Vietnamese scientists are moving ahead with the projects on using insects to kill pests. The very normal living beings like bees, ladybugs, stinkbugs, or dragonflies and houseflies have been used to kill pests to help develop agricultural production.
Habit cures habit
“Don’t make light of any species of organism. All the living being has its reason to survive in the world, and they have close relations in their biological environment,” said Dr Khuat Dang Long, Head of insect ecology division of the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources.
Long, the entomologist who has 30-years experience has been well known for the research works on using natural enemies to kill pests. He said natural enemy insects are divided into two groups, predators and parasitoids.
Using insects to kill pests is the best method for farmers to kill pests. Farmers do not have to spend money on pesticides; do not have to worry about the drug resistance of the pests. As they do not have to use pesticide, they do not fear that the chemical substances would badly affect their health.
Also, Long said, the use of natural enemies can help preserve species, protect native genetic resources and preserve biodiversity.
Killing pests in soil with nematodes
Using useful nematodes to kill pests in agriculture is the new direction that the research works of the Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources is following. The institute is one of the first units in Vietnam which carry out the research works on using the biological method.
According to Dr Nguyen Ngoc Chau, Head of the nematodes division of the institute, among the thousands of varies of nematodes existing in Vietnam, Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) has been found as having both the parasitic and pathogenic capability.
The research work on nematodes has been carried out with the cooperation of Belgian and German scientists. The cooperation with Belgian scientists has helped discovered five new nematodes. Some species of parasitic and predator insects have been bred and multiplied at the scale which allows to kill vegetation pests on some sugar-cane, jute and cotton growing areas.
According to Chau, to date, 70 strains of nematodes have been found as having the functions of biological prevention which is non-toxic to human health, including 10 good strains.
He has also said that to date, six biological products have been made using six strains of local nematodes. The advantages of the biological products from nematodes, is that they are very suitable to the killing of the pests living in the soil, the work that cannot be done by pesticide.
Initial experiments show that the products can kill nearly 30 different pests.
The only problem is that the prices of the biological products remain high, about one million dong per hectare. Meanwhile, farmers would have to pay 750,000 dong per hectare only if they use pesticide.
Ants – the powerful weapon
For the last many generations, farmers in Mekong River Delta have been breeding and using yellow ants in orchards to improve the quality of fruits, well understanding that ants can help drive away pests.
However, recently, the use of pesticide in a large scale has accidentally eliminated the natural enemy.
Dr Nguyen Thi Thu Cuc and her colleagues at the Can Tho University have been following a scientific research on multiplying the useful insect. Farmers have been advised to breed yellow ants not only because they can help drive away pests, but also because ants’ feces can serve as precious organic fertilizer for the orchards.
Cuc recalled that it was very difficult to persuade farmers to breed ants. However, after a lot of exertions, the new method has been utilized in many localities in Mekong Delta, including Tien Giang, Hau Giang, Can Tho and Vinh Long.
