17.2.1.1.1 Mass Production of Alternative Hosts
The major factitious host used in the mass rearing of Trichogramma is the Angoumois grain moth, Sitotroga cereallela (Fig. 17.4) The quality of barley can affect the
quality of the moth as a host, but this issue is not much considered in mass rearing
because it is not easy to find the suitable cultivar of barley and producers have to use
existing ones that are sometimes inappropriate. The average production efficiency of
S. cereallela in the country is about 1: 4–5, which means that 1 g of S. cereallela
eggs introduced into the rearing system will lead finally to 4 to 5 g of S. cereallela
eggs, each moth laying about 100–150 eggs. Some insectaries also report production
efficiency up to 1: 12; if the producers are able to increase the efficiency rate from 1:
5 to about 1: 6, then producers who use one ton of barley grain for the infestation in a
rearing cycle will produce about 1 kg more eggs, which means cheaper agent and
more rearing of Trichogramma in a given period. This issue is important when the
price of BCA is a limiting factor in their use. Apart from the cultivar and size of
barley grains and problems related to the degree of infestation of barley grains with
S. cereallela larvae, the process of host moth egg production also faces concerns.
Storage conditions of the collected eggs and the storage time of the eggs which use
for initiation of rearing are the factors affecting production efficiency. The health
issue of insectaries, in terms of mites and the employees health impact on the
efficiency of production of S. cereallela eggs and finally the Trichogramma
wasps. It seems that many production units in the country lack the necessary
standards in this regard. Having a well-developed insectarium can solve many of
these problems. On the other hand, research in this field is mostly unheard of, and
governor budgets have almost completely shifted to plan implementation, while the
research section has neglected some main questions about mass rearing (Attaran and
Dadpour Moghanloo 2011).
17.2.1.1.2 Mass Production of Trichogramma
During 2018–19, more than 240 kg of the host eggs containing Trichogramma
pupae have been purchased in the country under contracts between the PPO and
the producers. Perhaps the most important issue in cost-effective production of
Trichogramma is production efficiency, which should not diminish the importance
of Trichogramma strain selection and other qualitative issues. In the current massrearing system in Iran, the efficiency of production is about 1 to 3 because a single
female Trichogramma in the mass rearing only provides six parasitized eggs.
Comparing this to the wasp fertility of about 100 eggs from each female under
normal conditions means wasting of some production inputs by taking into account
the efficiency of production of S. cereallela eggs, from each kilogram of barley; thus
about 1 g of the Trichogramma is released. To increase the production efficiency of
Trichogramma, a high-quality host should be produced, and by selecting the appropriate strain of the wasp, the rearing process has to be optimized. Proper planning for
mass production management is another factor that plays an important role in
17 Analytical Approach to Opportunities and Obstacles of Iranian Biological. . .
609
The major factitious host used in the mass rearing of Trichogramma is the Angoumois grain moth, Sitotroga cereallela (Fig. 17.4) The quality of barley can affect the
quality of the moth as a host, but this issue is not much considered in mass rearing
because it is not easy to find the suitable cultivar of barley and producers have to use
existing ones that are sometimes inappropriate. The average production efficiency of
S. cereallela in the country is about 1: 4–5, which means that 1 g of S. cereallela
eggs introduced into the rearing system will lead finally to 4 to 5 g of S. cereallela
eggs, each moth laying about 100–150 eggs. Some insectaries also report production
efficiency up to 1: 12; if the producers are able to increase the efficiency rate from 1:
5 to about 1: 6, then producers who use one ton of barley grain for the infestation in a
rearing cycle will produce about 1 kg more eggs, which means cheaper agent and
more rearing of Trichogramma in a given period. This issue is important when the
price of BCA is a limiting factor in their use. Apart from the cultivar and size of
barley grains and problems related to the degree of infestation of barley grains with
S. cereallela larvae, the process of host moth egg production also faces concerns.
Storage conditions of the collected eggs and the storage time of the eggs which use
for initiation of rearing are the factors affecting production efficiency. The health
issue of insectaries, in terms of mites and the employees health impact on the
efficiency of production of S. cereallela eggs and finally the Trichogramma
wasps. It seems that many production units in the country lack the necessary
standards in this regard. Having a well-developed insectarium can solve many of
these problems. On the other hand, research in this field is mostly unheard of, and
governor budgets have almost completely shifted to plan implementation, while the
research section has neglected some main questions about mass rearing (Attaran and
Dadpour Moghanloo 2011).
17.2.1.1.2 Mass Production of Trichogramma
During 2018–19, more than 240 kg of the host eggs containing Trichogramma
pupae have been purchased in the country under contracts between the PPO and
the producers. Perhaps the most important issue in cost-effective production of
Trichogramma is production efficiency, which should not diminish the importance
of Trichogramma strain selection and other qualitative issues. In the current massrearing system in Iran, the efficiency of production is about 1 to 3 because a single
female Trichogramma in the mass rearing only provides six parasitized eggs.
Comparing this to the wasp fertility of about 100 eggs from each female under
normal conditions means wasting of some production inputs by taking into account
the efficiency of production of S. cereallela eggs, from each kilogram of barley; thus
about 1 g of the Trichogramma is released. To increase the production efficiency of
Trichogramma, a high-quality host should be produced, and by selecting the appropriate strain of the wasp, the rearing process has to be optimized. Proper planning for
mass production management is another factor that plays an important role in
17 Analytical Approach to Opportunities and Obstacles of Iranian Biological. . .
609