Field Guide of Discovery-based Exercises for - Aseanipm ...

Section 4 • Integrated Insect and Rodent Pests Management
Exercise No. 4.12 150
VILLAGE-TYPE MASS-PRODUCTION AND USE OF
TRICHOGRAMMA FOR MANAGING LEPIDOPTEROUS
INSECT PESTS OF ORGANICALLY-GROWN VEGETABLES
BaCKGroUND aND raTIoNalE 151
Trichogramma are very small parasitic wasps (0.1 to 0.5 mm
long), which attack eggs of lepidopterous insect pests. T.
evanescens Westwood was proven to be effective against
corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis (Guenee) while T. chilonis
Ishii against tomato fruit worm, Helicoverpa armigera
Hubner. These species are also effective against eggs of
corn earworm and semi-looper, tomato fruit worm, cotton
bollworm, sugarcane borers, eggplant shoot and fruit borer,
cacao pod borer, soybean leaf folder and other lepidopterous insect pests. These are mass-produced
in laboratory on eggs of rice moth, Corcyra cephalonica Stn., a storage pest which in turn is
being mass-produced in rice bran-rice germ mixture (4:1). Trichogramma cards are packed in
plastic sheet and released into fields against target lepidopterous insect pests.
Despite effectiveness of Trichogramma, pest population remains high due to lack of synchronization
in field releases of Trichogramma and population peak of pest. There are times when a farmer is
in desperate need of Trichogramma but parasitoid is unavailable. If done properly, field releases of
Trichogramma is economical, environment-friendly and can be established in agro-ecosystem. The
field releases of T. evanescens against corn borer and tomato fruit worm at a rate of about 50-70
Trichogramma cards per hectare (2 releases) costs only about PhP800 (US$20). This is much cheaper
than 3 sprayings with synthetic insecticides that costs about PhP2,200 (US$55).
These practical and worthwhile innovations can be shared and enriched by farmers and facilitators
in FFSs to improve pest management practices through participatory, discovery-based, and
experiential learning approaches, hence this exercise. While use of Trichogramma as a biological
control agent against lepidopterous insect pests is an essential topic in any regular season-long
FFS session, village-type Trichogramma mass-production is more applicable and sustainable when
introduced as a follow-up activity of regular FFS farmer-graduates.
150 Guevara, R.C. and D.P. Callo, Jr. 2005. Village-type Trichogramma mass-production and utilization livelihood project: Bayawan City’s Local Government
Unit (LGU) experience. Paper presented during a Workshop on Integrated Production and Pest Management in Processing Tomato: Issues and Prospects
held on July 2005 at Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, Philippines. 22p.
151 Gonzales, P.G., E.P. Cadapan, and P.A. Javier. 2005. Utilization of Trichogramma parasitoids in the Philippines. Paper presented during a Workshop on
Integrated Production and Pest Management in Processing Tomato: Issues and Prospects held on July 2005 at Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, Philippines. 16p.
221
when is this exercise most
appropriate?
ɶ In FFS, TOT, and VST
sessions, as follow-up or
integral part of topic on
‘Biological Control of
Insect Pests’; and
ɶ When farmers want to
learn some innovative
ways of village-type
mass-production and
use of Trichogramma to
manage lepidopterous
pests of organicallygrown
vegetables.