| You are here ... >Home>Archives>March 2003 |
|
||||||||
Field trials were undertaken against red locust hoppers in Tanzania. No reports of locust activity were received from the other SADC countries and the situation in the region remained calm. Quelea control operations were carried out in Tanzania against 2 colonies and 7 roosts, in South Africa (39 control operations), and against 1 colony and 5 roosts in Botswana. |
||||||||
Zimbabwe. (G Chikwenhere) Outbreaks of the African armyworm were reported from the Manicaland, Mashonaland East, Masvingo and Matabeleland Provinces. The larvae (no stage reported) were found mostly on pasture grasses with densities ranging from 10-300 larvae per square metre, while in maize fields densities of 10-30 per plant were recorded. The damage caused by the pest on pasture grass was very high and in some cases reached 80%, and the armyworm were subsequently invading nearby maize fields for further resources. Spraying equipment and Carbaryl 85% WP was supplied to Provinces. No further reports of armyworm were received from the region. |
||||||||
IRLCO-CSA reports that a large-scale field trial of Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridum (Green Muscle TM) was undertaken (February-March 2003) against red locust hoppers in the Wembere outbreak area of Tanzania. This was a collaborative project between CABI African Region Centre (CABI-ARC, Kenya), CABI Bioscience (UK), and National Plant Health Services (Tanzania), and was funded by the Department for International Development (DFID, UK), and the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), Rome. Two doses of the product were tested. |
||||||||
South Africa. (L Geertsema) Thirty-nine control operations (9 explosion, 30 chemical) were undertaken against roosts and breeding Quelea colonies in the Northern Cape, Free State, Mpumalanga, and Limpopo Provinces near millet, sorghum, manna, wheat, maize, and sunflower crops. Sixteen of these sites were identified as 'traditional' Quelea sites. Four of the breeding colonies were situated in wetland habitat, while the remaining sites were in savannah habitat with thorn, eucalyptus, wattle, and poplar vegetation. The colonies varied in size from 0,5ha to 5ha, with two additional larger colonies of 10 and 13ha where fledglings were present. The roosts varied in size from 0.5ha to 16ha (Koppies). Thirteen of the colonies had either eggs, nestlings or fledglings in the nests. The total area invaded was approximately 156ha with an estimated number of 13 million birds (2,4m at Koppies). The avicide applied was Queletox at application rates between 10-16 l/ha. The estimated kill achieved ranged from 30 - 100%. Non-target bird mortality was recorded at 8 sites: Barn Owl (Tyto alba), Steppe Buzzard (Buteo buteo), Guinea Fowl (Numida meleagris), Grass owl (Tyto capensis), Wattled Starling (Creatophora cinerea), and a few terrestrial bird species. Tanzania. (R Magoma) Seven roosts and two colonies were controlled in Singida and Dodoma. The area invaded was about 61ha, and 35 litres of Fenthion were used to control the birds. (R Magoma). No further reports of Quelea birds in the SADC region were received, and no surveys could be undertaken in Zimbabwe due to fuel shortages. |
||||||||
2. Please note that new symbols have been added to the map. These indicate counties where no monthly report was received, or where surveys were not undertaken. 3. Please remember to inform the ICOSAMP Co-ordinator of any website addresses or forthcoming workshops that may be of relevance to our group. |
||||||||
|
||||||||
Reports can be faxed or emailed to: M Kieser Fax: +27 +12 329 3278 Email: icosamp@ecoport.org OR rietmek@plant2.agric.za |
||||||||
