically important cashew pests were By: P. Sreerama Kumar, NBAIR, Bangalore, India. controlled by the weaver ants, however, notably Email: [email protected] branch and stem borers and thrips. The authors say that implementing an integrated pest management package in which weaver ants form a major compo- Role for Weaver Ants in Cashew in Vietnam nent, and avoiding insecticides to which they are susceptible, could increase net profit for farmers in Farmer surveys and a field experiment in Vietnam addition to improving cashew nut quality and suggest that weaver ants (Oecophylla spp.), already enhancing natural enemy diversity in cashew promoted in the country as a control option for citrus orchards. farmers, could have a valuable role in reducing pes- ticide reliance in cashew1. Cashew is a relatively new 1Peng, R, Lan, L.P. and Christian, K. (2014) Weaver commercial crop in Vietnam, but productivity among ant role in cashew in Vietnam. Journal of Economic the over 200,000 farmers that depend on it is low, at Entomology 107, 1030–1038.