Visit from Africa to Darmstadt: 27 scholarship holders from eleven African countries visited the Institute for Biological Control in Darmstadt on June 19 to learn about alternative methods of crop protection. With great interest, the guests followed the presentations and guided tours on the diverse research topics on biological crop protection.
Of particular interest were the numerous projects of the Institute that have a direct connection to Africa. These include, for example, research into the application of insect-pathogenic viruses, fungi and bacteria against the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, against the tomato leafminer moth, Tuta absoluta, or against pests in citrus trees. The application of plant extracts against mildew fungi and other plant diseases or the production and formulation of insect-pathogenic fungi to protect against UV radiation and high temperatures during application against harmful organisms were further demonstrations that enthralled our guests.
The visit was part of a training course on "Food Chains in Agriculture". The training course is organized annually by the German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ) and there by the "Green Innovation Centres for the Agriculture and Food Sector" and coordinated by the Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences.