779UTXCD

2298

6 janvier 2021 16:24

6 janvier 2021 16:24

Pollination by bees and other animals significantly increase both crop yields and quality. Bees also support the transfer of bio-control agents for suppression of crop pests and diseases through biovectoring technology that has not been applied in Africa. Two farms were set up to test the ability of managed bees to disseminate Trichoderma harzianum to control Botrytis cinerea, on strawberries. At on-station farm, three treatments (bee-vectoring inoculum, spraying and control) with 4 replicates each were set up; while on-farm, normal farmer practices were employed. A nuclear beehive fitted with a twoway dispenser was loaded with two grams of T. harzianum inoculum. Fifteen bees and flowers from each treatment were picked and cultured in the laboratory. Fruits and flowers infected with B. cinerea were recorded, while healthy fruits were counted, weighed and equatorial and polar diameter determined. Each bee carried 22.4±4.9×102 colony -forming units of T. harzianum. Flowers from the sprayed treatment had significantly higher Colony-Forming Unit’s F (3,140), (P˂0.05) than the beevectored treatment. Grey mold disease levels on fruits were significantly lower (P˃0.05) in sprayed, beevectored and control treatment than in farmer’s practice treatment. Fruits from spray treatment weighed significantly higher than those from control treatment F (3,2122), (P˂ 0.05). The number of seeds, equatorial and polar diameter per berry were significantly higher (F=3, 2122, P˂0.05) in farmer’s practice treatment. Managed bees proved effective in vectoring T. harzianum but, sufficient Colony-Forming units had to be delivered for effective control of the disease.

None

• AB - Utile à l'AB
• FREDO lutte
• FREDO santé végétale
• FREDO technologie et innovation
• GEO Kenya
• abeille
• bio-vectoring technology
• biocontrol agent
• grey mold
• managed bee
• pollination
• strawberry

Afr. J. Agric. Res.

7

10/2020

1 octobre 2020