Hardy, Harrison, Harte, Steven ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9628-7912, Hopkins, Richard ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4935-5825, Mnyone, Ladslaus and Hawkes, Frances ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0964-3702 (2023) The influence of manure-based organic fertilisers on the oviposition behaviour of Anopheles arabiensis. Acta Tropica, 244:106954. pp. 1-11. ISSN 0001-706X (doi:10.1016/j.actatropica.2023.106954)

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Abstract

The rice agroecosystem provides suitable breeding habitat for many malaria vector species, and rice-adjacent communities are consequently exposed to a greater malaria transmission risk than non-rice-associated communities. As part of efforts to expand rice production in Africa, sustainable and climate-adapted practices such as the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) are being promoted. SRI encourages the use of organic fertilisers (OFs) such as cow and chicken dung, as opposed to inorganic industrially produced fertilisers, due to their lower resource cost, apparent benefit to the rice agroecosystem and as a means to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production of industrial fertilisers. However, the impact of OFs on mosquito fauna is not well documented and may have knock-on consequences on malaria transmission risk. Here, we demonstrate, using dual choice egg count assays, that both cow and chicken dung modulate the oviposition behaviour of Anopheles arabiensis, a major malaria vector in Sub-Saharan Africa. A significantly reduced proportion of eggs were laid in water treated with either cow or chicken dung compared to untreated water, with higher dung concentrations resulting in further reduced proportions. When presented in competition, significantly fewer eggs were laid in water treated with chicken dung than with cow dung. Moreover, there was no evidence of egg retention in any experiment, including in no-choice experiments where only dung-containing dishes were available. These results suggest both cow and chicken dung may act as oviposition deterrents to malaria vector species and that the application of manure-based OFs in rice agriculture may modulate the oviposition behaviour of An. gambiae s.l. within agroecosystems. Quantification of the ammonia present in dung-infused water showed higher concentrations were present in the chicken dung infusion, which may be one contributing factor to the difference in observed deterrence between the two dung types. Deterrence of mosquito oviposition in OF-treated farms may potentially affect the overall production of malaria vectors within rice fields and their contribution to local malaria transmission.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	organic fertilisers; oviposition; Anopheles arabiensis; rice cultivation; malaria vectors
Subjects:	Q Science > Q Science (General) S Agriculture > S Agriculture (General)
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Engineering & Science Faculty of Engineering & Science > Natural Resources Institute Faculty of Engineering & Science > Natural Resources Institute > Agriculture, Health & Environment Department Faculty of Engineering & Science > Natural Resources Institute > Centre for Sustainable Agriculture 4 One Health Faculty of Engineering & Science > Natural Resources Institute > Centre for Sustainable Agriculture 4 One Health > Behavioural Ecology Faculty of Engineering & Science > Natural Resources Institute > Centre for Sustainable Agriculture 4 One Health > Chemical Ecology & Plant Biochemistry
Last Modified:	27 Nov 2024 14:32
URI:	http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/42752

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