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Organic : Case Study, Locusts and Stemborers in Senegal

JO H N C. BR A N N E N, O rganic Solutions Inc., San Antonio, TX, USA

Figure 1 A B S T R A C T Swarm of locusts (Courtesy of Keith Cressman, Locust Forecasting Officer, FAO) ocusts can be found worldwide. Africa, the Americas, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and South Asia Lhave all been heavily affected by these insects in recent years. Ecological conditions (drought and rain) seem to be the only common controlling factor in the appearance and numbers. Herbivorous insects, such as stemborers, are said to be responsible for d e s t roying one fifth of the world’s total crop pro d u c- tion annually. To combat damaging insects, toxic chemicals are used affecting ground water, humans Figure 2 Locusts begin as grasshoppers, and the enviro n m e n t . and change their habits & colour as they become gregarious and swarm

I N T R O D U C T I O N DD T , , Chlorpyrifros, , are all common names in the war against locusts, borers and other destructive insects. According to the FAO Emergency Center for Locust Operations, “the primary method of co n t r olling Locust swarms and hopper bands is Figure 3 with mainly chemicals applied in Adult locusts small-concentrated doses … by vehicle-mounted and aerial (Courtesy of Keith Cressman, sprayers and to a lesser extent by knapsack and hand- Locust Forecasting Officer, FAO) held sprayers.” The International Center of Insect Physiology and Ecology states that “stemborers are generally considered to be most destructive group of insect pests that attack maize and sorghum in Africa”. Yes, these pesticides will kill the insects, but they also cause damage to the environment and to the people whose crops and lands are being sprayed; as well as to those who ingest such contaminated food. In most p a rts of sub-Saharan Africa, the harvesting of maize (the staple food crop), and other cereals is done by hand. Most of the pesticides currently being sprayed in t h i rd-world countries have been banned in the United For the farm e r, insect control is of paramount States and the EU, both of which now state that im p o r tance. Recognising this, Organic Solutions contin- p roduce with harsh chemical residues will no longer ually re s e a rches for ways to provide the farmer with be accepted into their countries, thus seriously econom- c o s t - e ffective insect control, providing maximum ically impacting the farmers’ income. Recently, there results with low to no risk for humans, livestock and has been an upsurge in the search for low-toxicity and the enviro n m e n t . no n - h a r mful pesticides that can have a meaningful impact Recently, Organic Solutions was tested on Locusta on insect numbers. One such product is Org a n i c migratoria migratorioides (one of the migratory locusts Solutions Multipurpose . that plague much of Africa) under laboratory conditions,

S U S TA I N A B L E D E V E L O P M E N T I N T E R N AT I O N A L 167 Figure 4 dose than was recommended by the firm. Malathion is A magnified 5000X. The a classical aridicide already evaluated and in use in sharp edges cut the insect’s Senegal and across the Sahel. . Dehydration and death soon follow R E S U LTS AND DISCUSSIONS The results have shown that Organic Solutions at the dose of 7 kg per ha corresponding to 4.7 lb (5 lb) per a c re was highly effective on the migratory locust. The treated insects started to get shaken by the p roduct almost within the first 10-30 min. following application, as with the Malathion. They stayed longer in this moribund state and ultimately all of them died within 24 hours. This has not been the case with Malathion, where the insect either died immedi- ately or survived the insecticide. Organic Solutions at this dose was as effective as the treated re f e re n c e , Figure 5 Malathion, with a relatively higher knockdown. They Backpack sprayer with mosqui - all killed 100% of the locusts within a day after toes: the insecticide can easily application. The diffe r ence observed in the killing speed be applied with commonly is more related to the insecticidal mode of killing than available equipment anything else. In fact while Malathion must be both ingested and contacted to act, the Organic Solutions act just after simple contact by tearing off the insect , exposing it to pro g ressive desicca- tion up to the critical water point and eventually death, affecting the nervous system and acting as a stomach poison. This is why the insect tended to stay longer at the moribund stage than in the case of Malathion. The final impact on saving the crop fro m damage is the same for all three insecticides as a sick insect cannot feed itself, thus it is not harmful at all; it is rather more exposed to pre d a t o r s . and on Mythimna loreyi and Sesamia calamistis (c e re a l At a lower dose of 6 kg/ha insects were knocked down st e m b o r ers) under field conditions in the Matam area , almost as quickly, but the insects tended to die slower, No rt h - E a s t e r n Senegal. The tests were perfo r med by Dr but eventually all died between 24 and 48 hours. For Abdoulaye Niassy. In his conclusion, Dr Niassy stated, practical purposes, the dose of 7 kg PC/ha (6.5 lb/acre) “All tests have confirmed the efficiency of Org a n i c is the best dose to recommend for locust contro l . Solutions on locusts and stemborers’’. Ho w e v e r , acceptable control can be obtained at 6 kg /ha (a bit more than 5 lb/acre). On stems borers, Organic Solutions has been SENEGAL TEST SPECIFICS v e ry effective, causing nearly a total (100 %) kill in The locusts were obtained from the DFPV colony from Niamey less than 24 hours after application at the dose of 6kg Niger and rea r ed in a laboratory for many generations. of OS/ha (a bit more than 5 lb/ac). This was apparen t S u rveys were conducted in the field to locate in the field as immediately after the Organic Solutions st e m b o r er infestation sites, especially in the Senegal River insecticides were applied, the insect crawled its way basin where sorghum and corn are grown year round. out of the leaf whirls where it was hiding, and start e d A site where Sesamia calamistis Hmps and My t h i m n a shaking and climbing up the plant very fast before dying lo re y i w e re co-existing on sorghum was found near a few minutes later. Matam. The relative abundance of respective species was All tests have confirmed the efficacy of the Orga n i c 90% Sesamia and 10% Mythimna. Solutions on locusts and stem borers. Thus we highly Or ganic Solutions insecticides were the main prod u c t s recommend its use as a new compound for locust, tested at several doses. Their effects were compared to grasshopper and stemborer control in Senegal and those of Malathion. In this pre l i m i n a ry experiment, whenever the pests can be found. Or ganic Solutions insecticides were tested at the lower recommended limit dose, and at lower doses than WHY THE ORGANIC SOLUTIONS INSECTICIDES ARE recommended. This was to establish a more economical E F F E C T I V E The Organic Solutions insecticides are effective because Figure 6 of their combination mechanical/ botanical killing Fixed wing sprayer: Organic e ffect. This kill effect comes as a result of a “thre e - Solutions can also be applied p ronged” attack. The insecticide is comprised of by fixed wing aircraft, or by diatomaceous earth (the fossilised remains of ), helicopter mixed with small amounts of pyre t h roids and piper- onyl butoxide (PBO). The main ingredient of Organic Solutions insec- ticides is classified as amorphous fresh water, food-grade diatomaceous earth with a cry s t a l l i n e silica content ranging between 0.36% to 1.12% as d e t e rmined by X-ray diffraction analysis. The Wo r l d Health Organization cautions that diatomaceous

168 S U S TA I N A B L E D E V E L O P M E N T I N T E R N AT I O N A L e a rth with a crystalline silica content of 3% or higher is dangerous to humans. The diatomaceous eart h (DE) is composed of fossilised shells of tiny water- dwelling organisms known as diatoms. When DE is pr operly milled it acts as razor sharp daggers, pierci n g an insect’s exoskeleton. It then acts as a desiccant, liter- ally draining the life-sustaining fluids from the insects, dehydrating and killing it. When an insect loses 2% of its bodily fluids, it results in death. DE is not a poison, but a mechanical killer that will kill almost any insect on contact. It is impossible for an insect to build an immunity to diatomaceous eart h . C u rre n t l y, Organic Solutions offers two altern a- tive formulations; one with natural , and one with synthetic pyrethrins. The natural (from the C h ry s a n t h e m u m flower) offers a quick kill by attacking the insect’s nervous system. The synthetic p y rethrin acts as a contact killer as well as a stomach poison pesticide. It also offers a longer residual kill effe c t , as the synthetic pyret h r oid does not break down in UV light as quickly as the natural. Both products act as an insect re p e l l a n t . The Piperonyl Butoxide (PBO), sassafras from the ocotea tree, has long been used as a synergist for p y re t h roids and multiplies the pyre t h ro i d ’s attack. Figure 7 The addition of the PBO to the insecticide formu l a t i o n I F Y O U H AV E A N Y E N Q U I R I E S R E G A R D I N G T H E The Organic Solutions insecticide multiplies the pyre t h ro i d ’s killing ability, so that C O N T E N T O F T H I S A RT I C L E, P L E A S E C O N TA C T: being sprayed by helicopter. lesser amounts of the pyre t h roids are utilized. The The ease of application allows for spraying in difficult to reach PBO also disguises the pyre t h roids from the John C. Brannen areas insects, preventing them from becoming immune to Organic Solutions the pro d u c t . 8745 Grissom Rd. #197 San Antonio EASE OF APPLICAT I O N TX 78251 The combination of these three particular ingredients is what USA pr ovides Organic Solutions insecticides with such wide appli- cations. The insecticide can be applied in a dry powder form, or mixed with water for a more even coverage. Another key Tel: +1 (210) 688-3779 advantage of the Organic Solutions insecticide is that no Fax: +1 (210) 688-9340 matter where the end-user is in the world, there is a non- ha r mful and effective way to apply the insecticides. E-mail: [email protected] Hand-cranked, hand-pumped, gas, electro-static and Web site: www.organicinsesticide.com electric blowers, misters and dusters are all widely used application equipment, as well as by fixed-wing aircr a f t or helicopters. This wide range of application uses, by commonly found equipment, enable the insecticide to be used by the poorest farmers, as well as in the most technologically advanced countries.

C O N C L U S I O N S Or ganic Solutions Multipurpose Insecticides are effi c a - cious, cost effective, low impact answers to worldwide insect problems. The simplicity of application and low toxicity enable Organic Solutions insecticides to be utilised in the Agricultural, Commercial, Home and Garde n as well as Public Health sectors.

A B O U T T H E A U T H O R John C. Brannen serves as CEO of Organic Solutions Inc. He also s e rves on the Boards of Organic Resources Inc., Org a n i c Insecticide, Inc., Organic Pesticide, Inc., and Global Orga n i c Re s o u r ces, Inc. Prev i o u s l y , he served as President of Brannen’s Inc.

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