Fall armyworm (FAW) was reported for the first time in Africa in 2016. FAW is widely distributed in Ethiopia, causing significant damage to maize. Nine synthetic insecticides belonging to different chemical groups and 11 pesticidal plants (botanicals) were tested for their efficacy against FAW under laboratory, greenhouse, and field conditions. In the laboratory, Radiant, Tracer, Karate, and Ampligo caused over 90% larval mortality 72 h after application. Malathion had moderate activity, causing 51.7% mortality 72 h after application, while Carbaryl was less effective, causing 28% mortality 72 h after application. In the greenhouse experiment, all synthetic insecticides reduced foliar damage to maize compared to the untreated control. Chemical sprays did not affect plant height, stem thickness, or leaf number. The highest fresh weight (471 g) was obtained from plants treated with Radiant. Among the botanicals tested, Azadirachta indica, Schinnus molle, and Phytolacca dodecandra resulted in the highest percentage larval mortality (>95%) 72 h after application. In the field, non-treated control plants showed extensive leaf injury compared to the synthetic insecticide- and botanical-treated plants. The synthetic insecticides and botanicals that showed high efficacy against FAW larvae can be used as components for integrated pest management (IPM) plans for FAW under smallholder farmer conditions in Ethiopia and elsewhere in Africa.

The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda, threatens maize production in Africa. A survey was conducted to determine the distribution of FAW and its natural enemies and damage severity in Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania in 2017 and 2018. A total of 287 smallholder maize farms (holding smaller than 2 hectares of land) were randomly selected and surveyed. FAW is widely distributed in the three countries and the percent of infested maize fields ranged from 33% to 100% in Ethiopia, 93% to 100% in Tanzania and 100% in Kenya in 2017, whereas they ranged from 80% to 100% and 82.2% to 100% in Ethiopia and Kenya, respectively, in 2018. The percent of FAW infestation of plants in the surveyed fields ranged from 5% to 100%. In 2017, the leaf damage score of the average of the fields ranged from 1.8 to 7 (9 = highest level of damage), while 2018, it ranged from 1.9 to 6.8. In 2017, five different species of parasitoids were recovered from FAW eggs and larvae. Cotesia icipe (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) was the main parasitoid recorded in Ethiopia, with a percent parasitism rate of 37.6%. Chelonus curvimaculatus Cameron (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) was the only egg-larval parasitoid recorded in Kenya and had a 4.8% parasitism rate. In 2018, six species of egg and larval parasitoids were recovered with C. icipe being the dominant larval parasitoid, with percentage parasitism ranging from 16% to 42% in the three surveyed countries. In Kenya, Telenomus remus (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) was the dominant egg parasitoid, causing up to 69.3% egg parasitism as compared to only 4% by C. curvimaculatus. Although FAW has rapidly spread throughout these three countries, we were encouraged to see a reasonable level of biological control in place. Augmentative biological control can be implemented to suppress FAW in East Africa.

Occurrence of the tomato leaf miner, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) in Ethiopia was confirmed following heavy infestation of tomato, Solanum lycopersicum L., in the Central Rift Valley (CRV) region of Ethiopia in February 2013. The pest wiped out tomato plantations, causing 100 % crop loss for some producers. This was despite the use of a variety of insecticides locally available to manage other vegetable insect pests. In this study, 10 insecticides from different insecticide classes including pyrethroids, organophosphates, spinosyns, insect growth regulators and diamides were screened for their efficacy against T. absoluta using a randomized complete block design with two different planting dates in 2013. The mean fruit infestation in the untreated control plot ranged between 54 and 76 %. In plots treated with diamide insecticides (chlorantraniliprole) fruit infestation was significantly lower with 2–6 % fruit damage followed by spinosyns (spinetoram and spinosad) with 30–35 % damage....

Two field experiments were conducted in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia in the hot and cool dry seasons of 2016/2017 with the objective to develop an insecticide resistance management program on thrips infesting onion. The first experiment dealt with the evaluation of four different insecticides namely profenofos, λ–cyhalothrin, imidacloprid, and spinetoram in different sequences on thrips population and their effect on yield. The second experiment examined the effect of admixing the surfactant organosilicone with imidacloprid, spinetoram and dimethoate. A Randomized Complete Block Design with three replications was used for both experiments. Data on number of thrips, bulb yield and economic returns were collected. The insecticide imidacloprid and spinetoram resulted in fewer numbers of thrips and higher yields than profenofos and λ –cyhalothrin. Application of the more effective insecticides when the thrips population was high followed by less effective insecticides resulted in better control and higher economic return. Surfactant added insecticides gave a fewer numbers of thrips and higher yields than the corresponding insecticides applied without surfactant. The sequential application of spinetoram and imidacloprid with less effective λ-cyhalothrin and profenofos by mixing with adjuvant are recommended for thrips control as an integral component of thrips management in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia.

The careful selection of parasitoids with a track record of success in similar environmental conditions may increase the likelihood of effective biocontrol. Diamondback moth (DBM) population and level of parasitism were assessed for three years prior to the release of Diadegma semiclausum (Hellén) in June 2008. Thereafter, the DBM population and severity of crop damage and the occurrence of D. semiclausum and indigenous DBM parasitoids were monitored by monthly surveys during the main production season of June to December for three years. Before release, DBM numbers fluctuated between 4.2 and 11.2 per plant and parasitism ranged between 6.5 and 24.7%. DBM density declined to 2.8, 0.9 and 0.7 per plant whilst parasitism levels increased successively to 21, 39 and 38% in 2008, 2009 and 2010, respectively. A significant shift in parasitoid guild was observed after D. semiclausum release: it comprised 18.6, 80.3 and 88.6% of total parasitism in the first, second and third year, respectively. The decline of DBM density following the release of the introduced parasitoid and its establishment will ensure production of Brassica spp. without pesticide use against DBM in the affected area.