Farmers knowledge, perceptions and management of Kersting’s groundnut (Macrotyloma geocarpum Harms) insect pests in Benin

Abstract

Background: Macrotyloma geocarpum Harms is a neglected and underutilized crop in Benin subject to several constraints including storage insect attacks, which contribute to the decrease in its production. An ethnobotanical survey using a semi-structured questionnaire was conducted in 15 villages in southern and central Benin to document farmers' perceptions of M. geocarpum storage insect pests and their traditional management practices. Results: The results showed that insect pest were the most important storage constraint of M. geocarpum. To overcome this constraint, the promotion of resistant landraces has been proposed by farmers. Six vernaculars names of storage insect pests of M. geocarpum were identified throughout the study area and all corresponding to Callosobruchus maculatus (F.) which proved to be the most abundant insect in the stocks. Palatability and fragility of seeds coat have been identified by farmers as the main factors favoring the infestation by this pest. Various storage containers of M. geocarpum have been inventoried. Our study revealed that education, storage containers, and Kersting's groundnut landraces significantly influenced farmers' perceptions of severity of insect pest damages. The use of chemicals and repellent plants were the main control methods used by farmers to protect stocks. Different levels of resistance of M. geocarpum landraces to storage insect pests were reported. Conclusions: This study provides baseline information for development of integrated management approaches against storage insect pests of M. geocarpum. The perceived level of resistance to insect damage on Kersting's groundnut landraces needs to be investigated.

Sustainable Management of the Red Palm Weevil: The Nexus between Farmers’ Adoption of Integrated Pest Management and Their Knowledge of Symptoms

“…Consequently, some management practices should be implemented by the government and farmers, including developing a protocol for visual inspection of RPW infestation; establishing a quick, reliable, cost-effective, and easily applicable early detection device or technique for RPW infestation; and conducting a risk assessment of the area using both visual observation and pheromone traps [25]. This result is aligned with other studies [20,30,53,54] that have reported a positive relationship between knowledge of symptoms and IPM adoption for various pests.…”

Determinants for Deployment of Climate-Smart Integrated Pest Management Practices: A Meta-Analysis Approach

“…An integrated and effective approach to controlling pests requires good technical awareness and knowledge which necessitates continuous monitoring, thus rendering the approach more expensive with multiple indirect costs, unlike the plain usage of pesticides. Therefore, technical awareness and advocacy aimed at promoting CS-IPM innovations and the concept at large is indispensable and can only be achieved through an effective knowledge transfer process [32,65]. For example, deficiencies in knowledge have been found to be key impediments to innovation uptake among Ghana's farming households [29].…”

“…For example, deficiencies in knowledge have been found to be key impediments to innovation uptake among Ghana's farming households [29]. Unfortunately, most farm households in Africa either lack proper access to knowledge or sometimes are unable to utilize effectively existing knowledge [65]. Moreover, successful and useful adaptation to innovations necessitates the need to have sufficient knowledge about existing alternatives of the innovations to be adapted, the technical ability to evaluate these alternatives, and subsequently the technical capability to select contextually suitable alternatives for implementation [66,67].…”

Comparative Analysis of Proximate Compositions, Physical Properties, and Sensory Attributes of Kersting’s Groundnut (Macrotyloma geocarpum (Harms) Maréchal & Baudet) Accessions

“…Tey provide essential proteins, vitamins, and dietary fber for consumers. Kersting's groundnut is an important African indigenous leguminous crop grown on a small scale in West Africa [5]. It originated in West Africa and is widely consumed in Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, and Togo [6].…”