Vusumuzi DubeJudith Phiri, Business Reporter
FARMERS and agriculture authorities are on high alert for a possible Quelea bird outbreak, with the early planted winter wheat crop having reached flowering stage.
The red-billed quelea is the most damaging pest of wheat, sorghum and millet in Zimbabwe.
Quelea is a small passerine bird of the weaver family Ploceidae, native to sub-Saharan Africa and the southern race of quelea, breeds in arid areas that are predominantly border areas in Zimbabwe forming part of Parks and Wildlife Estates with the neighbouring countries.
In a statement, the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development said: “Zimbabwe has planted 78 038 ha surpassing its target of 75 000 ha under wheat this 2022 winter season. The birds can cause more than 95 percent of the wheat losses if uncontrolled while rodents and insect pests cause minor damage.”
The Ministry said so far reports were coming in from Mashonaland Central and West, Midlands, Matabeleland North and Masvingo provinces with early wheat crop now approaching the early vegetative stages.
It said management of the birds during breeding time early each year helps reduce populations of the quelea birds so that there is reduced damage on sorghum and millet crops as well as winter wheat.
The Ministry said other options available for quelea control include bird scaring and harvesting for consumption through the collection of nestlings from breeding colonies just before they fledge.
The Ministry added: “There are adequate chemicals and more chemicals are being dispatched to the different parts of the country in preparedness for control. Chemicals used in quelea control are Fenthion or Cyanophos applied in breeding and roosting sites but only by official experts.”
The Migratory Pests and Biosecurity Control Department in the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development has already embarked on surveillance operations to detect quelea bird breeding grounds.
The Department is said to have also activated for aerial spray services in the event of serious outbreaks to ensure farmers’ crops are safeguarded.
Quelea control and management is done using the Quelea Control Act Chapter 19:10, the Zimbabwe Parks and Management Authority (Zimparks) under Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry collaborates with the Migratory Pests and Biosecurity Control Department under the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development in controlling quelea birds in Zimbabwe.
Red-billed quelea prefer feeding on seeds of annual grasses but when no longer available, small grain crops become next option thus becoming a huge threat.
“It is therefore important to consider management of veld fires through fire guards in order to save vast areas of grass allowing quelea to forage in the wild environment,” said the Ministry.
Online Reporter