palm weevil larvae farming

4th International Conference on Biotechnology Applications in Agriculture (ICBAA), Benha University, Moshtohor and Hurghada, 4-7 April 2018, Egypt Bio-Pesticides and Biological Control, 509-518 509 Rearing of the red palm weevil, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier) on different natural diets. El-Zoghby, I.R.M. 2018). Gabe travels to Southern Thailand with Dr. Mark Hoddle to learn how to farm palm weevil larvae. Conversely, with the upsurge of indiscriminate activities and By working with researchers and local insect farmers in Thailand, this team has assessed red palm weevil larva farming practices for possible translation to West Africa where palm weevil larva are eaten, but not farmed. How do SAPWs infect your palm trees? We will need financial support and training on how to farm the akokono and how much it will cost to invest in farming … After gaining a foothold on date palm in the Near East during the mid-1980s, it has spread rapidly during the last four decades. Dept., Faculty of Agric. Rhynchophorus phoenicis, common name African Palm Weevil and also locally known as Bedong, is a species of beetles belonging to the family Curculionidae. However, there is a dearth of evidence on its efficacy, and thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of edible insect consumption on the nutritional status of female Wistar albino rats. Shito traditionally contains dried shrimp or fish, which we have substituted for palm weevil larvae. By farming palm weevil grubs, our farmers not only have year-round access to this popular protein source but also have the option to sell a portion of their harvest at local markets for income that may be used to purchase fruits and vegetables, clothing and pay for school fees. Edible insects have emerged as an inexpensive alternative source of protein for reducing the burden of malnutrition worldwide. Known locally as akokono, palm weevil larvae are harvested from felled palm trees, which farmers tap for their sap to make palm wine or the popular home-brewed akpeteshie. TC: An important way to make palm agriculture more sustainable is to reuse waste, and in many cases to use materials that commercial farming considers waste in productive ways. The existence of the Edible Palm Weevil Larvae (Akokono) is paramount towards the achievement of food security. Edible insects are increasingly recognised as a source of nutritional security, poverty reduction and overall household wellbeing, particularly in rural sub-Saharan Africa. Life cycle. To learn more about this project, … South American palm weevil (SAPW), Rhynchophorus palmarum (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), is native to parts of Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean.SAPW is an invasive pest in California. Palm weevil larvae often get special mention for their incredibly high nutritional content. Weevils develop through four life stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. In Fumuasa, a small town 10km south of Kumasi, Jacob Anankware and his team are monitoring about 50 000 weevils in buckets that fill an airy warehouse. Bedong. You will usually sight the cocoons in the crown region of the palm tree, or at the base of the palm’s fronds. Palm weevil farming is a cost-effective enterprise in terms of supplies and labour. Visit the FFO Research Farm COMPARISION OF KEY NUTRIENTS BETWEEN PALM WEEVIL LARVAE AND OTHER PROTEINS - CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD The foregone is recognized as a top priority for eradicating hunger, improving good health, nutrition, promotion of agriculture and it is explicitly mentioned in the Goal 2 of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG). Our farmers need only one small room or outdoor shelter to begin their own grub farm. A successful farming of this insect will increase its availability for local subsistence, providing increased opportunity for alternative The weevil’s larva is cherished as a delicacy and eaten in several countries which promoted some countries to start red … The larvae reaches maturity within three months and can be harvested for consumption—very rich in protein. A few stakeholders said they would consider farming the palm weevil larvae if there was a readily available market—such as processing industries—to buy the larvae from the farmers. The absence of these antinutrients in the larvae was suggestive of the insect larva not feeding on the plant materials of Palm tree, but rather, on its fluid, as the weevil itself can be raised on agro-waste materials from fruits, banana, pineapple, and millet as alternative feed resources (Quayea et al. Palm weevil larva. The crude protein content of both samples was high, with a value of 42.3 ± 0.84% for the palm beetle and 31.6 ± 0.59% for palm weevil, while crude fat was high (17.3 ± 1.2%) in palm weevil and very low (0.55 ± 0.10%) in palm beetle. 4 3 Small-scale traders of palm weevil grubs in Cameroon markets. The larva of the weevil Rhynchophorus phoenicis is beloved as food among the many communities in Western Africa, especially in those places where palms (oil, raphia or coconut) are cultiveted as Cameroon. Red Palm Weevil Monitoring & Management •Control methods –Systemic insecticides (i.e. Aspire Food Group wins 2013 Hult Prize on September 23, 2013 at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York City. Objective: To investigate the perspectives of Ghanaian stakeholders on the acceptability of the palm weevil larvae ( akokono) as a food source and the feasibility of micro-farming this local edible insect as a complementary food for infants and young children. What excited the researchers looking at Thailand’s palm weevil industry was the potential of this farming technique to feed people in areas where hunger is a constant problem. At the larva stage, weevils are whitish in color and can grow up to 5 inches long, when they pupate inside their fibrous cocoons. trunk injections, soil applications, etc.) While palm weevil larvae is considered a delicacy in DRC, they are traditionally caught, not cultivated. The larvae reaches maturity within three to four months and can be harvested for consumption – … Larvae are legless grubs with the body color uniformly pale yellow with a brown head. The adult red palm weevil on its own is not entirely destructive, but its larvae stage can render an entire palm tree plantation dead. “We have a biscuit that is 15% larvae, and a condiment called Shito [a ubiquitous Ghanaian pepper sauce]. palm weevil larva, akokono, micro-farming, nutrition, edible insects, infant and young child feeding, Ghana Introduction Malnutrition of children and mothers is a seri-ous problem in many developing countries, contributing to approximately 3.1 million annual child deaths worldwide.1 In Ghana, only 13% of children aged 6 to 23 months meet the –Mass trapping with aggregation pheromones –Chipping and burning infested material •Refer to New Pest Response Guidelines: Red Palm Weevil (USDA PPQ) Since the first official detection of red palm weevil (RPW) in September 2010, the California Department of Food and Agriculture has been running a pheromone trapping program for this pest in Laguna Beach. These farms cannot be expanded into other regions owing to the lack of speci fi c food sources such as sago palm trees or lan phru trees. Out of a total number of 560 semi-trained farmers, 271 (48.39%) were actively engaged in R. phoenicis farming near their homes or gardens, while 289 (51.61%) were non-active. Red Palm Weevil (RPW) Rhynchophorus ferrugineus is a serious pest attacking different species of palm trees like Coconut, Oil palm.The larvae are the most destructive stage of the weevil as they penetrate deep in the lower part of the stem causing a lot of damage to the internal tissues. Adults live about 2 to 3 months feeding on palms and going through several cycles of mating and egg laying. In addition, since the market is not saturated, each farmer can sell 1 kg of palm weevil larvae for about the equivalent of a day of wages. The top 10% performing farmers were able to supplement their income with the palm weevil larva farming. For example, palm trunks can be used to feed palm weevils, which themselves are a traditional source of food but are not currently farmed at large scale. 11 5 Interviews using semi-structured questionnaires (left) and a focus group discussion (right). The company also sells products containing palm weevil larvae that act as ‘gateway products’ to younger customers. In fact, the United Nations has stated that insect farming just may be the cure to world hunger. Exploitation, trade and farming of palm weevil grubs in Cameroon The larvae (grubs) of the African palm weevil are consumed by the majority of inhabitants of the Congo Basin. The Red Palm Weevil, like other beetles, develops through complete metamorphosis, with larvae and pupae developing within the trunk and apical growth tissues of the palm meristem. The farmers produced from 2 to 23 kg per cycle. Many of the villagers plan to establish small farms for the production of the palm weevil larvae, once the farming technique has been improved upon. The larvae appear to be growing in large vats of a greenish-gray liquid, rather than in trunks of palm tree wood. In heavily infested palms fallen empty pupal cases and dead adults may be found around the base of the palm. You could say that insect farming is just catching on. Known locally as akokono, palm weevil larvae are harvested from felled palm trees, which farmers tap for their sap to make palm wine or the popular … In Ghana, the adult African palm weevils and their larvae are often harvested from the wild especially the trunks of decaying oil palm species. 7 4 Local assistants participating in field data collection. Larvae may attain lengths greater than 50 mm (2 inches). Palm weevil larvae are popular food items among people in the south. Early infestations or low numbers of the weevil in plants are very difficult to detect. A reconnaissance survey of the domestication of the African palm weevil (APW) (Rhynchophorus phoenicis), which produces the edible larvae that are cherished as a delicacy among many tribes in Ghana, was conducted. The Red Palm Weevil (RPW) Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier is a major pest of date, coconut, ornamental and oil palms in a diverse range of agro-ecosystems worldwide. The same practice was used for sample preparation from all farms. traditional farming methods and evaluate these unconventional means to producing food, specifically protein food and feed [7]. These larvae are extremely rich in essential food nutrients; they contain proteins, carbohydrates, fats and energy values comparable to those of beef and fish. The study assessed the subchronic effect of palm weevil larvae (PWL) and Sago worm is a larva of palm weevil (Beetles), they are insects like bees but belongs to the family of Dryophthoridae, subfamily Rhynchophorinae, and the tribe of Rhynchophorini. Unlike weevil larvae, larvae of giant palm borer have prominent legs. Known locally as akokono, palm weevil larvae are harvested from felled palm trees, which farmers tap for their sap to make palm wine or the popular home-brewed akpeteshie. Buckets covered in mesh netting where palm weevil larvae are busy feeding. Fresh fully grown larvae of the sago palm weevil (R. ferrugineus) at the same age of 2-month old after adult release were collected from three different farms located in South Thailand including YL, NST, and PT (5 kg each). Palm weevil larvae farming is found mainly in Southeast Thailand. Its time to cash in on this. Palm weevil farming is a low-cost enterprise in terms of supplies and labour. As part of this trapping program, CDFA is monitoring 153 traps that are set up in two different patterns. Weevil larvae can excavate holes in the trunks of palm trees up to 1 metre (3.3 ft) long, thereby weakening and eventually killing the host plant. 11 Farming palm weevil grubs require vastly fewer resources (land, feed, water) than traditional livestock rearing. To the palm it is a pest, to the Farmer, This is Money! Larvae, pupae, pupal cases, and adults, can be found in the dead or dying crown of the palm or infested fronds. As a result, the weevil is considered a major pest in palm plantations, including the coconut palm, date palm and oil palm. The life cycle of palm weevils is simple. Female weevils lay eggs inside holes that they make in suitable areas (e.g., bases of palm fronds where they attach to the palm crown) with their long snout or rostrum. Weevil larvae hatch from eggs and burrow into the palm where they commence feeding. possibility of domesticating the palm beetle larvae. 1 and Naglaa F. Abdel-Hameid2 1Plant Prot. Sago palm weevil larvae samples. 1 Adult African palm weevils (Rhynchophorus phoenicis). The project will partner with the Department of Wildlife and Entomology of the University of Cape Coast to provide students and researchers insight in insect farming for human consumption. Currently there are approximately 20 000 farms opera\u0001Ÿ ng 217 529 rearing pens. Total produc\u0001Ÿ on over the last six years (1996-2011) has averaged around 7 500 tonnes per year. Palm weevil larvae farming is found mainly in Southeast Thailand. While it’s possible and maybe even likely that in another 30 years time some sort of lab-grown food source can replace actual heart of palm for the palm weevil larvae to feed on, it’s unlikely that the grubs themselves will somehow evolve to become aquatic insects, living entirely submerged in liquid. Palm weevil consumption is advanced in Thailand with mass production of larvae and pupae for eating, and adults being sold to initiate colonies by other farmers. To avoid exploding larvae, just slice them open. The red palm weevil larvae are often found in the offshoots, resulting in the spread of the pest and also its re-inoculation where RPW is already controlled. 4 2 Larvae (grubs) of the African palm weevil.