Pheromone-based mating disruption to control Spodoptera frugiperda in Tanzania: Possibilites and Constraints for smallholders

Abstract: Despite a growing interest in the use of pheromones as a more sustainable form of pest control, their use remains unstudied in the smallholder context. This paper is one of the first to study their use by small scale Tanzanian maize farmers to control the invasive pest Spodoptera frugiperda (known as fall armyworm). Given cost projections for pheromone production predict a drastic reduction in price, it is important to know how these products could be most effectively applied by highly resource constrained farmers. This paper therefore seeks to answer the questions: how effective is pheromone based mating disruption at controlling spodoptera frugiperda and how could it best be used by smallholder maize farmers? In answering this question this study will examine: 1) how well does pheromone based mating disruption work to control FAW 2) what role might pheromone-based mating disruption play in future pest management strategies for smallholders in Tanzania and 3) under what conditions might pheromones be most successfully used? This was done through a field study that tested the effects of a fall armyworm pheromone on maize production and interviewed trial participants about pest management strategies and perceptions of pheromone-based mating disruption. The results of the trial showed a significant reduction in pest numbers and leaf damage amongst plots that received the pheromone. Pheromones were seen as effective and well received by farmers, but affordability and coordination remain challenges for more widespread adoption of their use. In the future, pheromones could replace government subsidised pesticides, as they provide strong and efficient protection against fall armyworm and help to reduce the negative effects of excessive insecticide use in Tanzania.