Integrated pest management in a cotton-growing area in the Southern Rift Valley region of Ethiopia: development and application of a supplementary food spray product to manage pests and beneficial insects

Cotton crop Ethiopia is a high-value crop and the strategy for pest control is insecticide-dependent with no consideration of beneficial insects. We carried out a study in 2013 and 2014 to determine the effectiveness of a food spray product developed with local ingredients from Benin (BFP), a food spray product developed from Ethiopian ingredients (EFP), and mixtures of the individual food spray products with and without neem extracts. Applications of BFP and of EFP alone attracted and retained beneficial insects and significantly reduced the number of pests, and increased cotton yields and profitability. The net margins of 18,418 and 18,642 Ethiopian birr (ETB)/ha were achieved from the plots treated with BFP and EFP, respectively, and 13,000 ETB (US$1 = 19 ETB) was achieved from the unsprayed plots. Addition of neem extract to the food spray products decreased the number of beneficial insects attracted to the food spray plots. In conclusion, food sprays can be used as part of integrated pest management (IPM) for managing cotton pests and can result in significant increases in crop yields and profitability.