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Scientists discover a mite that could control coconut Pest

  1. Posted on Monday 31 May 2010 - 11:52
    Maina
    Image of Maina
    COCCONUT PEST
    BY MAINA WARURU
    Scientists at the International Institute of Research in tropical Agriculture (IITA) have found a biological method of controlling the coconut mite that is baled for losses of up to 60 %of coconut crop across Africa.

    The scientists say that they will soon begin introducing the a predatory mite called Neoseiulus baraki (NB)native to coconut fields in Africa on trial basis to asses effectiveness in controlling the Aceria guerreronis Keifer (AGK) an invasive and destructive mite that has led to huge losses of incomes and food to millions of farmers .

    The breakthrough comes after 4 years of search for a natural enemy of the mite in the tropical belts of South America the original ecology of AGK mite , which has over the years multiplied in African fields for lack of a natural enemy to tame it’s spread.

    IITA biological control specialist Rachid Hanna said in a statement that the new pest (NB mite), will also be released on experimental basis in Asia as other methods are sought to compliment the new discovery .

    Under the project conducted jointly with the university of Amsterdam in Netherlands and national agriculture research bodies in various Africa countries, field trials will be conducted in Benin and Tanzania and Sri Lanka in Asia mainly to gauge the effectiveness of NB mite , before it is widely released in target regions.

    In Tanzania alone IITA says some 8 million people directly depend on coconut for their livelihoods with the country having an estimated 25 million plants, growing on shores of lake Victoria, Tanganyika and Nyasa .

    The plant is a source of both food and building material. It also widely used in making animal feed and furniture besides serving as a source of wood fuel. Commercially coconut is used in cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries rightly earning it’s popular name “the tree of life”.

    The mite control project is funded by WORO the science division of Netherlands Organization of Scientific Research which supports scientific research on development .
    Story link;http://www.iita.org/cms/details/news_details.aspx?articleid=3533&zoneid=81
    Ends.

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