Natural Enemies and Pest Control in Field-Grown Crop in Southern Senegal

Abstract

Crop pests are a permanent threat to horticultural production. Several control methods are recommended for their control, including biological control. This method based on the use of natural enemies is not well established. The objective of this study was to assess the diversity and abundance of natural enemies of crop pests. A survey of crops associated with pests was carried out on 144 fields in southern Senegal to measure the diversity and abundance of natural enemies of various crop pests, determine the native parasitoid complex and assess parasitism rates. Ecological indices were calculated to assess the diversity of natural enemies. A total of 25 natural enemy species were identified, including 15 parasitoids and 10 predators. Predatory Hemiptera and Parasitoid Hymenoptera were high biodiversity. The parasitism rates vary between 0 and 50% depending on the abundance of pests and parasitoid species. Knowledge of the diversity of natural enemies and the understanding of trophic interactions with pests are important in the development of biological crop protection in order to preserve resilience in agroecosystems.