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An Updated Review of Research on Heliocheilus albipunctella (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), in Sahelian West Africa

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Relation http://oar.icrisat.org/11293/
https://doi.org/10.1093/jipm/pmz003
10.1093/jipm/pmz003
 
Title An Updated Review of Research on Heliocheilus albipunctella (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), in Sahelian West Africa
 
Creator Gahukar, R T
Ba, M N
 
Subject Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
Pearl Millet
Pest Management
Entomology
African Agriculture
West Africa
 
Description In the Sahelian region of West Africa, pearl millet, which is a major subsistence food crop supporting families’
livelihoods, is regularly attacked by the millet head miner/spike worm, Heliocheilus (=Raghuva) albipunctella de
Joannis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). The pest infestation levels, damage ratings, and yield losses vary within and
among countries because of differences in millet cultivars, the planting period, the onset time and seasonal
distribution of rains, synchronization of moth flight with head development stages, and pest control practices. Egg
laying by moths and the distribution of larval populations are governed by the development stages of millet head
and the soil type. Rainfall patterns affect the distribution of diapaused pupae. The implications of this information
for future pest control strategies are discussed in this review. Control measures including the planting of pest
tolerant/resistant cultivars, the application of chemical pesticides, and the abundance of natural enemies have had
significant impacts on larval mortality but have limited application. In recent years, augmentative releases of the
larval ectoparasitoid, Habrobracon hebetor Say (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), have been tested in a pilot project
in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Senegal. Because of the success of the program and the increasing demand
for parasitoids farmers cooperatives are being engaged in producing parasitoids for the large-scale distribution
of ‘ready-to-use’ bags containing braconids. This would sustain continuous availability and generate profitable
businesses. To achieve this goal, farmers’ economic problems and technical challenges need to be resolved at the
village level, and marketing avenues need to be established.
 
Publisher Entomological Society of America
 
Date 2019
 
Type Article
PeerReviewed
 
Format application/pdf
 
Language en
 
Identifier http://oar.icrisat.org/11293/1/gahukar2019.pdf
Gahukar, R T and Ba, M N (2019) An Updated Review of Research on Heliocheilus albipunctella (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), in Sahelian West Africa. Journal of Integrated Pest Management (TSI), 10 (1). pp. 1-9. ISSN 2155-7470