By Sylvester Thompson
A nature-based solution is demonstrating impressive outcomes in supporting farmers in Kenya, Uganda, and South Sudan and sustainably revitalising their papaya (pawpaw) crops affected by papaya mealybug pest.
The papaya mealybug, known scientifically as Paracoccus marginatus, is a devastating pest which is wreaking havoc across East Africa, slashing yields, reducing orchard lifespans, and undermining food security and livelihoods.
Dr Selpha Miller, an Invasive Species Management expert spoke in an interview during a visit to Crop Protection Biological Control Laboratory on Tuesday in Kenya.
She said the solution was a classical biological control strategy for papaya mealybug using the parasitic wasp, Acerophagus papaya, adding that Nigeria was not exempt from the pest.
The visit to the laboratory was a pre-tour of the World Congress of Agricultural Journalists event scheduled to officially take place from Oct. 15 to Oct.18 in Nairobi, Kenya.
According to her, papaya is a very important staple fruit in East Africa that serves as food and cash crop.
She told that the pest originated in Central America but first detected in Africa in 2010, adding that it reached Kenya in 2016 and Uganda in 2021.
She said the victim crop losses of up to 91 per cent was valued at around 2, 223 pounds per hectare annually.
Miller said that Kenya, in partnership with CABI, a centennial non-profit organisation, began using the parasitic wasp, parasitoid to control pests in coastal and inland areas.
She said when every other method failed, parasitoid became the most effective method to use in controlling invasive pests.
“Mass release of the parasitoid commenced from December 2021, and, so far, 1,822,625 parasitoid individuals have been supplied to 990 farmers in nine countries.
“A total 3679 farmers in all the nine countries have been trained and sensitised about papaya mealybug control using Acerophagus papaya parasitoid.
“The project has also built capacity of 260 extension officers and 29 crop inspectors in the countries on papaya mealybug biocontrol,’’ she said.
The CABI scientist said the parasitoid has successfully established in the coastal region of Kenya, reaching over 70 per cent parasitism.
According to her, in one year, papaya production recovered to production levels before the mealybug invasion.
Miller said that following pesticide withdrawal by participating farmers, a high number of predators and previously absent natural enemies had been observed at release sites.
She said a full socioeconomic assessment of the project was conducted in March following up from a baseline in 2019.
She further said that the results showed the biological intervention increased papaya yields and income by 19, and 57 percent respectively.
Miller, said papaya mealybug threatened not only a key cash crop but also broader food security and biodiversity.
She said that CABI’s coordinated approach of combining science, farmer engagement, gender inclusivityband cross-border collaboration, was proving that sustainable solutions were within reach.
“With Acerophagus papaya establishing itself as a powerful ally, smallholder farmers in Kenya, Uganda, and South Sudan are beginning to turn the tide against one of the region’s most destructive invasive pests,’’ she said.
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