Farmer knowledge,attitude and practice on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) pest resistance management strategies in Zimbabwe

Cotton is an important cash crop and a means of survival for Zimbabwe’s smallholder farmers who are located in the semi-arid areas. However, it is plagued by a wide variety of pests. The cotton industry in Zimbabwe came up with sustainable pest management strategies which include within the season rotation of bollworm pesticides, a closed season and acaricide rotation scheme. The land reform programme brought new players in the cotton industry and it was critical to determine their knowledge on the pest management strategies. A survey was conducted to determine farmer knowledge, practice and perception on the resistance management strategy. Responses indicated that both communal and new farmers based their spray on egg counts. Communal farmers knew when to use pyrethroids compared to new farmers. Farmers observed the acaricide rotation scheme although they use some non acaricide pesticides. More than half of the new farmers could not say which acaricides were in the acaricide scheme. The majority of the farmers reported that they adhered to the closed season although field observation revealed otherwise. A significantly higher number of new farmers knew when to slash cotton compared to communal farmers. Knowledge of acaricides was not common among farmers. Use of pyrethroids was not limited to 1 February onwards as stipulated in the cotton pest resistance management strategy. The results suggest the need for training among the cotton farmers especially the new farmers or refresher courses among the communal farmers.     

Tackling diamondback moth Plutella xylostella (L.) resistance: a review on the current research on vegetable integrated pest management in Zimbabwe

The diamondback moth (DBM), Plutella xylostella (L.) is a destructive pest of brassicas globally. Control of the pest is dominated by insecticides. Studies have shown that in some African countries, there is a great reliance on broad spectrum insecticides such as pyrethroids, organophosphates and carbamates, that are applied weekly or twice per week. Use of unregistered insecticides has also been reported. The quality of insecticide application has also been reported to be poor or ineffective. It is therefore not surprising that DBM is fast developing resistance to the major insecticides used against it. Adopting an integrated pest management strategy may be a good arsenal to use against the pest.     

The fruit fly scourge: has Zimbabwe been spared?

We conducted a questionnaire survey to assess fruit growers’ knowledge and practices regarding fruit fly pests and a fruit fly trapping inspection to capture any fruit fly species present at 10 points of 23 wards of Marondera district. Most growers were not aware of the pest, although they had reported that fruits were rotting in orchards. Most growers therefore took no action against fruit flies on their farms. The trapping inspection confirmed that three fruit fly species, Bactrocera, Ceratitis, and Dacus, are already present in Zimbabwe in general and in Marondera district in particular and the Bactrocera species dominates. There is a need for government, through extension agents, and other stakeholders to compile and communicate accurate data on the presence and status of the fruit fly in addition to investing in the continuous monitoring of the pest.     

Are Helicoverpa armigera and Tetranychus spp. populations still susceptible to pesticides? A Zimbabwean study

The African bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner), and the cotton red spider mite, Tetranychus spp., are important pests of cotton in Zimbabwe. A study to assess H. armigera resistance to fenvalerate 20 EC (Cyano (3-phenoxyphenyl) methyl 4-chloro-α-(1-methylethyl)benzene acetate) and Tetranychus spp. resistance to amitraz 20 EC (n’-(2,4-dimethylphenyl)-n-[[(2,4-dimethylphenyl)imino]methyl]-n-) was conducted at the Cotton Research Institute (CRI) during the 2005/06 cotton-growing season. Field populations of H. armigera and Tetranychus spp. were collected from some of Zimbabwe’s major cotton-growing areas of Sanyati, Umguza, Chisumbanje, Chinhoyi and the CRI in Kadoma and exposed to bioassays. The African bollworm leaf disc technique and the red spider mite attached leaf-dipping technique were used to assess responses of the African bollworm and red spider mite to the pesticides. Susceptible laboratory populations served as the standard populations and their responses were compared with those of the field populations. The graphical method and MSTAT-C probit analysis computer program were used to calculate LC₅₀ values. Although the CRI field population, used as a reference population for the registration of H. armigera insecticides, had the highest LC₅₀ value (graphical?=?0.000100000; MSTAT-C?=?0.000088195) compared with all the other field populations, overall log-dose probit bioassays on all field-collected strains of the bollworm showed no resistance to the pyrethroid (RFs?=?0.04–0.54-fold). Tetranychus spp. showed very low levels of resistance (RFs?=?1.26–2.00-fold). Continuous monitoring of major cotton pests, especially H. armigera and Tetranychus spp., from all cotton districts of Zimbabwe is vital for early detection of resistance development.