Pests and Pesticide Use in Flower Farms in Ethiopia

Abstract

Floriculture is making a remarkable contribution to the Ethiopian economy. Currently the country is exporting cut flowers of roses, carnation, Geranium and Chrysanthemum cuttings, Gypsophylla, Hypericum and other bed plants to Europe. America, Middle-East and lately to Russia. Among these, roses are most dominant and contribute to 80% of the total cut flower production and export. Pests are among the most important production and quality limiting factors in flowers. The major ones are downy mildew (Peronospora sparsa), powdery mildew (Sphaerotheca pannosa) and gray mould (Botrytis cinerea), bacterial blight (Envinia
chrysanthemi), spidermites (Tetranychus urticae, Pononychus sp.), flower thrips (Frankniella sp.), cotton aphids {Aphis gossypii), flea beetles, sciaride fly (Bradysia spp.), leaf hoppers, termites and leaf minors (Liriomyza spp.). Flower production relies on intensive use of pesticides. Due to lack of pesticides registered for flowers in the country the government made special arrangement for importing pesticides without following the formal registration procedures until the local efficacy data will be generated by research. Currently pesticides already in use by the flower farms are being assessed and evaluated by the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research
(EIAR) and selected ones be recommended for registration. Surveys showed that 202 pesticides were in use to control pests in flower farms. Of these 168 (83.17%) were selected and recommended for registration. So do two stickers, 12 hormones, three post harvest handling agents, and one pH-reducer. Hereafter the newly coming flower pesticides are expected to be subjected to the regular pesticide testing and registration procedures of the country