THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MYCOINSECTICIDE FOR THE CONTROL OF LOCUSTS AND GRASSHOPPERS

Both national authorities and the donor community require methods of l ocust and grasshopper control that are less insecticide-dependent and more environmentally friendly. The LUBILOSA (LUtte Blologique contre r es LOcustes et les SAuteriaux) programme has identified mycoinsecticid es, based on aerial conidia of fungal entomopathogens such as Metarhiz ium, as the most effective biological control technique discovered to date. High (>90%) insect mortalities have been demonstrated in the fie ld following the application of oil-based formulations with ultra-low volume spraying equipment normally used for acridid control. The mecha nisms of disease transmission in the field are still under investigati on and the programme has helped to initiate a re-evaluation of the tax onomic status of the genus Metarhizium. Effective mycoinsecticides can be produced using relatively unsophisticated equipment although the q uality of commercial products would need to be carefully controlled. M etarhizium has recently been recommended by the Food and Agriculture O rganization (FAO) for use in environmentally sensitive areas, and the programme has now entered an implementation phase.