production of insect-killing nematodes

Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) are tiny beneficial eelworms which occur naturally and live in the soil. They provide natural control of a number of soft-bodied pests in soils, such as cutworms, which are a serious problem for vegetable growers. They can also be used to control thrips, one of the most difficult-to-kill pests (without the use of very strong chemicals).

EPNs are mass produced in other parts of the world in large fermenters, like beer production – but this is expensive. KARI has a low tech production system based on using the body of specially reared larvae of moths to naturally breed thousand of EPNs after they have become infected with the EPNs. The EPNs are not harmful to people or animals.

KARI and Real IPM will together scale up the existing KARI production unit for EPNs to make enough EPNS to use them in large scale field trials to prove efficacy for thrips control in commercial crops. This will ensure that the EPN can be Registered for commercial use by the Pest Control Products Board and growers can legally use them for crop protection. Thrips was chosen as a target pest as EPN products in the EU, UK and US are already commercially successful and Kenyan growers are asking for biological solutions for thrips because the chemical controls do not work well enough and their UK customers are demanding they use less harmful chemicals.

Real IPM will sell the EPNs to their existing customers (rose and vegetable exporters) and when demand exceeds supply KARI and Real IPM will use their successful development programme to seek additional funding in the future, for fermenter-technology to scale up significantly and expand their market. Beer fermenters lie idle in Thika (ex Castle Breweries) with many thousands of litres capacity – which could be converted to EPN Production. The Brewery has already indicated an interest in the project.

Real IPM and KARI will formally Register the EPN as a commercial bio-pesticide with the Pest Control Products Board (PCPB) to enable it to be used legally by commercial growers.
Real IPM will further develop its IPM scouting guidelines to incorporate thrips levels in crops before it commences to sell EPNs to it’s existing customer base of rose growers, who have a larger gross margin and are able financially to take more risks with new products. The scouting data from commercial growers’ own trained scouts will measure the benefit of the EPNs for thrips control compared to conventional chemical programmes. This will be considered ‘impartial’ and believable by the owners/managers of the farm who are the budget holders for the crop protection financial decisions.

All trials will be under the close technical supervision of the Real IPM Consultants who visit growers once per week in any case to support the sales of Phytoseiulus, predatory mite of spider mites. At the end of the free trial, data will be presented in a graphical format to the owner and farm manger – and growers will decide if the control was as effective as the chemicals.

The cost of the product will take into account the cost and efficacy of alternatives as well as the unique nature of the control method which is also combined with field technical support. There are no commercial competitors selling EPNs currently in Kenya. The partnership would have a unique product.

EPNs are a biological control to which it is not possible for thrips to become resistant to, whereas chemicals are becoming less effective because of pest resistance to chemical pesticides. Our product is intimately associated with good quality technical support. The Kenya Flower Council growers would earn more ‘points’ in the certification scheme if they used this type of product instead of chemicals.

Dr Waturu is an entomologist specializing in entomopathogenic nematodes at Masters and PhD level. He has worked as a cotton entomologist for more than 23 years and is currently heading research for introduction of Bt cotton in Kenya and also heading the horticultural research programme in KARI Thika. Significant Appointments include;
1. Assistant Agricultural Officer II on 21st October 1981. Ministry of Agriculture.
2. Agricultural Officer II on 7th November 1984. Ministry of Agriculture.
3. Research Officer I on 14th December 1991. Kenya Agricultural Research Institute.
4. Senior Research Officer on 15th October 1999. Kenya Agricultural Research Institute.
5. Centre Director-National Fibre Research Centre-Mwea from 15th January 1999 to 6th November 2003. The centre had a workforce of 50 research and support staff and was mandated with national obligation for research on fibre crops.
6. Centre Director-National Horticultural Research Centre from 7th November 2003 to date. The Centre has a workforce of 197 research and support staff. The Research programmes mandate covers all horticultural crops including vegetables, fruits, flowers and macadamia nuts.
Louise has more than 20 years experience in commercial biological control production as well as much experience in the development of novel biological solutions to crop pest and disease control. Dr Henry Wainwright was Professor of horticulture at Writtle College in the UK, the largest agricultural college, before coming to work in Kenya in 2000 with Louise. Together they have undertaken successful bio-prospecting for local beneficial insects and microbes and set up commercial production of these for growers to use. They mass rear million of predatory mites every week for sale to commercial flower, fruit and vegetable growers in Kenya.

This private public partnership would be the first of its kind in Kenya and would break the mould of continuous funding of research for no significant measurable output. By providing a commercially Registered crop protection agent for the control of thrips, the researchers will be able to measure direct benefit.

There is increasing pressure on growers, particularly those who export to the UK, to reduce reliance on pesticides. There are no alternatives to pesticides for the control of thrips, currently available in Kenya. The provision of EPNs for thrips control would serve a need for flower fruit and vegetable growers alike, since most of the Registered chemicals come from the organo-phosphate group of pesticides which have a negative effect on the environment and spray operators.

Success with this EPN product would replace many harmful pesticides and lead the rest of the East African horticultural industry by example.