Abstract
This study proposed a spatially explicit non-linear function for estimating the benefits following the release and establishment of the koinobiont endoparasitoid, Fopius arisanus at a landscape scale in Kenya to control the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis. The proposed model relates the bioecology of the parasitoid to its impacts on fruit growers’ economic benefits per fruit farm. In addition, we used financial information attributed to the cost of importation, conducting associated research, and the release of F. arisanus to estimate the return on investment from the parasitoid’s release in Kenya. We observed distinct variations in potential annual benefits across the diverse mango cultivation regions throughout Kenya. In Kenya, the potential benefits range from negligible benefit to high benefit per acre (US$201- US$255) annually when classical biological control is applied. Furthermore, the cost-benefit ratio analysis showed that in Kenya, for every US$1 invested, the return benefit was US$33.92. In addition in Kenya, the investment yielded a significant net present value of US$13.7 million over a 16-year period and an attractive internal rate of return of 73% compared to the reference discount rate of 12%. The study suggests the need to facilitate further release of the parasitoid (F. arisanus) across major fruit production regions of countries affected by the invasive fruit fly (B. dorsalis).
Highlights
This study presents a spatially explicit non-linear function for estimating the economic benefits at scale following parasitoid release and establishment to control an invasive fruit fly.
Costs incurred in the exploration, importation, lab research, and field release were employed to estimate the return on investment in the bio-control of fruit flies using F. arisanus as an agent in Kenya.
The findings will stimulate government investment in mass rearing of the parasitoid for up-scaling sustainable biological control techniques of invasive agricultural pests.
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Data availability
The data presented in this study are available on request from the corresponding author.
Code availability
The codes used in this study are available on request from the corresponding author.
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Funding
This work was supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) commissioned and administered through the Deutsche Gesellschaft fürInternationaleZusammenarbeit (GIZ) Fund for International Agricultural Research (FIA), grant number 18.7860.2–001.00; Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida); the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC); the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR); the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad); the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ); and the Government of the Republic of Kenya. The In-Region Postgraduate Scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) supports Komi M. Agboka. The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the donors.
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Komi Mensah Agboka: Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Methodology, Writing– original draft, Writing– review & editing. Henri E.Z. Tonnang: Methodology, Supervision, Writing– review & editing. Beatrice Muriithi: Methodology, Writing– review & editing. Saliou Niassy: Writing– review & editing. Shepard Ndlela: Writing– review & editing. Elfatih M. Abdel-Rahman: Supervision, Writing– review & editing. Samira A. Mohamed: Funding acquisition, Project administration, Resources, Writing– review & editing. Sunday Ekesi: Funding acquisition, Project administration, Resources, Writing– review & editing.
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We, the authors of this manuscript would like to declare a potential conflict of interest. Dr. Saliou Niassy holds the position of Chief Editor in the journal. We understand the importance of maintaining the integrity of the peer-review process and ensuring transparency in our academic endeavors. As such, we would like to state the following:
Dr. Saliou Niassy despite being a co-author of this manuscript, has not and will not be involved in any of the editorial decisions related to this manuscript. Dr. Saliou Niassy recused himself from all editorial processes and discussions related to this submission, ensuring a fair and impartial review. We confirm that the research findings and statements made in this manuscript have not been influenced by Dr. Niassy’s position in the journal, and all authors have contributed to the research and writing process with full academic freedom. We assure the readers and the academic community that all measures have been taken to uphold the integrity and transparency of this submission.
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Agboka, K.M., Tonnang, H.E.Z., Muriithi, B. et al. Assessing the potential economic benefits of classical biological control of the invasive fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis by Fopius arisanus in Kenya. Int J Trop Insect Sci (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42690-024-01221-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42690-024-01221-9