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Weaver ant role in cashew orchards in Vietnam

Peng, Renkang K., Lan, La Pham and Christian, Keith A. (2014). Weaver ant role in cashew orchards in Vietnam. Journal of Economic Entomology,107(4):1330-1338.

Document type: Journal Article
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IRMA ID 75039815xPUB350
Title Weaver ant role in cashew orchards in Vietnam
Author Peng, Renkang K.
Lan, La Pham
Christian, Keith A.
Journal Name Journal of Economic Entomology
Publication Date 2014
Volume Number 107
Issue Number 4
ISSN 0022-0493   (check CDU catalogue open catalogue search in new window)
Scopus ID 2-s2.0-84905750492
Start Page 1330
End Page 1338
Total Pages 9
Place of Publication United States
Publisher Oxford University Press
HERDC Category C1 - Journal Article (DIISR)
Abstract Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) is a very important source of income for more than 200,000 farmer households in Vietnam. The present cashew productivity in Vietnam is low and unstable, and pest damage is partly responsible for this. Cashew farmers rely on pesticides to minimize the damage, resulting in adverse impacts on farm environment and farmers’ health. Weaver ants (Oecophylla spp) are effective biocontrol agents of a range of cashew insect pests in several cashew-growing countries, and these ants are widely distributed in Vietnam. The aim of this study is to evaluate the potential of weaver ants in cashew orchards in Vietnam. Field surveys and field experiment were conducted in five cashew orchards from July 2006 to January 2008 in Binh Phuoc, Dong Nai, and Ba Ria Vung Tau provinces, Vietnam. Based on the field surveys, the most important pests that damage flushing foliar and floral shoots and young cashew fruits and nuts were mosquito bugs, brown shoot borers, blue shoot borers, and fruit-nut borers. The damage caused by each of these pests was significantly lower on trees with weaver ants compared with trees without the ants, showing that the ants were able to keep these pest damages under the control threshold. Regular monitoring of the field experiment showed that weaver ants were similar to insecticides for controlling mosquito bugs, blue shoot borers, fruit-nut borers, leaf rollers, and leaf miners. Aphids did not become major pests in plot with weaver ants. To manage insect pest assemblage in cashew orchards, an integrated pest management using weaver ants as a major component is discussed.
Keywords Oecophylla smaragdina
fruit-nut borer
rcashew insect pest
mosquito
shoot borer
DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.1603/EC14039   (check subscription with CDU E-Gateway service for CDU Staff and Students  check subscription with CDU E-Gateway in new window)
 
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