The IITA
CGIAR
No. 2330
13 –17 June 2016
First report of outbreaks of the “Fall Armyworm” on the African continent
F
ollowing severe armyworm outbreaks in maize fields occurring simultaneously in several countries of West and Central Africa, the fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)—an alien, invasive moth native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas—has been detected for the first time on the African continent.
However, the examination of different larval and adult characters supported the presence of Spodoptera frugiperda as a new armyworm pest in West Africa. At the same time, to align morphological with molecular techniques, larval and adult samples were sent to the Virology and Molecular Diagnostics unit at IITA, Ibadan, for DNA barcode analysis; results confirmed these findings.
First observations on armyworm attacks attributed to caterpillars of the genus Spodoptera were made on maize plants in the rainy forest of South West Nigeria in late January and in IITA maize fields in Ibadan and a farm in Ikenne.
Although the fall armyworm feeds on many kinds of food, with a host range of more than 80 plant species, it prefers to feed on grassy plants, in particular economically important crops such as maize, millet, sorghum, rice, wheat, and sugarcane. Other crops of major agricultural importance attacked by the pest include cowpea, peanut, potato, soybean, and cotton. In Brazil, the third largest maize producer in the world, S. frugiperda is considered the most important pest on this crop causing a damage estimated at more than US$400 million annually. Caterpillars of S. frugiperda seem to be much more damaging to maize than most other African Spodoptera species. They actively feed during the daytime.
Similar complaints were soon made in other countries of the subregion where the caterpillar populations had attained alarming levels later in the season in Benin, northern Nigeria, and also in Sao Tomé according to the FAO subregional office for Central Africa. In Togo, concerns by maize farmers about severe armyworm outbreaks threatening food security in the Kara and Plateau regions were recently brought to the attention of a council of ministers. More recently the Federal Government of Nigeria has raised the alarm on the emergence of armyworm upsurges in maize fields in Edo and some South West states. These reports about concurrent armyworm population build-up in several West African countries support evidence for the emergence of a regional problem. Of the 31 species included worldwide in the genus Spodoptera, seven species were until now known to occur on the African continent and six of these are present in West and Central Africa. Because of similarities in the damage and morphology between common species of the region, assistance for accurate diagnostic was requested from the Biodiversity Center at the IITA station in Bénin. At first glance caterpillars of the new species can be confused with S. exigua (Hübner), the beet armyworm, which is also regularly present together with S. exempta (Walker), the African armyworm, in outbreak areas.
another have amplified the phytosanitary risks of even multiple introductions. Similarly, the rates of quarantine interceptions of fall armyworm caterpillars at European entry points have significantly increased in recent years. As a result, the status of S. frugiperda was reassessed in 2015; it is now ranked as an A1 quarantine pest on the list of the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO). With the fall armyworm’s high spreading performance, large reproductive capacity, and wide host plant range, it is likely that the pest will soon be able to colonize most of tropical Africa. Best-bet practices for the management of the pest include the use of insecticides, host plant resistance, and biological control. Control of the fall armyworm still largely relies on the use of synthetic pesticides. Interventions based on pest incidence thresholds are primarily meant to better protect young plants and the reproductive stages of maize. Therefore monitoring activities together with alternate applications of insecticides such as pyrethroids, carbamates, and organophosphates are recommended as an immediate measure. Early detection is essential, as the application of chemical insecticides is only efficient on young larval stages.
Typical damage of fall armyworm on maize include young, skeletonized leaves and heavily windowed whorls dotted with large amounts of larval excrement. Larger caterpillars can cause extensive defoliation and even act as cutworms by cutting the stem base of young maize plants. The damage can be extensive when caterpillar IITA is preparing guidelines for controlling this dangerous invasive pest, emphasizing populations are dense. monitoring for early detection in the Pathways of the recent accidental introduction field, and alternating the use of synthetic of the pest into West Africa are yet unknown insecticides which have already been tested but increase in international trade volume for their efficacy. and easy air travel from one continent to
(Left) Spodoptera frugiperda detected for the first time on the African continent. (Right) Maize plant ravaged by the invasive moth.
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Full registration for Aflasafe approved Aflasafe SN01, a new biocontrol technology that protects grains from aflatoxin in the field and after harvest, was approved for full registration by Le Comité Sahélien des Pesticides (CSP) of Comité Inter-Etate pour la Lutte contre la Sécheresse au Sahel (CILSS) in its May 2016 meeting. With this registration, Aflasafe SN01 can now be used for aflatoxin control in maize and groundnut in the 12 CILSS member states (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Chad, Côte D’Ivoire, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, and Togo). This provides farmers an effective tool for tackling a menace which poses serious dangers to human health and is inimical to farmers’ livelihoods. However, since only native strains are used in Aflasafe, commercialization of Aflasafe SN01 for the moment will happen only in Senegal and The Gambia. This is the third registration of Aflasafe products in Africa with Aflasafe™ registered in Nigeria in 2014 and Aflasafe KE01™ registered for use in Kenya in 2015. The IITA Business Incubation Platform (BIP) is the registrant of the product. This year, the Société de développement et des fibres textiles (SODEFITEX), an agribusiness enterprise, imported 40 tons
Applying Aflasafe in groundnut field in Senegal.
of Aflasafe SN01 from IITA, Nigeria, for use in Senegal. It also imported 8 tons in 2014 and 16 tons in 2015. The National Food Securrity Processing and Marketing, formerly Gambia Groundnut Corporation, is importing another 20 tons for use in The Gambia. These two companies will provide Aflasafe SN01 at cost to their consituent farmers to make groundnut and maize meet aflatoxin standards. SODEFITEX has expressed the desire to manufacture and distribute Aflasafe SN01 in Senegal to reduce cost of importation. IITA will license the product to SODEFITEX and together with US Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) help set up an aflasafe manufacturing plant as well as assist the company in manufacturing, distribution, and marketing of Aflasafe in Senegal. Aflatoxin has become a huge constraint to groundnut export to the European Union market as in both Senegal and the Gambia contamination is beyond the regulatory limit (4 parts per billion). At the same time liver cancer in relation to aflatoxin contamination in the Senegal peanut basin has become a public health problem that needs to be addressed. “The registration of Aflasafe SN01 by CSP will allow its full use by farmers in both countries, which is the beginning of a solution to the economic and health burdens of aflatoxin contamination in both Senegal and The Gambia,” said Dr Lamine Senghor, Plant Pathologist and Head of the plant pathology laboratory at Direction de la Protection des Végétaux (DPV), Senegal. He leads the Aflasafe program in Senegal and The Gambia with guidance from Aflasafe Project Leader Dr Ranajit Bandyopadhyay. “It is important to note that SODEFITEX, a private company, has agreed to manufacture and distribute Aflasafe SN01.” Aflasafe SN01 reduces aflatoxin contamination in maize and groundnut by more than 80% at harvest, after storage, in oil and in oil cakes. Aflasafe SN01 was
The Aflasafe team in The Gambia celebrating the approval of the Aflasafe registration.
developed by IITA, USDA-ARS, and DPV in partnership with several public and private sector organizations in Senegal and The Gambia. The initial strain selection work was done by Papa Madiallacke Diedhiou of the University of Thiés. Senghor, who has been championing Aflasafe SN01 in Senegal and The Gambia, was instrumental in getting support from the governments, farmers, and industry. He has worked tirelessly on testing the product in thousands of farmers’ fields during the last 5 years. Dr Joseph Atehnkeng, former Aflasafe country manager in Nigeria, now based in Malawi, also helped in the process, with Dr Alejandro Ortega-Beltran, Plant Pathologist, and Engr Lawrence Kaptoge, Aflasafe process engineer, BIP, IITA, Ibadan. The development of Aflasafe SN01 was funded by the USDA-Foreign Agricultural Service, African Agricultural Technology Foundation, International Fund for Agriculture Research, and the CGIAR Research Program on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health. The registration of Aflasafe SN01 paves the way for its unhindered use for the benefit of health and trade in the two countries.
Announcements • Africa RISING ESA project review and planning meeting, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, 30 June -2 July • Africa RISING - NAFAKA scaling project review and planning meeting, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, 4-5 July • 3rd All Africa Horticultural Congress, Theme: “Horticultural for Improved Livelihoods”, Conference Center, IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria, 7-12 August. • 7th International Nitrogen Initiative Conference, Melbourne, Australia, 4–8 December. More details on the conference are available here. IITA Bulletin 2330
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IITA launches Open Access awareness campaign
T
he IITA community, including scientists and research support staff, are reminded once again and encouraged to actively support the Institute’s decision to implement an Open Access policy for research starting this year. Open Access means that IITA’s research publications and data should be available for the world to read, to learn from, and to build upon. This implies the immediate, irrevocable, unrestricted, and free online access by any user worldwide to IITA information products, including photos and videos, and unrestricted reuse of content (which could be restricted to non-commercial use) subject to proper attribution. Launching the Open Access awareness campaign, Valerie Poire, IITA’s Open Access Focal Point, disclosed that a brochure, posters, and guide for authors on Open Access publications have been developed to guide staff. In addition to these, she also noted that staff members must now adopt new practices to aid the Institute’s task of providing free online Open Access to the results of its research.
To facilitate this transition, and help implement the necessary changes, Valerie unveiled the first Open Access brief designed to help Unit and Project Managers familiarize themselves with the changes brought about by the introduction of Open Access best practices. Entitled “Open Access Essentials for Unit/ Project Managers”, the brief addresses the following questions: • Which Open Access policy and regulations should your unit or project comply with (CGIAR, IITA, donors)? • What is an Open Access embargo period (deposit schedule)?
• What are your Open Access responsibilities as Unit or Project Managers? • How does Open Access impact your unit or project? • Which Open Access repositories does IITA use, and who should you contact to deposit your materials? Valerie is preparing information briefs describing how Open Access will impact the professional activities of different categories of staff, along with a series of posters featuring IITA staff who champion Open Access. Before the end of the year, she will also train staff on Open Access.
One of such practices is the development and implementation of a data management plan for new projects. Another is publishing research outputs, data, publications, and information products under Open Access licenses and depositing such in designated Open Access repositories; as well as the need to comply with specific deposit schedules for articles, books, reports, databases, and pictures as the case may be.
What about climate change and coffee production?
A
groundbreaking study in Tanzania has revealed figures quantifying the impact decades of climate change has had on coffee production with increasing night time temperatures shown to be the biggest climatic cause of diminishing coffee yields.
While scientists had long predicted that global production of the Coffea arabica species would suffer from climate change, this study is the first to reveal figures showing that climate change is already affecting C. arabica production with future projections of severe reductions in productivity if adequate agricultural adaption strategies are not put in place. To assess the impact of climate change on C. arabica production in Tanzania, researchers from IITA, the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, Uganda, and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), Colombia analyzed a series of production and climate data for the main C. arabica growing regions in the northern and southern highlands of Tanzania for the years between 1961 and 2012.
Farmer harvests coffee beans.
IITA Bulletin 2330
Monthly temperature and daily rainfall figures for the most important phases in
the development of the coffee plant were analyzed to figure out which climatic factors had the greatest impact on coffee production. The researchers also sought to identify the key points in the development of the coffee plant where the impact of a climatic factor determines yield and productivity. Findings from the study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Forest Meteorology show that increasing night-time (minimum) temperature was the most significant climatic factor determining coffee yield and production. Although increasing trends in average temperature were observed between 1960 and 2010, it was primarily driven by substantial increases in daily minimum temperatures of +0.31 oC/decade. Every 1 oC increase in minimum temperature resulted in a yield loss of -137 ± 16.87 kg/ ha. Rainfall on the other hand, only affected yields when there were more rainy days during the flowering season of the coffee page 3
plant leading to losses of just -1.58 kg/ ha. The observed impact of rain coupled with pronounced increases in minimum temperatures recorded during flowering (+0.35 oC/decade) and ripening (+0.30 oC/ decade) indicate that yields are most strongly influenced by responses to climatic actions during the growing and flowering seasons.
indicates average coffee yields will drop to 244 ± 41 kg/ha and 145 kg/ha by 2030 and 2060, respectively. A more realistic but scarier proposition projected by a nonlinear regression model is the likelihood of yields dropping to 100 kg/ha and below if as is likely, minimum temperatures approach 18oC by 2060.
If these trends continue without proactive adaptation strategies for coffee production, yields are projected to plummet even further as temperatures rise. The model forecast
Given that coffee production supports the livelihoods of more than 2.4 million individuals in Tanzania, and up to 25 million families worldwide, these forecasts have
major livelihood implications, especially for other C. arabica growing countries where minimum temperature trends have followed remarkably similar patterns (e.g., Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, and Kenya). There is an urgent need therefore for stakeholders and decision makers in the public and private sectors to invest in climate change adaptation strategies that will ensure the sustainability of coffee production and guarantee the livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers who depend on it.
IITA organizes Risk Awareness Week
O
n 27 to 29 June, IITA will be hosting Risk Awareness Week across the hubs and stations.
The activity is expected to increase awareness and appreciation among staff of the risks inherent in all IITA-related business processes and inculcate a more nuanced risk management culture in the community. The week, themed “Consider the risk, Improve IITA”, will include awareness seminars, a photo competition, a debate, and an awareness walk, among other activities. The activities are aimed at ensuring the active participation and involvement of all IITA staff. Risk management is a significant and daily concern. In the last four years, IITA
has invested in efforts to identify its global risks, proffering actions that address the risks as well as setting up business continuity plans for various units. Since the Risk Management Committee (RMC) was inaugurated by DG Nteranya Sanginga in October 2012, the Committee has been able to set up RMCs in the four regional hubs, and carried out awareness seminars in the hubs and some stations as well. The awareness week is one of the many strategies IITA is undertaking to ensure that risk remains no longer an abstract concept but a tool for improved business processes and practices.
IITA unveils new state-of-the-art generating set for liquid nitrogen
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new generating set that will guarantee a steady supply of liquid nitrogen for the long- term preservation of clonally propagated crops conserved at IITA’s Genetic Resource Center (GRC) was recently launched. In line with implementing the global conservation strategy of clonal crops, the new liquid nitrogen generator (LNG) for cryobanking will ensure that the Institute continues to maintain world-class standards in the long-term preservation of genetic materials of crops of economic importance to sub-Saharan Africa.
“The LNG is a vital piece of equipment for the cryobank,” said Badara Gueye, responsible for IITA’s in-vitro genebank and cryobank. “It will guarantee a continuous and reliable supply of liquid nitrogen for the cryopreservation of cassava and yam international collections”. The machine works by capturing the nitrogen in the air (around 70%) and concentrating it under high pressure to liquify it at -196°C. It has the capacity to produce 60 liters of liquid nitrogen daily.
The new Liquid Nitrogen Generator (LNG) will ensure continuous supply of liquid nitrogen for cyropreservation.
The liquid nitrogen is then stored in a 200-liter in-built tank, ready for dispatch. Other IITA units such as the Bioscience Center and Virology Unit can also make good use of the liquid nitrogen produced as well as research partners based in Ibadan whose work have been seriously hindered by insufficient, chaotic, and costly liquid nitrogen supply.
The machine was commissioned by Ylva Hillbur, Deputy Director General Research for Development, on 2 June, with the support of Robert Asiedu, Director, IITA Western Africa Hub; Michael Abberton, Head of GRC and deputy director, IITA Western Africa Hub; Eric Danquah, Director of West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement, Ghana; and IITA colleagues.
Got a story to share? Please email it with photos and captions every Wednesday to Katherine Lopez (k.lopez@cgiar.org), Jeffrey T. Oliver (j.oliver@cgiar.org), Catherine Njuguna (c.njuguna@cgiar.org), or Adaobi Umeokoro (a.umeokoro@cgiar.org).
IITA Bulletin 2330
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