A FEASIBILITY STUDY AND COST PERFORMANCE FOR INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION OF TRICHOGRAMMA SSP. IN EGYPT

Abstract

Biological control of phytophagous insects by mass release of egg parasitoids has become more practical in recent years. Trichogrammatides and other egg parasitoids are generally part of the local ecosystem and often contribute to control certain lepidopterous pests in the absence of disruptive pesticides. The wide use of Trichogrammatides is mostly due to the easy mass production technique of these parasitoids on numerous hosts which are mainly the lepidopterous insect-pests of stored products, such as Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier), Ephestia kuehniella Zeller and Corcyra cephalonica (Stainton). Eggs of the Mediterranean flour moth, E. kuehniella Zell. are widely utilized as substitution host or prey for rearing different parasitoids and predators. The economical production of great amounts of high quality eggs of E. kuehniella is therefore one of the basic requirements of many rearing systems. Consequently, quality control of E. kuehniella is a part of the complete control system in mass production. The main finding indicated that, the cost of production per 1000 parasitoid (one card) is 0.5 LE. Moreover, the capital recovery period after one year estimated 95% .