Presented by Jean Nguya K. Maniania, Sevgan Subramanian and Sunday Ekesi at the Regional Experts Workshop on Development, Regulation and Use of Bio-pesticides in East Africa, Nairobi, Kenya, 22–23 May 2014

1. Achievements and ongoing work on biopesticides at
ICIPE—Some examples and lessons learnt
Jean Nguya K. Maniania, Sevgan Subramanian and Sunday Ekesi
Regional Experts Workshop on Development, Regulation and Use of Bio-
pesticides in East Africa, Nairobi, Kenya, 22–23 May 2014

2. Presentation outline
 Arthropods: challenges to food security and development
 Control strategies
 Microbial insecticide initiatives in Africa
 Microbial biopesticides registered in Kenya
 Biopesticides development at icipe
 Partnership with private sector
 Challenges
 SWOT analysis
 Acknowledgements

3. Arthropod pests: challenges to food security and
development
Thrips: F. occidentalis, T. tabaci, M.
sdojesti
Fruitflies: Ceratitis capitata, C. cosyra,
Bactrocera dorsalis
Termites: Macrotermes, Microtermes,
Odontotermes
Spider mites: Tetranychus evansi, T.
urticae
Cassava green mite: Mononychellus
tanajoa

4. Diamondback moth: Plutella xylostella
African bollworm: Helicoverpa armigera
African armyworm: Spodoptea exempta
Desert and migratory locust: Schistocerca
gregaria and Locusta migratoria capito
Arthropod pests: challenges to food security and
development (Cont.)

5. Disease vectors: challenges to food security and
development
Tsetse flies
Mosquitoes
Ticks

6. 0
10
20
30
40
50
60
53 57 65 67 68 74 78 80 81 82 83 85 86 88
Year
No.pesticides
DBM resistance to pesticides (Georghiou, 1991)
 Export restriction due to MRLs
 Chemical residues
Control strategies

7. Drawbacks
 Resistance to synthetic chemical pesticides
 Toxicity to users, consumers and non-target
organisms
 Chemical residues
 Export restriction

8. Insect pathogens: alternatives!
Virus Bacillus
thuringiensis
Nematode Fungi
Protozoa

9. Microbial initiatives in Africa
Pathogen Host insect Crop/habitat Country
Beauveria
bassiana
Acridids
Chilo partellus
Cereals, vegetals
Maize
Cape Verde, Mali
Kenya
B. brongniartii Cockchafer Sugarcane Reunion
Metarhizium sp.
Acridids Cereals, vegetation W. Africa, Sudan, S. Africa
Tsetse Vegetation Kenya
Termites Maize, trees Kenya, Benin, Uganda
Thrips Horticulture, cowpea,
onion
Kenya, Benin, Zimbabwe
Fruit flies Mango Kenya
Nuclear
polyhedrosis
virus (NPV)
Agrotis ipsilon,
Chrysodeixes
chalcites,
Heliothis armigera,
Spodoptera exempta
Cotton, sorghum, tomato
Cereals
Egypt,
Zimbabwe
Uganda, Botswana
Kenya, Tanzania
Cherry and Gwynn (2007)

10. Microbial initiatives in Africa (Cont’d)
Pathogen Host insect Crop/habitat Country
Nuclear
polyhedrosis virus
(NPV)
Agrotis ipsilon,
Chrysodeixes
chalcites,
Heliothis
armigera,
Spodoptera
exempta
Cotton, sorghum, tomato
Cereals
Egypt,
Zimbabwe
Uganda, Botswana
Kenya, Tanzania
Granulovirus (GV) Potato moth
Plutella xylostella
Sesamia
calamistis
Potato
Brassica
Maize
Egypt, Tunisia
Kenya
Benin
Oryctes Virus Oryctes
monoceros
Coconut Tanzania
Bacillus
thuringiensis
S. exempta
Filthflies
Cereals
Latrines
Kenya
Kenya, Somali, Ethiopia
Cherry and Gwynn (2007)

11. Why????
 Despite technically successful projects, microbial insecticides have
ever made it to the market place in Africa.
 There are only two products which are commercially available:
■ Beauveria bassiana (BroBand); Bacillus thuringiensis (BeTa Pro),
Paecilomyces lilacinus (PL Gold), Trichoderma fertile (TrichoPlus)
(Becker Underwood, South Africa)
■ Granulovirus (Cryptogran®), River BioScience (Pty), South Africa
■ Metarhizium acridum (Green Muscle)
■ Metarhizium anisopliae isolates and Nuclear Polyhedro virus
recently have recently been registered by The Real IPM and Kenya
Biologics.

12. Active Substance Product Name Target(s) Manufacturer/Registrant
Bacillus Thuringiensis
var. Kurstaki (Btk)
BIOLEP WP Wettable
Powder
Thrips & African bollworm on
French beans.
Bacillus thuringiensis
var kurstaki Strain
DIPEL DF Dry Flowable H. armigera, and Spodoptera
exigua) and leaf rollers on
Carnations and Roses.
Valent Biosciences
Corporation.U.S.A.
Paecilomyces lilacinus BIO-NEMATON 1.15% WP
Wettable Powder
Root knot, cyst and
burrowing nematodes in
Roses; and for the control of
root knot nematodes in
tomatoes and French beans.
T. Stanes and Company
Limited India
Bacillus thuringiensis
var: aizawai sero H7
BACIGUARD 16 WDG Water
dispersible
Caterpillars on Roses Hubei Kangxin Agroindustry
Co Ltd
Bacillus thuringiensis
var israelensis 5-8%
BACTICIDE WP Wettable
Powder
Biolarvicide to control
mosquito larvae in breeding
sites.
Biotech International Ltd.
Bacillus Thuringiensis
var. Kurstaki (Btk) 9 x
BIOLEP WP Wettable
Powder
thrips & African bollworm on
French beans.
Biotech International Ltd.,
India.
Bacillus thuringiensis
var kurstaki Strain
ABTS-351, 54%
DIPEL DF
Dry Flowable
H. armigera, Spodoptera
exigua) and leaf rollers on
Carnations and Roses.
Valent Biosciences
Corporation.U.S.A.
Microbial biopesticides registered in Kenya
Pest Control Products Board, 2014

13. Active Substance Product Name Target(s) Manufacturer/Registrant
Beauveria bassiana
Strain GHA 1.15%w/w
BIO-POWER 1.15WP
Wettable Powder
Aphids & DBM on cabbages T. Stanes and Company Ltd
Beauveria bassiana
strain GHA 11.3% w/
BOTANIGARD ES
Emulsifiable suspension
Thrips, aphids and whiteflies)
on French beans and snow
peas.
Laverlam International
Metarhizium anisopliae
ICIPE 78 ACHIEVE
Aqueous solution
Spider mites Real IPM Company (K) Ltd,
Thika
Trichoderma asperellum REAL Trichoderma Granule Nematicide for the control of
Root knot nematodes
(Melogyne spp) in French
beans
Real IPM Company (K) Ltd,
Thika
Bacillus subtilis BS-01
1x1010
REAL BACILLUS SUBTILIS fungicide for the control of
Powdery Mildew on Roses.
Real IPM Company (K) Ltd,
Thika
Helicoverpa armigera
SNPV 8% w/w
2x99 polyhedra
HELITEC SC
Suspension Concentrate
H. armigera on Tomatoes. Kenya Biologics Ltd.
Microbial biopesticides registered in Kenya (Cont’d)
Pest Control Products Board, 2014

15. 0
5
10
15
20
25
0 DAT 7 DAT 14 DAT 21 DAT
No.thrips/20cuttings
Control Metarhizium Insecticide
0
5
10
15
20
25
0 DAT 7 DAT 14 DAT 21 DAT
No.thrips/20cuttings
Control Metarhizium Insecticide
Efficacy of three applications of M. anisopliae ICIPE 69 and insecticide on the no. of
Frankliniella occidentalis /20 cuttings on chrysanthemum in screenhouse
AdultsLarvae
Maniania et al. (2001) Mycopathologia )

16. 0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
1 week 2 weeks 3 weeks 4 weeks 5 weeks
Numberofmites/cm2
Week after treatment
Con 1
Con 2
Con 3
Fun 1
Fun 2
Acar
Efficacy of ICIPE 78 on T. urticae on bean leaves
Con 1=untreated control; Con 2= water + Silwet-L77; Con 3: water + Oil +
Silwet-L77; Fun 1= fungus in water; Fun2= fungus in emulsifiable
formulation; Acar=acaricide (abamectin).
Bugeme et al. (2014), Insect Science

17. Participatory suppression trials with mango growers at Nthagaiya (Kenya)
M. anisopliae ICIPE 69: component of fruit fly IPM
0
5
10
15
20
25
Flies/trap/day
Mazoferm+Biopesticide Mazoferm
Biopesticide Control
1.8
3.7
4.1
8.8
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Flies/trap/day
Maz+Biop Maz Biop Control
Treatments evaluated
1. Mazoferm+biopesticide
2. Mazoferm alone
3. Biopesticide alone
4. Control
Average
catches over
season
Ekesi et al. (2011), BCST

18. Intervention impact - fruit infestation
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Mazoferm +
Biopesticide
Mazoferm Biopesticide Control
Fruitinfested(%)
Ekesi et al. (2011), BCST

19. Establishment of Pilot Commercial Processing Plant For Food Bait Production
for the Management of Fruit Flies in Kenya
■ Under registration
■ Registered
Partnership with private sector

20. International Centre of Insect Physiology and
Ecology (icipe)
icipe’s Duduville Headquarters
Partnership with private sector

21.  Funding: short-life funded projects
catering only for isolation, screening
and field trials.
 Lack of commitment from the industry
to take over the development of
microbial products.
 Target crops and farmers:
■ Low-value of the crops such
as maize, cassava, millet, etc.
■ Resource poor farmers who
cannot afford to purchase the
product.
 Lack of awareness on the existence
of microbial insecticides.
 Government extensionists not
trained in microbial pesticide use but
training and experience with
chemical insecticides.
 Expectations of chemical-like action.
 Lack of availability of microbial
insecticides.
Constraints Education
Challenges and opportunities

22.  Lack of biopesticide regulatory framework.
 Biopesticide registration is submitted to the same regulation as chemical
pesticides.
 Registration by country may represent a big constraint to microbial
insecticides development. by country may represent a big constraint to
microbial insecticides development.
Regulation
Challenges and opportunities

23. Regulations governing biopesticide use

24. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats
analysis (SWOT)
 Environmentally benin
 Safe to non-target organisms
 Compatible with IPM
 Generally slow to develop
resistance
Strengths
 Global demand for chemical-free
products
 Insecticide resistance management
 Local production/small companies
 IPM programmes
 Large diversity of biocontrol agents
Opportunities
Treatment No. coccinelid beetles
Pre-spray Post-spray
Control 2.3 3.5
Metarhizium 2.3 3.5
Insecticide 3.8 0
Maniania et al. (2003),
Crop Prot.
Gelernter et al. (1999), IPM Review

25.  Slow speed of kill
 Short persistence
 Highly specific
 High cost
 Small market
 Some must be produced in vivo
Weaknesses
 Increased regulation
 New chemicals
 Expectations of chemical-like action.
 Non availability to users
Threats
Gelernter et al. (1999), IPM Review

26. Diachasmimorpha longicaudata
Addressing issues of high costs and persistence
Autodissemination devices: Use of host chemical characteristics to disseminate
entomopathogens by attracting them to a device

27. Acknowledgements
Dr. P. Nana
Dr. F. Nchu
Dr. S. Niassy
Dr. S. Dimbi
Dr. V. Wekesa
Mr. D. Mfuti
Prof. D. Bugeme