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Fallet, Patrick

Nom
Fallet, Patrick
Affiliation principale
Fonction
Doctorant
Email
patrick.fallet@unine.ch
Identifiants
https://libra.unine.ch/handle/123456789/1152
_
0000-0002-1252-611X

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  • Publication
    Accès libre
    Entomopathogenic nematodes as an effective and sustainable alternative to control the fall armyworm in Africa
    (2024-04-16)
    Fallet, Patrick 
    ;
    Didace Bazagwira
    ;
    Livio Ruzzante
    ;
    Geraldine Ingabire
    ;
    Sacha Levivier
    ;
    Bustos Segura, Carlos 
    ;
    Joelle Kajuga
    ;
    Stefan Toepfer
    ;
    Turlings, Ted 
    ;
    Joann Whalen
    The recent invasion of the fall armyworm (FAW), a voracious pest, into Africa and Asia has resulted in unprecedented increases in insecticide applications, especially in maize cultivation. The health and environmental hazards posed by these chemicals have prompted a call for alternative control practices. Entomopathogenic nematodes are highly lethal to the FAWs, but their application aboveground has been challenging. In this study, we report on season-long field trials with an innocuous biodegradable gel made from carboxymethyl cellulose containing local nematodes that we specifically developed to target the FAW. In several Rwandan maize fields with distinct climatic conditions and natural infestation rates, we compared armyworm presence and damage in control plots and plots that were treated with either our nematode gel formulation, a commercial liquid nematode formulation, or the commonly used contact insecticide cypermethrin. The treatments were applied to the whorl of each plant, which was repeated three to four times, at 2-week intervals, starting when the plants were still seedlings. Although all three treatments reduced leaf damage, only the gel formulation decreased caterpillar infestation by about 50% and yielded an additional ton of maize per hectare compared with untreated plots. Importantly, we believe that the use of nematodes can be cost-effective, since we used nematode doses across the whole season that were at least 3-fold lower than their normal application against belowground pests. The overall results imply that precisely formulated and easy-to-apply nematodes can be a highly effective, affordable, and sustainable alternative to insecticides for FAW control.
  • Publication
    Accès libre
    Laboratory and field trials reveal the potential of a gel formulation of entomopathogenic nematodes for the biological control of fall armyworm caterpillars (Spodoptera frugiperda)
    (2022-12-1)
    Fallet, Patrick 
    ;
    Bazagwira, Didace
    ;
    Guenat, Julie Morgane
    ;
    Bustos Segura, Carlos 
    ;
    Karangwa, Patrick
    ;
    Mukundwa, Ishimwe Primitive
    ;
    Kajuga, Joellee
    ;
    Degen, Thomas 
    ;
    Toepfer, Stefan
    ;
    Turlings, Ted 
    The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda Smith (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) can cause tremendous yield losses in maize. Its invasion into Africa and Asia has dramatically increased the use of insecticides in maize agro-ecosystems. Safe, effective and readily available alternatives are urgently needed. Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) represent a promising and sustainable option to control fall armyworm caterpillars on maize. Commonly used against soil insect pests, EPN can also be applied to control above-ground pests if formulated appropriately. We explored the possibility to control FAW by incorporating the EPN species Steinernema carpocapsae into protective formulations that can be easily applied into the whorl of maize plants, where the caterpillars mostly feed. We tested this approach in laboratory cage experiments as well as in field trials. In the laboratory, treating maize plants with a low dose of S. carpocapsae (3000 infective juveniles per plant) formulated in a carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) gel caused 100% mortality of FAW caterpillars and substantially reduced plant damage, whereas EPN applied in water or a surfactant-polymer-formulation (SPF) caused 72% and 94% mortality, respectively. Under field conditions, one-time treatments with S. carpocapsae applied in water, SPF or CMC decreased plant damage, but only the EPN-gel formulation significantly reduced FAW infestation. As compared to control, about 40% fewer caterpillars were found on plants treated with EPN formulated in the gel. Notably, the EPN-gel formulation was as effective as a standard dose of cypermethrin, a pyrethroid insecticide commonly used against FAW, in reducing FAW infestation. Repeated applications may be needed to reduce re-infestations by FAW across a whole cropping season depending on the local maize phenology and pest dynamics. These findings demonstrate that EPN, when properly formulated, are excellent candidates for the biological control of FAW, and can be a safe and sustainable alternative to synthetic insecticides.