Hessian Fly Resistant Wheat Varieties

Reduce wheat losses due to Hessian fly and increase yield

"The improved Hessian Fly Resistant Wheat Varieties are specially bred wheat plants that have a natural ability to defend themselves against the Hessian fly, a destructive insect. These varieties have been carefully developed to withstand attacks from the fly's larvae, which can cause significant damage to regular wheat crops. This defense mechanism acts like a shield, safeguarding the wheat from harm. These plants have been created through selective breeding methods, resulting in strong and resilient crops. This technology provides a vital tool for farmers, offering a practical and effective solution to protect their wheat fields and secure their harvests."

This technology is TAAT1 validated.

8•8

Scaling readiness: idea maturity 8/9; level of use 8/9

Project adoption2

Technology integrated in the PUPSAN, and TAISP projects.

See project details ›

Adults 18 and over: Positive medium

The poor: Positive medium

Under 18: Positive low

Women: Positive low

Climate adaptability: Highly adaptable

Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement

Biodiversity: No impact on biodiversity

Carbon footprint: Same amount of carbon released

Environmental health: Greatly improves environmental health

Soil quality: Does not affect soil health and fertility

Water use: A bit less water used

Problem

Threat to wheat production: Hessian fly infestations can undermine wheat production in affected agricultural regions.
Significant crop damage: Severe infestations can damage wheat plants and contribute to production losses.
Vulnerability of young wheat: Young seedlings require effective protection because they are particularly susceptible to Hessian fly larvae.
Dependence on chemical control: Conventional pest management may require significant use of insecticides to protect wheat crops.
Economic burden of pest management: Repeated pesticide applications can increase the cost of protecting wheat production at program and farmer levels.
Environmental concerns: Heavy reliance on chemical pesticides can create environmental management challenges.
Need for sustainable crop protection: Agricultural programs need effective pest management options that reduce dependence on chemical control.
Need for coordinated pest management: Effective control requires the deployment of resistant varieties alongside monitoring and complementary management practices.

Solution

Sustainable crop protection: Resistant wheat varieties provide a crop-based approach to managing Hessian fly pressure.
Reduced production losses: The technology helps protect wheat yields by limiting pest-related crop damage.
Reduced pesticide dependence: Resistant varieties can reduce the need to rely exclusively on chemical insecticides.
Protection of vulnerable seedlings: Natural resistance provides additional protection during early wheat development.
Integration into pest management programs: Resistant varieties can complement monitoring, recommended planting schedules, reservoir host management, and targeted insecticide use.
Support for coordinated pest management: Wider deployment of resistant varieties can strengthen collective efforts to reduce Hessian fly populations.
Scalable seed-based intervention: Government programs can support multiplication and distribution of resistant seed through agricultural institutions and seed companies.
Support for wheat production stability: Reducing pest-related damage can help agricultural programs protect wheat production and food availability.

Key points to design your project

This technology promotes gender inclusion by enhancing nutrition, offering essential nutrients, and improving food security in Africa. Additionally, it aligns with Sustainable Development Goals by addressing hunger and poverty, particularly benefiting women and children.

To integrate this technology into your project, create a list of project activities and prerequisites:

- Estimate the quantity/cost of seed needed for your project knowing that the price tag of certified seed for wheat that withstands the insect pest ranges between 35 and 43 USD per hectare when purchased from international markets. Preventing severe Hessian fly outbreaks requires coordinated efforts among local and regional farmers to cultivate 50% to 80% of cropland with resistant wheat varieties.

- As the technology is available in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Senegal, Sudan, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, include the delivery cost to the project site and account for import clearance and duties if relevant.

A team of trainers could provide training and support during project installation. Include the cost for monitoring pest outbreaks, training and post-training support for using the technology.

Communication support for the technology should be developed (flyers, videos, radio broadcasts, etc.)

For better optimization of this technology, it is recommended to Integrated Management of Insects, Diseases and Weeds in Wheat.

To implement the technology in your country, you could collaborate with agricultural development institutes and seed multiplication companies.

79—100 %

Protection of plants from pests

5.5—7.1 tons/ha

yield potential

105 USD

Additional production of forages per ha

IP

Scaling Readiness describes how complete a technology's development is and its ability to be scaled. It produces a score that measures a technology's readiness along two axes: the level of maturity of the idea itself, and the level to which the technology has been used so far.

Each axis goes from 0 to 9 where 9 is the “ready-to-scale” status. For each technology profile in the e-catalogs we have documented the scaling readiness status from evidence given by the technology providers. The e-catalogs only showcase technologies for which the scaling readiness score is at least 8 for maturity of the idea and 7 for the level of use.

The graph below represents visually the scaling readiness status for this technology, you can see the label of each level by hovering your mouse cursor on the number.

Scaling readiness score of this technology

Maturity of the idea 8 out of 9

Uncontrolled environment: tested

Level of use 8 out of 9

Used by some intended users, in the real world

Maturity of the idea										Level of use
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9

Project	Countries	Beneficiaries	Budget (USD) & duration	Key figures
PUPSAN Emergency Production and Food & Nutrition Security Project	Mali	Direct: 35,274	7.04 million 2023–2026	1,027.14 tons certified seeds distributed 2,234 tons fertilizers provided 8,819 ha cultivated land production 11,145.6 tons additional production expected
TAISP Agricultural Inputs Support Project	Tanzania	Direct: 1,200,000	84.07 million 2022–2028	7,200 tons wheat seeds provided 1,000,000 tons additional production expected 600,000 tons fertilizers provided 1,200,000 farmers registered on digital platforms

Project

Countries

Beneficiaries

Budget (USD) & duration

Key figures

PUPSAN
Emergency Production and Food & Nutrition Security Project

Mali

Direct: 35,274

7.04 million

2023–2026

1,027.14 tons certified seeds distributed
2,234 tons fertilizers provided
8,819 ha cultivated land production
11,145.6 tons additional production expected

TAISP
Agricultural Inputs Support Project

Tanzania

Direct: 1,200,000

84.07 million

2022–2028

7,200 tons wheat seeds provided
1,000,000 tons additional production expected
600,000 tons fertilizers provided
1,200,000 farmers registered on digital platforms

Figures in italic are from project plans and may change during implementation.

Countries with a green colour: Tested & adopted
Countries with a bright green colour: Adopted
Countries with a yellow colour: Tested
Countries with a blue colour: Testing ongoing

Countries where the technology is being tested or has been tested and adopted
Country	Testing ongoing	Tested	Adopted
Burkina Faso	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Ethiopia	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Kenya	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Mali	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Mozambique	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Senegal	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Sudan	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Tanzania	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Zambia	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Zimbabwe	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted

This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones. Any zones shown in white are not suitable for this technology.

Agro-ecological zones where this technology can be used
AEZ	Subtropic - warm	Subtropic - cool	Tropic - warm	Tropic - cool
Arid
Semiarid
Subhumid
Humid

Source: HarvestChoice/IFPRI 2009

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that are applicable to this technology.

Goal 1: no poverty

Goal 2: zero hunger

Goal 8: decent work and economic growth

Obtain Certified Seed: Acquire certified Hessian Fly Resistant Wheat seed from reputable sources.
Planting Process: Follow standard local recommendations for planting, including seeding depth and spacing.
Complementary Practices:
- Adhere to Planting Schedules: Follow recommended planting schedules for the specific region and climate.
- Destruction of Reservoir Hosts (Green Bridges): Clear surrounding areas of potential host plants to minimize fly populations.
- Use of Insecticides (if necessary): Apply insecticides as a supplementary measure if required, following recommended guidelines.
Monitor Crop Regularly: Keep a close eye on the crop throughout its growth stages to assess its resistance to Hessian fly infestations.