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ARC’s Solutions to Integrated Pest Management Strategies in support of Eco-Friendly Farming Practices - 21 April 2008

The Agricultural Research Council (ARC) through its Plant Protection Research Institute (ARC-PPRI) is mandated to address plant protection issues that cut across commodities, affecting crops; impacting on all provinces of South Africa and many other African countries.

Research is directed at commercial and resource-poor farmers to address current and anticipated threats. The five units namely; Biosystematics, Insect Ecology, Pesticide Science, Plant Pathology and Microbiology and Weeds Research of the ARC-PPRI address integrated pest management strategies.

The Biosystematics unit of the institute houses the South African National Collections of Arachnids, Fungi, Insects and Nematodes. These collections are amongst the most comprehensive biological reference resources of their kind in Africa, containing several million documented specimens and a wealth of associated taxonomic, biological and bio-geographical information on agricultural and environmentally important arthropods, arachnids, plant-parasitic nematodes and fungi.

These national assets form a unique public good facility that conducts research on a wide variety of harmful and beneficial organisms in addition to providing an extensive range of biosystematics and biodiversity services and products in support of agriculture and natural resource management in southern Africa & further afield.

Research on the ecology of insect pests of important food crops, such as maize and vegetable crops is undertaken by the Insect Ecology unit. The repeated application of insecticides to control pests may cause human health and environmental pollution problems, as well as the development of insecticide resistance. The ARC aims to develop biological control strategies for ubiquitous pests, such as cereal stem borers, diamondback moth and African bollworm and the use of natural enemies as environmentally sustainable alternatives to insecticide application.

There exists a long history of research on the South African native honeybee species, especially in combating the threats posed by various pests and diseases to the beekeeping industry, as well as successfully training previously disadvantaged communities in the art of beekeeping as a means to alleviate poverty.

The impact of pesticides on the environment, the efficacy of pesticides due for registration, the use of suitable pesticide application methods, the analysis of environmental pesticide residues and the control of pests of stored grain and oil seed are research activities undertaken by the Pesticide Science unit. Several projects are specifically targeting developing agriculture, especially involving the correct management of pesticides.

The Plant Pathology and Microbiology unit of the ARC provides diagnostic services and undertakes specialist research on fungal, bacterial and viral plant pathogens affecting crops. These include soil and seed-borne diseases such. The exploitation of beneficial microorganisms in commercial and developing agriculture is promoted; including edible mushrooms and symbiotic nitrogen-fixing root nodule bacteria of legumes.

Invasive alien plants pose a major threat to the South African natural agricultural resources such as pastures, soil and water as well as biodiversity. Both terrestrial and aquatic weeds are targeted and, where possible, biological control agents are tested and released against alien plants when they are still at an early stage of invasion. Where necessary, the integrated strategies are developed to complement biological control. The Weeds Research unit has developed alternative control strategies where biological control is not feasible. The Southern Africa Plant Invader Atlas Project (SAPIA) gathers and processes geographical information on plant invasions.

The ARC has the expertise to address agricultural and environmental concerns, through research aimed at promoting economic and environmentally-acceptable pest management strategies and undertakes technology transfer and development to provide various services to the public and the state in support of its statutory obligations.

CONTACTS:

Biosystematics
Dr Gerhard Prinsloo
Tel: +27 12 304 9560

Pesticide Science
Dr ERIC Sandmann
Tel: +27 12 808 8000

Plant Pathology and Microbiology
Dr Isabel Rong
Tel: +27 12 808 8000

Weeds Research and Insect Ecology
Dr Roger Price
Tel: +27 12 356 9800

E-mail: infoppri@arc.agric.za
Web: www.arc.agric.za