Towards Expanding Quinoa Cultivation in Egypt: The Effect of Compost and Vermicompost on Quinoa Pests, Natural Enemies and Yield under Field Conditions

Abstract

Increasing production and reducing pests’ population while preserving the environment is an essential goal nowadays. New strategies are needed to achieve this goal, to bridge food gap and achieve food security. Quinoa is a promising crop and could partially substitute wheat in baked products and assist in overcoming wheat gap in Egypt. This study aimed to identify pests and their natural enemies in quinoa plantation, the population dynamics of both and the effect of compost and vermicompost fertilization on pests’ population and quinoa yield under field conditions. The study was carried out in El Giza Research Station of the Agricultural Research Centre—Egypt, from November till March, in two successive seasons, 2016/2017 and 2017/2018. The experiment was set up in a complete randomized block design. Variety Masr 1 was tested and yellow sticky traps were used to monitor insects’ numbers. Three main pests were detected: Aphis craccivora, Empoasca. decipiens and Bemisia tabaci . The most common pest was aphids followed by potato leafhoppers. Compost fertilized quinoa attracted fewer pests and resulted in less yield compared to vermicompost. Parasitoids appeared earlier than predators and their numbers were the highest throughout the two seasons. Pests’ and natural enemies’ peaks were determined to facilitate IPM interventions. It is recommended to use vermicompost in quinoa production rather than compost, as it increased yield, provided that an IPM strategy is implemented in which natural enemies are the main players. Further investigations are needed to understand the interaction between predators and parasitoids in quinoa field in order to maximize the benefit of their existence in IPM programs.