The black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae): Trapping and culturing of wild colonies in Ghana

The larvae of the black soldier fly (BSF), Hermetia illucens L. (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), are promising candidates to be utilized in alternative organic waste management and for fish and livestock feed production. The scalability of this technology in Ghana will depend on a steady source of large numbers of BSF larvae. The objectives of this study were to identify the most attractive organic manure dumps or heaps in the study area for trapping wild BSF egg clutches and assess the effect of local environmental conditions on the trapping and laboratory rearing of BSF. The study compared the number of egg clutch trapped at different microhabitats including piggery, chicken and sheep waste dumps and on a compost heap. The piggery dump waste was the most suitable site for trapping BSF egg clutches. No egg clutch was deposited nearby poultry and sheep waste microhabitats. Results showed no differences in temperature between microhabitats during egg trapping but relative humidity differed between poultry, sheep and compost, however this did not have any effect on egg clutch trapping. No significant differences in temperature and humidity were observed during larval rearing. Significant differences in weight and length of larvae from both piggery and compost sites were observed on days 5 and 10 after egg hatch. A small scale laboratory colony rearing has been successfully established in Ghana. The design of the larval breeding system appears to be suitable for respective up-scaling that could provide sufficient larval quantities for composting organic waste and producing feed components for livestock and fish

Diplodia natalensis, Pole Evans: a causal agent of citrus gummosis disease in Ghana

Isolations were made from the barks of gummosis-infected citrus trees from orchards of the University of Ghana Agricultural Research Station at Kade. The isolation media used were 1.5% water agar, 1.5% water agar + nystatin and 1.5% water agar + benomyl. Four isolates including Diplodia natalensis Pole Evans, Fusarium solani Appel + Wr. and two other unidentified fungi were obtained. When the isolates were tested for pathogenicity, only D. natalensis induced the disease symptoms in the inoculated seedlings. This result strongly suggests that D. natalensis is one of the pathogens causing citrus gummosis disease in Ghana. JOURNAL OF THE GHANA SCIENCE ASSOCIATION Volume 1 Number 2, January (1999) pp. 15-2

Effect of N-enriched co-compost on transpiration efficiency and wateruse efficiency of maize (Zea mays L.) under controlled irrigation

A B S T R A C T Population growth, urban expansion and economic development are increasing competition for water use between agriculture and other users. In addition, the high rate of soil degradation and declining soil moisture in the Sub-Saharan African Region have called for several crop production management and irrigation options to improve soil fertility, reduce water use by crops and produce 'more crops per drop of water'. Notwithstanding this, considerable variations exist in the literature on water-use efficiency, WUE cwu (economic yield per water used) for maize (Zea mays L.) across climates and soil management practices. Different views have been expressed on the effect of different rates of nitrogen (N) application on transpiration efficiency, TE (biomass produced per unit of water transpired). The objectives of the study were to assess the effect of different rates of N-enriched municipal waste co-compost and its derivatives on TE, WUE cwu and yield of maize (Z. mays L.) in comparison to inorganic fertiliser. The greenhouse pot experiment was conducted in Accra, Ghana on a sandy loam soil (Ferric Lixisol) using a split plot design. The main plot treatments were soil (S), dewatered faecal sludge (DFS), municipal solid waste compost (C), co-compost from municipal solid waste and dewatered faecal sludge (Co), compost enriched with (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 (EC), co-compost enriched with (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 (ECO), (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 and NPK15-15-15 + (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 . The sub-plot treatments were different rates of application of nitrogen fertiliser applied at the rate of 91, 150 and 210 kg N ha À1 respectively. Maize cv. Abelehii was grown in a poly bag filled with 15 kg soil. Eight plants per treatment were selected randomly and used for the collection of data on growth parameters forth-nightly. At physiological maturity two plants per treatment were also selected randomly from each treatment plot for yield data. The results showed that TE of maize (Z. mays) varied for the different treatments and these are 6.9 Pa in soil (S) alone to 8.6 Pa in ECO. Increase in N application rate increased TE at the vegetative phase for fast nutrient releasing fertilisers (DFS, ECO, EC, NPK + (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 , (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 ) and at the reproductive phase for slow nutrient releasing fertilisers (C and CO). Water-use efficiency increased significantly as rate of N application increased. Treatment ECO improved crop WUE cwu and was 11% and 4 times higher than that for NPK + (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 or soil alone; and 18-36% higher than those for DFS and CO. Treatment ECO used less amount of water to produce dry matter yield (DMY) and grain yield (GY) that was 5.2% and 12.6%, respectively, higher than NPK + (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 . Similarly, the DMY and GY for ECO was 8.9-18.5% and 23.4-34.7%, respectively, higher than DFS and CO. High nutrient (N and K) uptake, TE, and low leaf senescence accounts for 83% of the variations in DMY whereas WUE cwu accounts for 99% of the variations in GY. Thus, the study concluded that different sources of fertiliser increased TE and WUE cwu of maize differently as N application rate increases.

Growth promoting properties and yield effects of aqueous neem seed extract, biobit and karate on local garden eggs (Solanum integrifolium L.) in the field

Field experiments were conducted at Ekoso in the Eastern Region of Ghana, to investigate the effect of Aqueous Neem Seed Extract (ANSE) on vegetative growth and yield of the local garden eggs Solanum integlifolium L. The extract was applied at the rate of 75 g of seed powder per liter of water (22.5 kg / ha) and compared with a standard insecticide, Karate (2.5 EC) and registered Bacillus thuringiensis Berl. (Biobit) preparations applied at 2.5 ml/L (800 ml/ha) and 0.8 g/L (0.24 kg/ha), respectively. The effects of the treatments on whole plant biomass, flower production, number of major branches, number of functional leaves, plant height, plant girth, number of fruits per plant, fruit weight and yield were determined. The ANSE at 75 g/L significantly (p 0.05) influence on vegetative growth of the crop. Fruit yield per plant differed significantly (p < 0.05) among the treatments. All the three products produced higher yields than the control plots with the Karate treated plants producing significantly (p < 0.05) the highest fruit yield. Plants treated with neem seed extract produced higher fruit yield, fruit weight and flower production than those sprayed with Biobit although the difference was not significant. (Journal of the Ghana Science Association: 2001 3(3): 136-144

Managing infestation levels of major insect pests of garden eggs (Solanum integrifolium L.) with aqueousneem seed extracts

Performance of Aqueous Neem Seed Extract (ANSE) at 75 g/L of water (22.5 kg/ha) was evaluated on Legon I variety of local garden egg in the field. The effect of ANSE was compared with a registered Bacillus thuringiensis Berl. (Biobit), a synthetic insecticide (Karate 2.5 EC) and an untreated control (water only). Karate and Biobit were applied at rate of 2.5 ml/L (800 ml/ha) and 0.8 g/L (0.24 kg/ha), respectively. The effect of each treatment on insect abundance, defoliators, shoot, bud and fruit borers were determined. Water traps were used to monitor the effect of the three products on the abundance of insect fauna associated with crop. Insects from seven major orders (Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Odonata, Orthoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera and Hymenoptera) were found associated with the local garden egg. The major insect pests of the crop included the shoot and fruit borer, Leucinodes orbonalis (Guen.), which attacked the shoots and fruits, the bud borer (budworm) Scrobipalpa blapsigona (Meyrick), which oviposited into the buds and the feeding activities of the larvae, led to the abortion of buds, Pachnoda cordata (Drury) which scraped and chewed stem and shoot and defoliators comprising Acraea peneleos peneleos (Ward.), Acraea pharsalus pharsalus (Ward.), Zonocerus variegatus L., Eulioptera sp., Urentius hystericellus (Richter) and Phaneroptera nana (Stal.). Karate and ANSE significantly (p 0.05) on plots treated with ANSE and Biobit than Karate. This suggests that neem seed extract and Biobit had little or no systemic action against shoot and bud borers of the crop in the field. Significantly fewer (p < 0.05) numbers of predators mainly ants and ladybird beetles were collected from plants treated with Karate compared to either ANSE- or Biobit- treated plots. This indicates that Karate had adverse effects on beneficial insects in the garden egg ecosystem. Karate and ANSE also significantly (p < 0.05) reduced percentage fruit damage, number of borers per fruit and the activities of leaf feeders. Although ANSE could not effectively control the shoot and bud borers as Karate, it performed better in reducing borer damage than either Biobit or control. With proper timing and innovative methods of application, aqueous neem seed extract can be used as alternative or supplement to synthetic insecticide for the management of vegetable pests of local garden eggs by resource poor farmers. (Journal of the Ghana Science Association: 2001 3(3): 70-84

Development of Black Soldier Fly, Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) in Selected Organic Market Waste Fractions in Accra, Ghana

Aims: To assess the effect of organic waste and their formulations on the development of the black soldier fly larvae. Study Design: The experiment used one time feeding (lump feeding) of feedstocks obtained from organic market waste fractions and their combinations. The arrangement of composting containers followed a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD), replicated three times. Place and Duration of Study: The study took 3 months and was conducted at the BSF laboratory of the Soil and Environmental Science Research Centre, Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission in Accra, Ghana, West Africa. Methodology: Two hundred and forty (240) hand counted 5 day old BSF larvae were inoculated onto 2 kg each of organic market waste fractions and their combinations in 60 L plastic containers covered with a mesh. Equal quantities of the above feedstock without larvae served as control. The arrangement of the containers followed a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD), replicated three times. Moisture content, larval growth parameters, temperature, relative humidity, prepupal development were recorded. Results: Whiles moisture contents of most of the feedstock decreased gradually over the trial period, that of fruit waste only, fruit waste + corn husk and fruit waste + vegetable waste increased with time and was higher at the end of the trial than at the beginning. Composting temperature in all the feed stocks never reached the thermophilic stage and was between 29 – 38°C. The lowest temperature of 28.88°C was recorded in the mixture of vegetable waste and fruit waste whiles the highest, 37.55°C was recorded in the mixture of corn husk and uncooked food waste compost. Composting humidity ranged between 59 and 87% with significant differences being observed across treatments on days 0, 10, 15, 20 and 25. Larvae reared on a mixture of all the feedstock was significantly the heaviest (176.66 mg). Significant differences were observed in larval length and those fed with a mixture of fruit waste and uncooked food waste were the longest (17.66 mm). A highly significant number of eclosed adults, number of females and the number of egg clutches were observed among treatments. Conclusions: Vegetable waste only, fruit waste only and a combination of vegetable waste + uncooked food waste; fruit waste +uncooked food waste; and a combination of all the wastes were the most preferred organic waste as they produced the optimum larval characteristics. The composting bins should be fitted with an outlet for leachates from the compost to drain out to avoid increase in compost moisture which will create anaerobic conditions that might delay compost maturity