Performance of Amaranth Accessions Against Moisture Stress and Key Insect Pests and Their Indigenous Parasitoids in Arusha, Tanzania
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PERFORMANCE OF AMARANTH ACCESSIONS AGAINST MOISTURE STRESS AND KEY INSECT PESTS AND THEIR INDIGENOUS PARASITOIDS IN ARUSHA, TANZANIA STEPHEN TARMOGIN OMBURO OTHIM (MSc. Crop Prot. Ento) A99/38397/2016 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN AGRICULTURAL ENTOMOLOGY OF KENYATTA UNIVERSITY. NOVEMBER 2019 DECLARATION I Stephen Tarmogin Omburo Othim declare that this thesis is my original work and has not been presented for the award of a degree in any other university or any other award. Signature …………………………Date…………………………………. Declaration by supervisors We confirm that the work reported in this thesis was carried out by the candidate under our supervision and has been submitted with our approval as supervisors. Signature………................................Date …………………………… Dr. Ruth Kahuthia-Gathu Department of Agricultural Science and Technology Kenyatta University (KU) Signature………................................Date ……………………………… Dr. Komi Kouma Mokpokpo Fiaboe Plant Health Theme International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) Signature ............................................Date …………………………… Dr. Srinivasan Ramasamy Entomology department World Vegetable Centre (WorldVeg) ii DEDICATION Dedicated to my loving and dearest wife Diana Nyanting’a who has been my greatest source of inspiration and whose tolerance and sacrifice has seen me complete this thesis. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Greatest appreciation to the Almighty God who Has been faithful and brought me to this great achievement. I extend my deepest appreciation to my loving wife Diana Nyanting’a for her endless motivation and moral support during my research. I sincerely thank my supervisors Dr. Ruth Kahuthia-Gathu of Kenyatta University (KU), Dr. Komi Fiaboe of International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe)/International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and Dr. Srinivasan Ramasamy of World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg) for their guidance, advice and criticism that really helped me in my research and write-up. It is through their effort that this thesis acquired shape and was completed. I thank the African Indigenous Vegetables – Integrated Pest Management (AIV- IPM) project teams both at icipe and Worldveg Arusha for their support and the Capacity building team at icipe for continuous support, training and guidance. I thank icipe, WorldVeg and KU for granting me an opportunity to conduct my research at their campuses and for the entire infrastructure that was at my disposal during the research. Special thanks to The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) for sponsoring my research through the AIV-IPM project. Special thanks to my loving mum Florence Othim, my siblings and my friends for their moral support throughout my entire period of study. iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS AIV: African indigenous vegetable ANOVA: Analysis of variance ASL: Above sea level Bt: Bacillus thuringiensis CRD: Completely randomized design DAFF: Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry DM: Dry mass EPF: Entomopathogenic fungi ESA: Eastern and Southern Africa GLM: General linear model HCDA: Horticultural Crops Development Authority HPR: Host plant resistance HSD: Honestly significant difference icipe: International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology IPM: Integrated Pest Management KU Kenyatta University LA: Leaf area LAR: Leaf area ratio LL: Leaf length LMR: Leaf mass ratio LSD: Least significant difference v LW: Leaf width NAFIS: National Farmers Information Services NPV: Nucleopolyhedrovirus NRC: National Research Council PAA: Phenylacetaldehyde RCBD: Randomized complete block design RGR: Relative growth rate RH: Relative humidity RMR: Root mass ratio RR: Relative risk/Risk ratio RSR: Root to shoot ratio SLA: Specific leaf area WHC: Water holding capacity WorldVeg: World Vegetable Centre vi TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION ................................................................................................... ii DEDICATION ...................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................. iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS .............................................. v TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................... vii LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................... xiv LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................... xviii LIST OF PLATES ................................................................................................ xx ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................... xxi CHAPTER ONE. GENERAL INTRODUCTION ............................................ 1 1.1. Background information ............................................................................. 1 1.2. Statement of the problem ............................................................................ 4 1.3. Significance of the study ............................................................................. 6 1.4. Research questions ...................................................................................... 7 1.5. Research objectives ..................................................................................... 7 1.5.1. General objective .................................................................................. 7 1.5.2. Specific objectives ................................................................................ 8 1.6. Null hypotheses ........................................................................................... 8 CHAPTER TWO. LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................. 10 2.1 Description and uses of amaranth ................................................................. 10 2.2 Varieties of amaranth .................................................................................... 13 2.3 Growing conditions of amaranth .................................................................. 14 2.4 Major pests of amaranth ............................................................................... 15 2.4.1 Amaranth leaf-webbers and their host crops ......................................... 16 vii 2.4.2 Amaranth leaf-webbers: Description, biology and damage .................. 17 2.4.3 Amaranth stem weevils: Description, biology and damage .................. 21 2.5 Management of amaranth pests .................................................................... 24 2.5.1 Cultural and physical/mechanical control ............................................. 24 2.5.2 Use of synthetic pesticides/ Chemical control ....................................... 25 2.5.3 Botanical pesticides ............................................................................... 26 2.5.4 Microbial control agents ........................................................................ 27 2.5.5 Use of plant volatiles ............................................................................. 28 2.5.6 Host plant resistance .............................................................................. 29 2.5.7 Use of natural enemies........................................................................... 30 2.5.7.1 Biology of Apanteles species .............................................................. 31 2.5.8 Integrated pest management .................................................................. 32 CHAPTER THREE. MATERIALS AND METHODS .................................. 34 3.1 Study sites and laboratory conditions ........................................................... 34 3.2 Plant material for colony maintenance ......................................................... 34 3.3 Rearing of Spoladea recurvalis ..................................................................... 35 3.4 Apanteles hemara colony ............................................................................. 36 3.5 Assessment of the occurrence and diversity of amaranth lepidopteran defoliators and stem weevils and their associated parasitoids and evaluation of amaranth accessions for resistance against leaf-webbers and stem weevils in open field conditions in Arusha, Tanzania ...................... 37 3.5.1 Cropping seasons ................................................................................... 37 3.5.2 Plant material ......................................................................................... 37 3.5.3 Experimental design and data collection ............................................... 38 viii 3.6 Assessing the possible mechanisms underlying resistance in amaranth accessions through their effects on the biology of leaf-webbers infesting amaranths .................................................................................................. 42 3.6.1 Amaranth accessions ............................................................................. 42 3.6.2 Choice bioassay for oviposition by Spoladea recurvalis ...................... 43 3.6.3 No-Choice bioassay for oviposition by Spoladea recurvalis ................ 43 3.6.4 Effect of accession on weight gain of amaranth leaf-webber ................ 44 3.6.5 Effects of selected amaranth accessions on the development of amaranth leaf-webber and adult longevity .........................................................