Genetic Variation and Population Structure of the Old World Bollworm Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner, 1808) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in Ethiopia.

Helicoverpa armigera is one of the most destructive insect pests of economically valuable crops in the world. Despite its economic importance, the population genetic structure of this insect remains unexplored in Ethiopia. To investigate the genetic diversity and population structure of H.

Performance of Bt maize event MON810 in controlling maize stem borers and in Uganda.

Stem borers are major insect pests of maize in Uganda. A study was conducted in 2014-2016 to assess the performance of Bt hybrids expressing Cry1Ab (event MON810) against the two major stem borer species in Uganda - the African stem borer () and the spotted stem borer () - under artificial infestation. The study comprised 14 non-commercialized hybrids, including seven pairs of Bt and non-Bt hybrids (isolines), three non-Bt commercial hybrids and a conventional stem borer resistant check.

Genetic diversity and demographic history of the Old World Bollworm, (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), in Ethiopia inferred from mitochondrial gene sequences.

The Old World bollworm, (Hubner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), is a globally distributed agricultural and horticultural insect pest. Despite the economic importance of this insect in Ethiopia, its genetic diversity and demographic history are poorly understood. We examined the nucleotide variation of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene fragment of 74 .

Socioeconomic and health impacts of fall armyworm in Ethiopia.

Since 2016, fall armyworm (FAW) has threatened sub-Saharan 'Africa's fragile food systems and economic performance. Yet, there is limited evidence on this transboundary pest's economic and food security impacts in the region. Additionally, the health and environmental consequences of the insecticides being used to control FAW have not been studied.

Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Affecting Chickpea in Ethiopia.

Ascochyta blight, also known as chickpea blight, which is caused by the fungal pathogen,  , is an important disease affecting chickpea ( L.) in many countries. We studied the genetic diversity and population structure of 96   isolates collected from three geographic populations in Ethiopia using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers.

A deadly encounter: Alien invasive Spodoptera frugiperda in Africa and indigenous natural enemy, Cotesia icipe (Hymenoptera, Braconidae).

The invasion and wide spread of Spodoptera frugiperda represent real impediments to food security and the livelihood of the millions of maize and sorghum farming communities in the sub-Saharan and Sahel regions of Africa. Current management efforts for the pest are focused on the use of synthetic pesticides, which are often economically unviable and are extremely hazardous to the environment. The use of biological control offers a more economically and environmentally safer alternative.

Quality antenatal care services delivery at health facilities of Ethiopia, assessment of the structure/input of care setting.

Background: According to the Donabedian model, the assessment for the quality of care includes three dimensions. These are structure, process, and outcome. Therefore, the present study aimed at assessing the structural quality of Antenatal care (ANC) service provision in Ethiopian health facilities.

Fall Armyworm, Infestations in East Africa: Assessment of Damage and Parasitism.

The fall armyworm (FAW), , threatens maize production in Africa. A survey was conducted to determine the distribution of FAW and its natural enemies and damage severity in Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania in 2017 and 2018. A total of 287 smallholder maize farms (holding smaller than 2 hectares of land) were randomly selected and surveyed.

, a Candidate Parasitoid for the Biological Control of in Africa, is already Present on the Continent.

The fall armyworm, , a moth originating from tropical and subtropical America, has recently become a serious pest of cereals in sub-Saharan Africa. Biological control offers an economically and environmentally safer alternative to synthetic insecticides that are being used for the management of this pest. Consequently, various biological control options are being considered, including the introduction of , the main egg parasitoid of in the Americas, where it is already used in augmentative biological control programmes.

The Efficacy of Selected Synthetic Insecticides and Botanicals against Fall Armyworm, , in Maize.

Fall armyworm (FAW) was reported for the first time in Africa in 2016. FAW is widely distributed in Ethiopia, causing significant damage to maize. Nine synthetic insecticides belonging to different chemical groups and 11 pesticidal plants (botanicals) were tested for their efficacy against FAW under laboratory, greenhouse, and field conditions.

Resistance of -maize (MON810) against the stem borers (Fuller) and (Swinhoe) and its yield performance in Kenya.

A study was conducted to assess the performance of maize hybrids with event MON810 (-hybrids) against the maize stem borer (Fuller) in a biosafety greenhouse (BGH) and against the spotted stem borer (Swinhoe) under confined field trials (CFT) in Kenya for three seasons during 2013-2014. The study comprised 14 non-commercialized hybrids (seven pairs of near-isogenic and non- hybrids) and four non-Bt commercial hybrids. Each plant was artificially infested twice with 10 first instar larvae.

On-Farm Evaluation of Hermetic Technology Against Maize Storage Pests in Kenya.

On-farm trial with a total of 32 farmers in eight villages of Naivasha and Nakuru areas of Kenya was conducted between December 2013 and September 2014 to evaluate hermetic grain storage technologies under farmers' management conditions. The storage technologies evaluated were metal silo and SuperGrain IV-R bag alongside the standard woven polypropylene bag with or without Actellic super dust. Moisture content, insect population, grain discoloration, and weight loss were analyzed 90, 180, and 270 d after storage.

Biology of barley shoot fly Delia flavibasis Stein (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) on resistant and susceptible barley cultivars.

The biology of barley shoot fly Delia flavibasis was studied using resistant (Dinsho and Harbu) and susceptible (Holker) barley cultivars at Sinana Agricultural Research Center, Ethiopia. A higher number of eggs was laid on Holker (17 eggs/female) than on Dinsho (11 eggs/female) or Harbu (12 eggs/female). However, there were no differences between cultivars in preoviposition and total reproductive periods.

Effect of a formulation of Bacillus firmus on root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita infestation and the growth of tomato plants in the greenhouse and nursery.

Bacillus firmus, commercial WP formulation (BioNem) was evaluated against the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita in a laboratory, greenhouse and under field conditions on tomato plants. In the laboratory tests, an aqueous suspension of BioNem at 0.5%, 1%, 1.

Food consumption by Chilo partellus (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) larvae infected with Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae and effects of feeding natural versus artificial diets on mortality and mycosis.

Second and third instar Chilo partellus larvae were infected with Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae (both at 1x10(8)conidia/ml) and daily consumption of maize leaves was measured. Infection by the fungi was associated with reduced mean daily food consumption. Reduction in food consumption became evident 3-4 days after treatment with the fungi for second instar larvae and 4-5 days for third instar larvae.

Effect of exposure method to Beauveria bassiana and conidia concentration on mortality, mycosis, and sporulation in cadavers of Chilo partellus (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae).

The effects of exposure methods, conidial concentrations, and temperature on mortality, mycosis and sporulation in second instar Chilo partellus cadavers infected by Beauveria bassiana was investigated in laboratory studies. Larvae directly sprayed with conidia, exposed to conidia-treated leaves, and dipped into conidial suspension resulted in high mortality (98-100%). The longest LT50 (3.