Collaboration on Insect Management for Brassicas in Asia and Africa (CIMBAA)
A new global initiative for insect management for vegetables in India and beyond
Developing countries strongly need improvements in their pest management practices in vegetable production. Therefore the economic, health and environmental benefits of insect resistant vegetables could be high. CIMBAA is a new global initiative to combine private and public sector expertise in the development of a genetically modified pest-protected cabbage and cauliflower with Integrated Pest Management systems in India and beyond.
Important food crops
Brassica crops, like cabbage, cauliflower, kale, mustard, are important food-plants in developing countries. In India for example cabbage and cauliflower are grown by more than 20 million small-holder farmers, over 250,000 ha, or more than 10 percent of the total area devoted to vegetable production.
Devastating pest problems
Cabbage and cauliflower in farmers' fields across Asia and Africa are devastated by insect pests and particularly by Diamondback moth caterpillar infestations, in spite of extensive applications of insecticides, often every second day, with 12-24 applications normal in one three-month season. This poses a significant economic problem for the farmers. Losses of cabbage and cauliflower due to caterpillars of Diamondback moth and other pests, are extremely high: 90 percent without the use of insecticides and up to 35 percent with use of insecticides. Diamondback moth has developed resistance to almost all insecticides. In consequence, the escalating use of relatively ineffective insecticides poses serious health risks to farmers as well as to consumers and the environment.
A Sustainable approach to pest control
A collaborative initiative between development oriented, science-based, public partners and an international vegetable seed company aims to develop a sustainable solution to the management of Diamondback moth and other caterpillar pests in cabbage and cauliflower in India and beyond. The aim of this project is to break the circle of insecticide use and insecticide resistance of the Diamondback moth. As a result, the production costs for these crops in the concerned countries and food security would be significantly improved. We expect that this will assist in reducing poverty and will remove a significant public health burden from excessive sprayed insecticides. A big step towards sustainability.
Sustainable protection
The partnership focuses on shared benefits for the farmer, the consumer, the environment and the company. We are developing cabbage and cauliflower varieties with consistent protection from key caterpillar pests, using insecticidal proteins produced from two different soil bacterial (Bt) genes. The caterpillar pests have not been widely exposed to these two proteins before and background research has shown that they cannot readily develop resistance to both toxins simultaneously. Closely linking the two Bt genes before inserting them into the plants should prevent accidental separation by breeders which could lead to produce single Bt gene plants. The insect-resistant plants will be introduced within a full Integrated Pest Management programme (including the promotion of the use of natural enemies of the pests, and cultural, as well as technology-based practices), maximizing their profitability, effectiveness and long-term sustainability.
Local and global partnership
The partners have agreed upon the following important points:
• The participation of local stakeholders, including leading national scientists, from India, other Asian countries and Africa is establishing the most promising way forward.
• The public partners are working to address social and environmental issues and to guide the private company in the responsible development and testing of locally appropriate cabbages and cauliflower varieties containing the genes.
• At the time of registration of the plants, the public sector will take ownership of the developed material and make it widely available, free of restrictive technology fees, to breeders and growers in the developing countries in which it is registered.
• Public sector donors are being asked to participate in the costs of the public sector inputs and to support the passage of the material through the world's best regulatory structures.
• The improved plant material will be a major, but not exclusive, component of the management of key caterpillar pests and the partners want to ensure that its use is integrated into appropriate and sustainable integrated pest management strategies.
A partnership with one aim to bring a sustainable solution to an unsustainable situation
CIMBAA partners:
AVRDC, the World Vegetable Center - Taiwan
CESAR, University of Melbourne - Australia
Cornell University - USA
Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich - UK
Nunhems BV - The Netherlands
Further information may be obtained from this web site or by e-mailing: info@CIMBAA.org
