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Assessment of the impact of natural enemies on stemborer infestations and yield loss in maize using selected insecticides in Mozambique

Abstract The effect of natural enemies on stemborer infestations and maize grain yields was estimated using an insecticide exclusion method. Field experiments were conducted at low, mid and high elevation zones, which vary in the stemborer species composition. Dimethoate was applied to exclude natural enemies and Cypermethrin to suppress stemborers, while other plots served as control. At all study sites more stemborer larvae and pupae were collected when natural enemies were excluded. Parasitism as well as maize grain weight in the unprotected plots were significantly higher than in the exclusion plots. Yield losses increased by 28.9 % in unprotected to 43.3 % in exclusion plots. The most abundant parasitoids of Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) were Cotesia sesamiae (Cameron), Cotesia flavipes Cameron (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) and Dentichasmias busseolae Heinrich (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae). While for Busseola fusca (Fuller) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) they were C. sesamiae, Sturmiopsis parasitica (Curran) (Diptera: Tachinidae) and Porcerochasmias nigromaculatus Heinrich (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae). It was concluded that exclusion of natural enemies caused an increase in stemborer populations, thus, the parasitoids play an important role in suppressing stemborer infestations and increase maize yield.