Solutions to end world hunger and the destruction of our
planet might lie in an unlikely place, in our tiniest and most overlooked
six-legged friends, the insects. Just as cattle, fish or other livestock are
reared in large numbers – such as for meat or dairy production – so, too, are
insects reared for a variety of purposes, some of which are quite instrumental to
our daily lives!
Sterile insect technique (SIT), for example, is a method
used for reducing the number of agricultural pests by releasing laboratory-reared,
infertile insects into agricultural environments, to mate with wild
individuals, which will result in the production of infertile eggs, and thus no
further progeny. These programmes benefit South African agriculture (such as
citrus, and the table grape industry) and the economy by enabling the
production of high quality fruit with less chemical insecticide input. This in
turns makes South African fruit more marketable in foreign countries, and appetizing
here at home. Similarly, biological control agents, or beneficial insects which
feed on and kill weeds and pest insects, are an excellent replacement for
chemical herbicides and insecticides. Weed biocontrol agents for example are
widely utilized throughout South Africa to clear out clogged waterways and
other invasive alien plant infestations, especially in areas that are hard to access
by other means.
Just as animal production is a science in and of itself,
so, too, is insect mass-rearing a field which is continually growing and
improving with the development of technological advances. There is a growing
demand for more sustainable pest control and protein production, and reduction
of waste products using insect decomposers, even having butterflies replacing
confetti at weddings! The International Insect Rearing Workshop (IIRW), held
annually at Mississippi State University, USA, celebrated its 20th
session in 2017, and has worked hard to fulfil this demand over the years. The
IIRW served as a model for this first South African Insect Mass-Rearing
Workshop.
Prof. Des Conlong, of the South African Sugarcane Research
Institute and Stellenbosch University’s Department of Conservation Ecology and
Entomology, and Dr. Elsje Pieterse of Stellenbosch University’s Department of
Animal Science, are two of South Africa’s most experienced and knowledgeable
insect rearing experts. Together they attended the IIRW in November 2016 and
were encouraged by the founders, Dr. Frank Davis, Dr. John Schneider, and Dr.
Norman Leppla, to replicate the workshop and adapt it to the South African
context.
A year later, from 23-27 October 2017, the first Insect
Mass-Rearing Workshop was held in Stellenbosch and was hosted by the IPM
Initiative in the Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology. The workshop
brought together 42 attendees from government, private industry and academia
from five countries, with expertise ranging from biology, entomology and
engineering to economics. Twelve subject matter experts presented lectures on wide-ranging
inter-related topics for scientifically based mass insect rearing, which included
genetics, physiology, insect nutrition, insectary design, quality control,
health and safety, and insect pathology. Dr. Leppla, of the University of
Florida, one of the original organizers of the IIRW, was in attendance, and his
input and insight from 40 years of experience in insect rearing was invaluable
to workshop participants.
In addition to detailed lectures, four practical sessions
allowed participants to learn by doing. Two field trips to rearing facilities
in Stellenbosch and Cape Town and a few social events in the evenings provided
further opportunities for participants to share their experiences and exchange
ideas.
Many interesting discussions were sparked throughout the
week, focussing heavily on the perception of insect production in South Africa,
and how to more effectively streamline the adoption of these beneficial
practices into South African industry and culture. Prof. Conlong, Dr. Pieterse
and Dr. Leppla are committed to making this workshop an annual event, as there
is clearly a demand and an interest in South Africa. Through the network formed
in this first workshop, participants will stay in touch and continue to share tips
for how to grow more and better quality insects into the future.
To learn more or register for next year’s workshop, visit
this link: http://www.sun.ac.za/english/faculty/agri/conservation-ecology/ipm/workshops/insect-mass-rearing-workshop
