Browsing by Author "Mohamed, S.A."
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Item Detection of the Spotted Wing Drosophila, Drosophila suzukii, in Continental Sub-Saharan Africa(Springer, 2021-01-23) Kwadha, C.A.; Okwaro, L.A.; Kleman, I.; Rehermann, G.; Revadi, S.; Ndlela, S.; Khamis, F.M.; Nderitu, P.W.; Kasina, M.; George, M.K.; Kithusi, G.G.; Mohamed, S.A.; Lattorff, H.M.G.; Becher, P.G.; Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences ; International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology ; Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation ; KEPHIS Headquarters ; Horticultural Crops Directorate (HCD)The spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii Matsumura, is an insect pest of soft-skinned fruit, native to Eastern Asia. Since 2008, a world-wide dispersal of D. suzukii is seen, characterized by the establishment of the pest in many Asian, American and European countries. While the potential for invasion of continental Africa by D. suzukii has been predicted, its presence has only been shown for Morocco in Northern Africa. Knowledge about a possible establishment in other parts of the continent is needed as a basis for pest management. In 2019, we carried out a first survey in three counties in Kenya to monitor for the presence of D. suzukii using traps baited with a blend of apple cider vinegar and red wine. A total of 389 D. suzukii flies were captured in a fruit farm at Nakuru county, with more female flies being trapped than males. We confirmed the morphological identification of D. suzukii using DNA barcoding. In 2020, we performed a follow-up survey at 14 locations in six counties to delimit the distribution of D. suzukii in the main berry growing zones in Kenya. The survey indicated that so far D. suzukii is restricted to Nakuru county where it was initially detected. This is the first study to provide empirical evidence of D. suzukii in continental sub-Saharan Africa, confirming that the pest is expanding its geographic range intercontinentally. Given the high dispersal potential of D. suzukii, a concerted effort to develop management strategies is a necessity for containment of the pest.Item Interactions Between Integrated Pest Management, Pollinator Supplementation, and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index in Pumpkin, Cucurbita Maxima (Cucurbitales: Cucurbitaceae), Production(Oxford University Press, 2023-05-12) Waithaka, N.A.; Kasina, M.; Samita, N.E.; Guantai, M.M.; Omuse, E.R.; Toukem, N.K.; Lattorf, M.G.; Abdel-Rahman, E.M.; Adan, M.; Mohamed, S.A.; Dubois, T.; Kenyatta University ; Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) ; Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) ; International Centre for Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) ; University of Pretoria ; University of NairobiSustainable production of pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima Duchesne) partly relies on integrated pest management (IPM) and pollination services. A farmer-managed field study was carried out in Yatta and Masinga Sub-Counties of Machakos County, Kenya, to determine the effectiveness of a recommended IPM package and its interaction with stingless bee colonies (Hypotrigona sp.) for pollinator supplementation (PS). The IPM package comprised Lynfield traps with cuelure laced with the organophosphate malathion, sprays of Metarhizium anisopliae (Mechnikoff) Sorokin isolate ICIPE 69, the most widely used fungal biopesticide in sub-Saharan Africa, and protein baits incorporating spinosad. Four treatments—IPM, PS, integrated pest and pollinator management (which combined IPM and PS), and control—were replicated 4 times. The experiment was conducted in 600 m2 farms in 2 normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) classes during 2 growing seasons (October 2019–March 2020 and March–July 2020). Fruits showing signs of infestation were incubated for emergence, fruit fly trap catches were counted weekly, and physiologically mature fruits were harvested. There was no effect of IPM, PS, and NDVI on yield across seasons. This study revealed no synergistic effect between IPM and PS in suppressing Tephritid fruit fly population densities and damage. Hypotrigona sp. is not an efficient pollinator of pumpkin. Therefore, we recommend testing other African stingless bees in pumpkin production systems for better pollination services and improved yields.
