WAFFI, West African Fruit Fly Initiative

Last update: 5 April 2018

WAFFI was a CIRAD-IITA research for development project in Benin and several other West African countries, aimed at promoting a range of integrated control methods against fruit flies.
Duration: 2008-2012
Female Bactrocera dorsalis laying eggs in a mango © J.F. Vayssières (CIRAD/IITA)

The WAFFI project was based on a substantial conservative biological control component, using the repellent effect on mango pests of Oecophylla ants and to a lesser extent their predation activities (on fruit fly larvae).

These integrated control operations are continuing under other projects (With the University of Aarhus, WECARD project) and have helped us launch and participate in PhD courses on Oecophylla ants (with the Agricultural Science Faculty at Abomey-Calavi University in Cotonou), with collaborations in Senegal (UCAD) and other West African countries.

Oecophylla ants nests on mango © J.F. Vayssières (CIRAD/IITA)

The project has enbabled the launch of several studies with a view to controlling the effects of Oecophylla  ants on fruit fly populations in the case of Benin. See the UR HortSys  website.

Last update: 5 April 2018