Weaver Ants to Control Fruit Fly Damage to Tanzanian Mangoes

Project Type:

Smaller projects: PhD

Thematic Areas:

Agricultural production

project summary

This project will evaluate the potential for increasing the income of small scale mango producers in Tanzania by using weaver ants to repel the fruit flies that are responsible for the commercial loss of 40% of their crop. The system works well in Australia, for example, and could improve the size and quality of the Tanzanian harvest, with the potential to increase market volumes and prices. The research will discover the farmer’s perception of weaver ants and their interest in keeping them for biological control. Those farmers with strong interests will be invited to participate in a field study to see how many ants are needed to give sufficient protection of the mangoes and what other, practical issues are involved. The study will involve Sokoine Agricultural University and, with their help, a Field School organised by farmers will be established. Here they will be able to learn how to conduct their own studies and gather practical knowledge about weaver ants and the fruit fly problem. The Field School will be encouraged to produce an information leaflet for their communities and to develop training materials, and Sokoine and Copenhagen Universities will develop these into a computer/internet-based training resource.

Facts

PERIOD: 1 January 2011 to 31 January 2017
PROJECT CODE: 10-110LIFE
COUNTRIES: Tanzania
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Nina Kirkegaard
TOTAL GRANT: 2,631,657 DKK