Project of University Development Cooperation - Own Initiative 2007 - Entomopathogenic nematodes for sustainable control of CHIve midge and

The overall academic objective of the project is to contribute to the increase of the capacity of Chinese Research Institutes. The two Institutes have excellent staff, but are limited both in equipment and in skills. Providing opportunities for training of the staff and supplementing appropriate equipment to the laboratories certainly will increase the impact of the Institutes on the farming community. One can expect that the project not only will be effective for the immediate research target, it will also reflect on other and new research ideas. The combination of two Chinese partners with a Flemish University has additional advantages because each of the partners has expertise in a particular field of the target research and will make available to the others. This way of operating not only allows transfer of knowledge and capacity building from Flanders to the Chinese partners; it also stimulates cooperation and transfer of expertise within China, strengthening the input from Flanders. Moreover, the cooperation between three partners allows expanding the activities. It further allows the study of two different model insects, which is of academic relevance. The developmental overall objective is to contribute to the reduction of the impact of two major insects (chive midge in chives in Northern China and the flea beetle in crucifers in Southern China) on the sustainable vegetable production in China. If the established strategy is cost effective, sustainable, environmentally sound and involves the local farming communities it will decrease the impact of the target insects, reduce the exposure of the farmer and the public to toxic chemicals, diminish residues of chemicals in the vegetable, stimulate the vegetable export and eventually improve the living conditions of the farmers.

The specific academic objective is to strengthen applied nematology research in Research Institutes in Guangzhou and Baoding (China) by training of their young scientists via research and PhD programs. It was decided to select this specific academic objective because improvement of the capacity of both institutes not only will make possible to execute the foreseen research program, it will also make possible to start other research projects in the same or related fields. There is no alternative solution. It is foreseen: (i) to train two Chinese PhD students at Ghent University and at their local institutes (one from each of the institutes), (ii) to provide a short term training at Ghent University for four young scientists (two from each of the institutes), and (iii) to provide the research institutes with the equipment necessary to execute the research program in China. These indicators and targets are proposed because they will have a durable impact on both research institutes. The specific developmental specific objective is to make available and to demonstrate to farmers the use of entomopathogenic nematodes in order to reduce the impact of economically important insects in chives (chive midge) and crucifers (flea beetle). This specific developmental objective was selected because it fits within the research expertise of the Chinese and Flemish partners and adds to the expertise of both Chinese partners who can apply this in other conditions. Other specific objectives might be considered to reduce the impact of both insects: viz. crop rotation, selection of resistant cultivars, or use of plant extracts. However, these strategies either might not be of interest to the farmer because of his specialisation (rotation), take a very long time before their development (resistance), or tackle only a late stage of the insects (above ground parts treated with plant extracts). It is foreseen: (i) to produce Chinese strains of entomopathogenic nematodes, (ii) to organise comparative experiments with these strains and frequently used insecticides in chives and cruciferous crops in Baoding and Guangzhou, (iii) to organise farmers' schools for the demonstration of the application of entomopathogenic nematodes. These indicators and targets are proposed because of their logic sequence.