Management of the pearl millet head miner through releases of the parasitoid wasp Habrobracon hebetor Say in Niger

Abstract

Millet head miner Heliocheilus albipunctella De Joannis is one of the main insect pests of millet in the Sahel. In 2015 and 2016, a large-scale biological process was initiated with the parasitoid Habrobracon hebetor Say released in five regions of Niger. Regional teams, including farmers’ organizations, were set up for promoting producers’ awareness, identifying infested areas and placing 9177 release bags. The surface covered was estimated to be 1 417 680 ha in 2015 and 1 521 330 ha in 2016, about 21% of the millet cropped area in the regions concerned. Evaluations conducted during two years showed an increase of 168% to 1398% for the parasitism rate on MHM larvae in the villages where parasitoids were released compared to control villages. Survey about farmers’ perception revealed that the operation is beneficial for more than 77% of respondents. They estimated an average 76% larvae mortality rate and a 50% increase in millet yield due to the parasitoid release