Abstract:
BACKGROUND : The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda, is a devastating invasive pest and a threat to food
security in Africa, with yield losses of 20–50%. Recent studies highlighted the importance of cereal crops such
as maize and sorghum as the most preferred host plants for FAW oviposition. In the current work, we investigated
the olfactory responses of FAW and its key larval endoparasitoid Cotesia icipe to odours from the preferred host (maize)
in the presence of six potential companion crops including beans, groundnut, sweet potato, greenleaf- and silverleaf
desmodium, and cassava. We hypothesized that odours released by companion crops in maize-based intercropping
systems would alter host preferences of FAW for oviposition and its parasitoid responses.
RESULTS : In dual choice oviposition bioassays, FAW laid significantly more eggs on maize than on the other plants.
However, in the multiple-choice bioassays, significantly fewer eggs were laid on maize when companion plants
were present except cassava. While wind tunnel bioassays confirmed the differential behavioural responses
of FAW, we found that its larval endoparasitoid C. icipe was attracted to volatiles from the companion plants
tested individually and/or when they were combined with maize. Coupled gas chromatography–mass spectrometry
(GC–MS) analysis detected several potential behaviour-modifying compounds including (Z)-3-hexenyl
acetate, (E)-β-ocimene, (E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene, (E)-β-caryophyllene, camphor, methyl salicylate and (E,
E)-4,8,12-trimethyl-1,3,7,11-tridecatetraene.
CONCLUSIONS : Our findings provide evidence supporting diversified maize cropping system could reduce FAW damage
by repelling the pest while simultaneously recruiting its natural enemies. Hence, diversifying cereal cropping
system with companion crops could serve as an ecologically sustainable FAW management strategy.
