AFSTA-Cairo; Feb 28, 2018 Fall Armyworm in Africa: Challenge to the Maize Seed Industry and the Farmers B.M.Prasanna Director, CIMMYT Global Maize Program & CGIAR Research Program MAIZE Email: b.m.prasanna@cgiar.org 1
The Pest (Spodoptera frugiperda) Wide host range (>80 plant species) but with major preference for maize Short life cycle: 1-2 months (depending on weather) Rapid proliferation (>1000 eggs per female) Strong migratory capacity of moths: 500 km before oviposition; with suitable wind >1000 km
Rapid Spread of Fall Armyworm in Africa December 2017
Estimated Value of Annual Maize Yield Loss
Estimated likely current and predicted yield loss (combined) and economic impact to maize from FAW over 2017-2018 season, Sub-Saharan Africa Crop Total Prod. (M tons) no FAW Production loss/at risk (M tons) Estimated loss/risk (M US$) Maize 67.0 13.5 3,058 Sorghum 25.5 1.9 827 Rice 17.1 9.6 6,699 Sugarcane 90.1 46.0 2,799 Total 13,383 Abrahams et al. 2017 (CABI Evidence Note) Possible Impacts Food security and livelihoods in SSA Regional and International trade (FAW is a quarantine pest in Europe) Environmental pollution Pesticide resistance
Fall Armyworm damage in maize seed production fields, Chimoio, Mozambique, 2017
The Response Source: Ernst Neering
The Response
FAW Management FAW native for several decades in North and S. America and reasonably managed. Ecological and economic contexts quite different, but lessons to be learnt. Sustainable management of FAW needs a multi-stakeholder approach Farmers need immediate advice, tools, resources, risk management & conducive environment to sustainably manage FAW.
The FAW IPM Guide for Africa released on Jan 31, 2018! IPM Framework Monitoring, surveillance and scouting Pesticide harzard and risk management, and compatibility with IPM Host plant resistance Biological control and biorational pesticides Cultural control and sustainable agro-ecological management
Regional Training Workshops on FAW Management In Partnership with Global Research & Development Partners 11
Eastern Africa (Nov 13-15, 2017) In Partnership with Global Research & Development Partners 12
Regional Training Workshop on FAW Management -- West Africa (Cotonou, Benin; Feb 13-15, 2018)
Synthetic Pesticides Can be effective but environmental impact can be quite high.. Variable efficacy to synthetic pesticides has been reported by NPPOs in Africa so far Reports of farmers trying various concoctions!! FAW populations acquired resistance to some chemicals in the USA and Brazil. Syngenta s seed treatment solution for maize (with systemic insecticide), reportedly offering protection for 3-4 weeks of early crop growth, can potentially provide a huge opportunity for FAW management if scaled and deployed quickly in affected countries
Known effective Parasitoids of FAW in the Americas Parasitoid: Telenomus remus Nixon (Hym.: Platygastridae) FAW co-evolved parasitoid ToT regional meeting Cotonou, 13 rd -15 t Feb 2018 Effectiveness: Reported to be highly effective in several south American countries with parasitism rates above 80% depending information sources Parasitoid: Chelonus insularis Cresson (Hym.: Braconidae) FAW co-evolved parasitoid Effectiveness: Most common among FAW parasitoids in the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. Photos: top: after A de Sene Pinto; bottom: BIOUG10893-F06
ToT regional meeting Cotonou, 13 rd -15 t Feb 2018 Known effective Parasitoids of FAW in the Americas Parasitoid: Cotesia marginiventris (Cresson) (Hym.: Braconidae) FAW co-evolved parasitoid Effectiveness: Less sensitive in sprayed environments, subtropical and warm temperate areas, attracted to host volatiles, can persist at low population densities on alternate hosts, better competitor than Chelonus insularis Photos: top: after A de Sene Pinto; bottom: BIOUG10893-F06
Conventionally-derived Resistance to FAW CIMMYT, during the 1980s and 1990s, developed an array of populations as well as elite inbred lines (>60 CMLs) with resistance to FAW, derived mainly from the Caribbean maize germplasm. FAW-resistant populations developed at CIMMYT Pop. 304 Pop. 392 Pop. FAW-CGA Pop. FAW-Tuxpeno Pop. FAW-Non-Tuxpeno
Putative sources of native trait resistance to FAW
Germplasm Rating based on Foliar Damage by FAW
Germplasm Rating based on Foliar Damage by FAW
Germplasm Rating based on Ear Damage by FAW
FAW pressure in CIMMYT experimental field at Mbeere, Kenya
CML444 Several elite CIMMYT-derived drought-tolerant lines are highly susceptible to FAW attack. Need for rapid conversion of the FAW-susceptible lines into resistant versions..
Susceptible Screening of CIMMYT maize inbred lines under FAW infestation in Kakamega Resistant Susceptible Resistant Susceptible (CML444) Resistant Susceptible Resistant
Screening of maize inbred lines under FAW infestation in Kiboko Susceptible Resistant
CML574 FAW-susceptible inbred line CIMMYT s lowland tropical inbred lines with resistance to FAW
Screening of maize lines under FAW natural infestation at Kiboko (2017) CML444 (Susceptible) CKDHL164288 (Putative Resistant) CKDHL164282 (Susceptible) CKDHL166062 (Putative Resistant) developed from MBR population
Accelerated Breeding for MLN Resistance KALRO-CIMMYT MLN Screning Facility at Naivasha (Kenya) > 122,000 diverse germplasm entries (206,000 rows) screened against MLN under artificial inoculation at the Naivasha facility since Sept 2013. Of these, 61% from CIMMYT, 18% from NARS, and 21% from the private sector.
CIMMYT-derived MLN-tolerant elite maize hybrids S. No. CIMMYT-derived MLN-tolerant Hybrids Year of Release Country Status 1 Bazooka (UH5354) 2 H12ML 2013 Kenya 3 H13ML 2014 KE 4 Meru HB607 2014 Tanzania 2013 Uganda Being commercialized by NASECO Certified seed to be produced and commercialized by KSC in 2017 Bulking breeder seed in progress by KSC, following Kenya s regulations Certified seed expected to be produced by Meru Agro in 2017 5 WE5135 2017 KE Recommended for release (KALRO) 6 WE5136 2017 KE Recommended for release (KALRO) 7 WE5138 2017 KE Recommended for release (KALRO) 8 WE5139 2017 KE Recommended for release (KALRO) 9 WE5140 2017 KE Recommended for release (KALRO) 10 WE5135 TZ; UG NPT2 11 WE5136 TZ; UG NPT2 12 WE5139 TZ; UG NPT2 13 WE5141 TZ; UG NPT2 14 WE6108 KE, TZ, UG NPT2 15 WE6109 KE NPT2 16 WE6110 KE NPT2 17 WE6111 KE NPT2 18 KATEH15-01 KE NPT1 19 KATEH15-02 KE NPT1 20 KATEH15-03 KE NPT1 9 hybrids already released in MLN-affected KE, TZ and UG within 5 years, and 11 more in pipeline for release! 450 tons of certified seed of MLN-tolerant produced and delivered by seed company partners to farmers in 2017.
2 nd generation MLN-resistant hybrid released in 2017 1 st generation MLN-tolerant hybrid) released in 2015 MLN-susceptible commercial check
CIMMYTs MLN-resistant hybrid Commercial check
Bt Maize against FAW a proven technology! Several different cry genes are available e.g., cry1a, cry1ab, and cry1f and have been deployed in commercial Bt maize varieties globally for over 20 years. Bt also produces another class of lepidopteran-specific proteins termed Vegetative Insecticidal Proteins (VIP). These VIPs are encoded by vip genes, the most notable of which is the vip3a gene used to confer FAW resistance. Numerous GM maize hybrids, including various combinations of cry and vip genes, are commercially available in Brazil and North America, where over 80% of the total maize production area is cultivated with Bt maize.
Bt Maize in Africa In Africa, Bt maize is currently commercially available only in South Africa, where regulatory authorities have overseen multiple approvals, with more than 15 years of deployment of such products. Two GM products are available that provide protection against FAW: MON810 event intended to control stem borer but also confers partial resistance to FAW; cultivated in South Africa since 1997. MON89034 event demonstrated efficacy for control of both FAW and stem borer; cultivated in South Africa since 2010. MON89034 is particularly recommended for FAW control due to its high efficacy against the pest, as well as anticipated durability of control over time due to its incorporation of stacked or pyramided insect-resistance traits.
In Conclusion The pest is unfortunately likely to stay for a long time in Africa due to highly conducive conditions.. Providing the farming communities with the right knowledge of the pest, and when/when not, and how to apply various interventions (especially chemical pesticides) is indeed URGENT. We do NOT know everything about the pest and the control measures, especially those relevant for the African context requires intensive research over the next few years Possible to still move forward with some best-bet technologies/management practices, as R4D evolves..