International whitefly experts at AVRDC Eastern and Southern Africa
Participants visit Arusha, Tanzania: the front line in the battle against whitefly
The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the Mikocheni Agricultural Research Institute (MARI) hosted the International Whitefly Symposium in Arusha, Tanzania from 15-19 February 2016. During the symposium, more than 200 international experts discussed ways to control whitefly (Bemisia tabaci), an agricultural pest that causes serious damage to many crops. AVRDC Entomologist Never Mwambela was among the researchers, academics, students and private sector representatives from all around the world that attended the event.
Tiny whiteflies carry and spread debilitating plant viruses in the tropics and subtropics. Economic losses from whitefly infestations are estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Whitefly control is difficult and complex, as whiteflies rapidly gain resistance to chemical pesticides.
Tiny but troublesome: Whitefly spread plant viruses and cause devastating crop losses in the tropics and subtropics.
Bemisia tabaci transmits several damaging viruses to tomato in Tanzania. So symposium organizers decided to bring participants directly to the front lines of the battle: The campus of AVRDC Eastern and Southern Africa, where tomato and other vegetable crops are evaluated for resistance to pests and diseases.
More than 100 symposium participants from 23 countries spent half a day at the campus in Arusha, where Homegarden Scaling Project Manager Ralph Roothaert provided an extensive overview of the Center’s research and development activities in the region. The visitors toured the seedling production unit, learned about postharvest technologies, and received a comprehensive overview of integrated pest management research at the office. Training and Outreach Coordinator Hassan Mndiga used the opportunity to show the international participants the diversity of traditional African vegetables in the demonstration garden. The delegates also toured commercial vegetable onion farms, a tomato greenhouse, a bean field and a pepper greenhouse in the area.
Story and photos: Nadine Kwazi and Rhiannon O’Sullivan
PhD student Shilla Oshingi explains spider plant breeding activities to visitors in the seedling screenhouse.
AVRDC staff Roseline Marealle (left) and Ngoni Nenguwo discuss the use of wooden crates for transporting tomato.
Scouting the farm fields.
