Production of pearl millet in the Sahel region of West Africa is subjected to various constraints, both biotic and abiotic. Of the biotic constraints, the pearl millet ear borer, Heliocheilus albipunctella De Joannis, is rated as the most damaging since the drought of the mid 1970s in the Sahel. In years of heavy infestations, significant yield losses of up to 95% may be observed in pearl millet fields. The Integrated Management of the Pearl millet Ear Borer project (also known as GIMEM from its French acronym) is in its second four-year phase and is implemented in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. Scientists from INERA, IER, INRAN and IITA develop and test technologies of biological control of the ear borer pest using a naturally occurring parasitoid wasp, Habrobracon hebetor Say. Through farmer field schools (FFS), the project trains farmers on integrated management combining the release of the parasitoid wasp to varietal choices, and mineral and organic fertilization. The project team is also working on identifying other potent natural enemies of the pearl millet ear borer, including egg parasitoids of the species Trichogramma. Interest is also on studying the potential use of H. hebetor as a biological control agent of other economically important lepidopteran pests such as the pearl millet stem borer (Coniesta ignefusalis (Hampson) and Maruca on cowpea.
Grant Aims:
Identify areas of heavy infestations of the ear borer in the 3 countries for the diffusion of GIMEM biological control technology in order to reduce infestation levels
Strengthen the pool of technologies of integrated management of the ear borer
Strengthen the capacity of all stakeholders (women and men) in integrated management of the pearl miller ear borer
Outputs and Outcomes:
Refinement and optimization of the biological control agent release technology using locally available jute bags
Methodology of village-based rearing of the parasitoid on its alternate hosts
Training of many hundreds of farmers in the three countries on rearing the parasitoid, making the release bags, and releasing it in the fields
En 2015, la Fondation McKnight a accordé des fonds au Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) pour offrir un développement du leadership aux agriculteurs, aux chercheurs locaux, aux scientifiques, aux praticiens du développement et à d’autres parties prenantes clés du Programme de recherche collaborative sur les cultures, communauté de pratique en Afrique de l’Ouest. La mission […]
Source: Center for Creative Leadership (CCL)
Date: 6/3/2020
Resource Type: Organizational publication or report
In 2015, the McKnight Foundation granted funding to the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) to provide leadership development to farmers, local researchers, scientists, development practitioners, and other key stakeholders of the WAf CoP. The four-year leadership initiative’s mission was to enhance their effectiveness as leaders as well as improve their cross-sectoral collaboration, communication, and decision-making. […]
Source: Center for Creative Leadership (CCL)
Date: 5/27/2020
Resource Type: Organizational publication or report
The McKnight foundation funded $US 798 600 for activities over a four-year period for the former WAf CoP GIMEM project. The new project aims to develop parasitoid industry for controlling the millet head worm (MHW) in the Sahel.
Source: Sustainable large-scale biological control of the Millet Head Worm in the Sahel
Date: 10/20/2015
Resource Type: Organizational publication or report
The Sahel IPM project aims to develop agroecological technologies for reducing insect pest losses and increasing the yields of three rainfed crops (pearl millet, sorghum, and cowpea) in the project target Sahelian agricultural zones. This project, active since 2018, builds on the GIMEM project (2006-2019)