The Biological Control of Cassava Mealybug in Africa

Richard B. Norgaard

American Journal of Agricultural Economics, 1988, vol. 70, issue 2, 366-371

Abstract: Cassava, brought from South America 300 years ago free of its pests, became a major subsistence crop in Africa. A mealybug was mistakenly introduced in the early 1970s. By the 1980s the mealybug was a major pest. The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture found a parasitic wasp in South America and reared and released it in Africa. Conservatively estimated, the benefit-cost ratio for this program is 149 to 1. This success indicates that biological control can play an important role in pest management.

Date: 1988
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:oup:ajagec:v:70:y:1988:i:2:p:366-371.

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