This study was conducted in the Korhogo region in an age gradient of mango orchards. The goal was to assess diversity and determine the influence of the environment on the composition of these organisms. Sampling was done using pitfall traps, threshing and manual collection. A total of 82 ant species were sampled on all plots. The cultivated plots are richer in ant species than the natural environment. Of the three (3) sampling methods, the Manual Collection proved to be more efficient (eff = 79.52%), followed by threshing (eff = 75.15%) and finally the least effective trap pit (eff = 73.39%). The number of individuals of the species varies according to the environment. The highest value was obtained in the young plot (485 individuals), followed by the intermediate plot (478 individuals), then the older plot (426 individuals) and finally the control plot (320 individuals). The species Camponotus acvapimensis was harvested mainly with 159 individuals. On the other hand, the species Lepisiota sp.1; Camponotus rufigenis, Camponotus sericeus and Oecophylla longinoda were specifically harvested in the control, young, intermediate and aged plots, respectively.

To maintain its status of leading producer of cocoa in the world, Côte d'Ivoire must be contain the different types of threats, including the emergence of termites in cocoa farms. This study was conducted in the south-west of the country to evaluate the effect of cropping systems (full sun system, intermediate system and shaded system) on termite attacks. The study was conducted in four localities with different cocoa agroforestry systems. The sampling was made on cocoa trees in quadrats of 30mx30m and the attack rate was calculated. Eleven (11) termite species were identified. The wood-feeders groups were dominant. These termites were responsible for 41.82% of the damage on cocoa trees. Termite Attacks vary between different cropping systems. Full sun systems were most attacked comparing to intermediate shade systems that were least attacked by termites. This work shows that the shade system has an effect on termite attacks in cacao trees. The choice of right system can help to significantly reduce termite attacks in cocoa farms.

The presence of termites in the cocoa plantations and quarries of Côte d'Ivoire poses a threat to the producers of this sector. Producer yields are insufficient to cover the strong market demand. This situation leads to food insecurity for the population. Knowledge of the specific inhibitory molecules of digestive enzymes of termites is necessary to enhance the effectiveness of insecticides to optimize crop production. The present study was aimed to characterize termite cellulases according to the trophic group. Specifically, the influence of chemical agents on the cellulase activities of four humivorous (Cubitermes fungifaber) and xylophagous termites (Nasutitermes latifrons, Microcerotermes fuscotibialis and Amitermes guineensis) collected in Daloa during the October period was investigated. Thus, the cellulase activities were measured by the spectrophotometric method in the absence and in the presence of the concentrations of 1 and 5 mM of various chemical agents. The chemical agents used behaved differently on cellulase activities. Thus, Cu2+, Pb2+ and EDTA inhibited the cellulase activity of M. fuscotibialis more than 90% at concentrations of 1 and 5 mM, respectively, indicating the presence of a metalloprotein. On the other hand, that of the other two xylophagous species was slightly inhibited. In addition, the cellulase activity of C. Fungifaber was inhibited at the two respective concentrations by Cu2+ at about 70%. In conclusion, Cu2+, pb2+ and EDTA can be used in the formulation of some specific insecticides against humivorous and xylophagous termites.

No abstract

In the search for biological substances for sustainable agriculture, the present study proposes to use fungal biofertilizers to improve the production of tomato crop. Thus, two species of dried superior fungi (Psathyrella tuberculata and Daldinia concentrica) were milled for use as soil fertilizer. Psathyrella tuberculata, Daldinia concentrica and a combination of P. tuberculata+D. concentrica were used as organic fertilizer for tomato plants grown from COBRA 26. The effect of these three fertilizers was compared with NPK 10-18-18 and the control. The results showed that the fungal fertilizers contributed to the improvement of tomato production. The highest values for the parameter number of fruits were obtained with the first group consisting of plots that received PSTU (2.42), DACO (2.75), NPK (2.75), PSTU+ DACO (3.00) and the lowest value on the plot TEMOIN (0.41). The combination of PSTU+DACO (3.00) gave the statistically higher values than the other fertilizers. The highest yield was recorded on the plots enriched with PSTU+DACO (6.67 t/ha). From the 30th DAR onwards, plants from plots fertilized with DACO, PSTU+DACO and PSTU started to flower. From 37 to 44 days, the plots with the highest number of flowering plants were those treated with PSTU (28 plants).