SAFARI: Improving food safety by reducing pesticide residues: developing a pheromone alternative to insecticides for control of thrips on legumes in Kenya

SAFARI is a partnership initiative led by Keele University, UK with icipe and Harper Adams University, UK, supported by UK Aid through the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) project. The focus of SAFARI is to develop novel technologies for the control of bean flower thrips in cowpea and other legumes, as an alternative to insecticides. Across sub Saharan Africa, cowpea, Vigna unguiculata, is a major crop that is cultivated by an estimated 38 million growers, besides being the only source of protein for over 200 million people who cannot afford meat, fish or milk products. Indeed, close to 94% (5.2 million tonnes) of the annual global production of cowpea is harvested in Africa. However, the bean flower thrips (Megalurothrips sjostedti), a key pest of legumes, threaten the production of cowpea in the continent, causing yield losses of 20-100%. To control the pest, many smallholder farmers over-rely on chemical insecticides, compromising the safety of the yield due to unacceptably high levels of pesticide residues. Previous research by icipe, Keele University and Plant Research International, The Netherlands identified special chemicals (pheromones) released by male bean flower thrips, which can attract males and female species of the pest. Field assessments indicated that these pheromones can enhance the ability of traps to capture thrips by over 130%. Such behaviour modifying pheromones can be integrated with other thrips management options, such as biopesticides. For instance, the pheromones can be combined with other plant based attractants to draw thrips away from the crop to a focal point where the pests are then infected with insect pathogenic fungi. In SAFARI, icipe and partners will develop this innovative thrips management strategy, commonly referred to as autodissemination, “lure and infect” or “spot-spray”, primarily for cowpeas, and other similar crops in Kenya. The researchers intend to build capacity for thrips research and provide opportunities for postdoctoral training for African researchers and facilitate scientific exchanges between Kenya and the UK.

Contact persons:

For further information: