Termite species identification and management using botanical pesticides in Arusha, Tanzania

Abstract

A study was conducted at Kikwe ward in Arumeru District of Arusha region to assess the effects of Cupressus lusitanica, Tephrosia vogelii, Eucalpytus dalrympleana, Lantana camara and Azadirachta indica in managing destructive termite species. Termite samples were collected from maize farms and trees within the ward and were identified at the Tropical Pesticides Research Institute. Different rates of powders weighing 5g, 10g and 20g of each botanical per 5 kg of termite infested soils were tested for their effects on termite mortality and repellency in the laboratory using a completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. In field trials, a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replications was used in three different sites within the ward. Following laboratory studies, 20g of leaf powder from each treatment was applied around maize plants and monitored for every 14 days. The results showed that, there were five morphologically different termite species in the study area, two of which were identified as Macrotermes and Odontotermes and the rest were not identified based on the available capacity. The results also showed that, powders from T. vogelii, C. lusitanica and E. dalrympleana were effective in managing termites and significant different (p<0.001) from other plants. Such results highlight potentiality of developing bio-termiticides from T. vogelii, C. lusitanica and E. dalrympleana in the country. Further studies are recommended on characterizing termite species that were not identified in this study and on identification of chemical ingredients from the identified effective plants for formulation of bio-termiticides in Tanzania.