Building integrated pest management capacity in Iraq initially concentrating on control of jasmine whitefly in the citrus/date system of central Iraq

HORT/2004/010: Building integrated pest management capacity in Iraq initially concentrating on control of jasmine whitefly in the citrus/date system of central Iraq

Iraq

CSIRO Entomology, Australia

Dr Paul De Barro
Phone: 07 3214 2811
Fax: 07 3214 2885
Email: Paul.DeBarro@csiro.au

• Ministry of Agriculture, Iraq

$488,129

01/01/2005 - 30/06/2006

01/07/2006 - 12/05/2007

Mr Les Baxter

Citrus and dates are intercropped, primarily in the central governates of Iraq. Approximately 2.2 million people in these areas derive some income from citrus and or date cropping. In this system citrus trees are grown as an understorey to date palm plantations, making the management of one very likely to impact on the other. Pests are a major problem of both crops, with insecticide spraying being the main management method. Jasmine whitefly is the number one pest of citrus but, unlike most other crop and horticulture pests, lacks an effective control regime. The citrus system experiences losses of up to 100 kg per tree, reducing yields to around 30 per cent of what should be possible. In part this is because of impacts on citrus from the control regime for the leading pest of dates, dobas bug, which reduces date yields by up to a third. The lack of effective control for jasmine whitefly has seen the issue prioritised as one of high importance by the Iraq Ministry of Agriculture.
Dobas bugs are controlled through aerial pesticide spraying. This presents several problems, not least to farmers living nearby. The spraying does not kill jasmine whitefly but kills its natural enemies. Dobas bugs also pollute the canopy of citrus trees leading to a mould developing that further reduces growth and yield. The total estimated losses to both citrus and date cropping is around A$100 million a year. Integrated pest management, utilising the latest research and aimed at controlling both whitefly and dobas bug, should substantially boost production.

The project aimed to develop a strategic framework with complementary implementation skills for the control of insect pests within the citrus/date production system, as part of a National Strategy Plan for the management of jasmine whitefly in citrus.

The collaborators, comprising relevant stakeholders from Iraq and Australia, developed a national strategy plan for Iraq, in conjunction with Iraq's National Jasmine Whitefly Committee, during a one-week workshop (in Australia). The National Strategy Plan for jasmine whitefly also provided a process for developing a framework/blueprint for other plans for pests of national importance.
Prior to the workshop a pre-workshop study tour was organised for Iraqi scientists to familiarise them with the main advances in IPM over the past two decades. As well the workshop helped to find the knowledge/skill gaps in Iraq. The participants' expectations led to the identification of further objectives, which were to: focus on applied and practical aspects rather than theoretical; assess the possibility of using Australian parasites and predators; develop professional relationships to mutual benefit through the free exchange of ideas and sharing of knowledge and expertise.
As a result suitable scientists were identified to undertake hands-on experience and training in Australia. The nominated scientists later visited Australia to undertake training and were placed with IPM managers in Queensland, beginning with a one-week orientation at CSIRO Brisbane.
The IPM training focused on citrus and horticulture and took place over a period of four months. Training included field monitoring, grow-out and distribution of control organisms (natural predators of pests), farmer participation and strategic pesticide use. The scientists were prepared for taking the lead in implementing the National Strategy Plan and training fellow Iraqi scientists.

The strategic plan for 'The management of Jasmine Whitefly and Dubas Bug in the date palm citrus complex of central Iraq' was submitted to ACIAR and AusAID, who forwarded it to the Iraqi Government in October 2005. The Iraqi Government accepted the strategic plan in January 2006, and five Iraqi scientists trained for four months in Australia from Sept 2006 to Jan 2007. Three scientists spent four months located with DPI&F working on active IPM projects. These were: Sub-tropical fruit production systems (strawberry and citrus) on the North Coast and Burnett Regions of SE Qld; Vegetable production systems (sweet corn, brassica vegetables, green beans and lettuce) Gatton Research Station - Lockyer Valley, SE Qld; broad-acre production systems (cotton and grains) - Darling Downs, South Qld). A further two worked with CSIRO Entomology in Brisbane as part of the silverleaf whitefly biocontrol program.
The three scientists based with DPI&F were given the opportunity to interact with farmers, consultants, other research and extension scientists and technical staff. They learnt the necessary components of IPM programs, including implementation, and how to analyse a cropping system to understand pest problems in a broader sense, taking into account a crop's phenological cycles so that pest management options can be more closely targeted. These three trainees increased their knowledge, and build their understanding of the principles and practice of IPM. In so doing they have built a core of expertise that can be transferred to the cropping systems and pest management issues in Iraq.
The CSIRO trainees were given the opportunity to work closely with the scientist and technical members of the whitefly biocontrol team. They learnt not only the skills involved in managing large numbers of insect cultures and data handling and management, but also the logistics and planning necessary as part of large field experimentation.
The outcomes and achievements of the broader objectives in terms of the implementation of successful IPM in the citrus/date system will depend on how well the plan is adopted by the Iraqi government. This will require considerable future discussion, planning and development.