WHAT ARE WHITEFLIES AND HOW CAN YOU PREVENT AND CONTROL THEM?
THERE are more than one thousand five hundred described species of the agricultural pest known as whiteflies. These are small flying insects which are usually white, for fairly obvious reasons, though some species are actually black. Generally speaking though, whiteflies have white wings, and soft yellowish bodies. Their wings are usually held slightly tilted in a tent-like triangle along their bodies. They are minuscule, with a wingspan of only three millimeters and a body length of only one to two millimeters.
Like aphids, they feed on the sap of plants, usually on the underside of the leaves. Despite this, whiteflies are not particularly destructive due to their feeding habits, though they have been known to overwhelm host plants through sheer numbers. Rather, whiteflies are destructive to agriculture primarily due to the fact that they are incredibly efficient at spreading disease. Whiteflies are vectors of many important viral plant diseases, mostly mosaic viruses which can infect and severely damage important food crops like potatoes, beans, and cassava. The most dangerous virus spread by whiteflies is the infamous Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl, which can destroy up to 100% of infected crop yields. Aside from damage due to their spread of disease and feeding habits, whiteflies also secrete honeydew like aphids, which also invites mold and bacterial growth which can harm the plant.
Unlike the sedentary aphids though, whiteflies are quite difficult to control as they tend to quickly launch into the air when their host plant is disturbed. Common pesticides used to control whitefly contain neonicotinoids as their active ingredient. Commercially available neonicotinoid pesticides include clothianidin and dinotefuran, and imidacloprid and thiamethoxam. However, whiteflies reproduce and mature in as little as sixteen days in particularly favorable conditions, and they rapidly gain resistance to pesticides through sheer speed of evolution. Another issue is that neonicotinoids have been implicated in honeybee colony collapse disorder, where it seems that while these pesticides do not outrightly kill honeybees, they do seem to have an effect on reducing honeybee survival during periods of high stress. As such, pesticidal control of whiteflies should only really be considered as a last resort.
Cultural/mechanical controls are also less effective against whiteflies. Whiteflies are, quite infuriatingly, small enough to penetrate generally available net barriers. As they are around one to two millimeters in size, they can pass through the small holes of most commercially used greenhouse netting. Worse still, they often escape their predators this way, as these predators are often too large to follow whiteflies past the netting. Farmers who are dependent on greenhouses may find these overrun by populations of whiteflies happily feeding and reproducing without fear of predators. Attempting to trap whiteflies on other host plants is also futile, as they are highly mobile, and their major threat is due to their spreading of disease, not due to their feeding habits.
The best cultural/mechanical control method for whiteflies thus far is the use of yellow sticky traps. In small farms or gardens this can be DIY by painting a board bright yellow then coating
with a sticky clear adhesive substance like grease. Commercially available traps are an option for large scale operations where DIY work is impractical. Supernet for example is an aerosol adhesive spray with yellow color, and trap set up is as simple as spraying a clear plastic bottle and hanging these around the farm perimeter. Agricultural companies specializing in pests may also carry large rolls of yellow sticky paper for large scale application around greenhouses. In a pinch, flypaper and other yellow colored sticky glue traps are available at supermarkets and will work moderately well.
For small farms and gardens, and if the option presents itself, vacuuming the underside of a plant’s leaves will also work to reduce whitefly populations. In this particular case, the whiteflies’ instincts work against them they move in the direction of the wind, which with vacuums is into the belly of the beast. Yes, it does seem rather silly to stand in the garden with a vacuum cleaner, vigorously vacuuming plants. Do be prepared for more than a few strange stares from neighbors and passers-by. Rest easy instead, in the fact that this little embarrassment will pay off greatly in the end, with plants that are healthy and free from the diseases brought by whiteflies.
The most effective method of controlling whiteflies, however, is to invite biological control organisms into your farm. Ladybugs and lacewings are your friends once again, as they are quite happy to feed on the whiteflies flitting about your crops. You can attract these helpful insects to your farm or garden by planting a variety of flowering plants. Dill and cilantro flowers are pretty additions to any planting and are attractive to friendly bugs. Sunflowers were already mentioned, but you can also plant marigolds, cosmos, and sweet verbena to further attract more friendly bugs. Marigolds also have been observed to repel whiteflies, a lovely extra benefit from such a lovely flowering plant.
CORN is a favorite crop among Filipinos. It can be eaten in various ways such as grilled, boiled, and added as an ingredient to other recipes. But after the corn has been harvested from the fields, the stalks and husks are discarded and considered agricultural waste.
This was the initial mindset of the wives of corn farmers in Cabanglasan, Bukidnon. According to Chanda Tagadiad Taladro, a housewife and the manager of an association of farmers called Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs), their initial goal was to harvest corn only for profit.
“We didn’t see that there is money in agri-products wastes, especially corn husks, which are abundant in our community,” she said.
But thanks to the partner agencies that sponsored the training to give them knowledge in making corn husk crafts, this idea has changed and allowed them to create Corn Husk Crafts, an enterprise that creates products made from corn husks.
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LEARNING FROM THEIR PARTNERS
“Artisan or skilled workers create our crafts. They are the wives of our farmer members trained into this agri-enterprise,” Taladro said.
They acquired their knowledge and skills in making these crafts from various training sponsored by their partner agencies such as the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the Department of Agriculture (DA), and other concerning agencies.
“Corn Husk Crafts is not just livelihood but it is an enterprise, through this corn husk craft our members earned extra income, [and] the happiness we shared while making these crafts is incomparable,” Taladro said.
With the help of their partners, the group began making crafts in 2018 and received various orders from social media and promotions made by their partner agencies.
“Our available products are dolls, corn husk leis, flowers, flower vases, Christmas decors, hairpins, headbands, and other accessories. Hopefully, we will venture into making bags, baskets, and wallets,” Taladro said.
Back in 2019, despite being in their infancy stage, the group managed to earn P50,000 for their annual income from sales of dolls, leis, and flowers.
This high profit has been impeded when the COVID-19 pandemic spread, resulting in the (rightful) cancellation of graduations and programs that were a significant source of business to wives in Bukidnon.
“In this enterprise, we need perseverance because we are still in the introduction to the market. But we also need to be innovative, creative enough to compete with other products,” Taladro shared.
THE PROCESS OF CREATING A CORN HUSK CRAFT
When creating their crafts, the process begins with the wives collecting leftover husks from the cornfields. They then dye the collected materials in a boiling pot of water with artificial coloring to get the vibrant color that defines most of the products of the group.
The dyed corn husks are air-dried so that they retain their shape and become more durable as they are transformed into new products.
Once the corn husks have been cured, they are processed into the various products that the team offers before being marketed on Facebook and shops to get customers interested in the crafts made from corn husks.
According to Taladro, aside from being able to create a profit from agricultural wastes, there are other benefits to using corn husks as their raw materials. First is that the group doesn’t need to buy them or look for a supplier because it’s readily available in the fields that their husbands work on.
They also get to help the environment since they utilize the waste for profit rather than being burned. Plus, the products that they create are eco-friendly and biodegradable that are recognized both locally and internationally.
The wives of the farmers in Cabanglasan, Bukidnon have found a sustainable enterprise that not only benefits them financially but also helps the environment as it lessens the agricultural waste that’s already present in society. But most importantly, it puts agricultural waste in a new spotlight that shows how it can be repurposed to create new opportunities.