Survey and Identification of Major Insect Pests of Seed Spices in Ethiopia

Insect pests inflict damage to humans, farm animals and crops. Subsistence cash crop production is essential for the growing population of Africa. Seed spices occupy an important place for their flavoring, culinary uses and essential oil derivatives. They are also valued for their coloring, as preservatives and fumigants, in pharmaceutical, textile and other industry. However, insect pests are major limiting factors for the cultivation and production of these plants in many agro-ecologies of the country (Emma Christensen, 2014). A survey was conducted in major growing areas of Ethiopia during 2016 and 2018 main cropping season with an aim of identifying problematic insect pests and providing baseline information on pests of black cumin, fenugreek, coriander and white cumin in different agro-ecologies of Ethiopia. Samples were randomly collected from insect infested plants from each study location for laboratory inspection. Specimens of unidentified insects were kept in vials containing ethanol for identification. All specimens were classified into their respective orders, families, genera and species. Generally, the result reveled that pod borer was a common insect pest on black cumin and fenugreek and aphid was a common insect pest recorded on fenugreek. Management study which solves the problem of insects on seed spice must be designed in the future on pod borer, aphids, cut worm and leaf minor. Keywords: Seed spice, Insect pest, Survey. DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/12-21-02 Publication date: November 30th 202