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IITA vegetable IPM project

1. Rationale for IITA involvement

1.1 Development need

The increasing democratization process in Africa is opening a new window of opportunity for Governments to re-establish their countries on a sustainable pathway to prosperity. Governments recognize that for democracy and good governance to take root, the population must see tangible dividends, especially in economic opportunities for the unemployed. In this regard, Governments proclaim that agriculture will play a leading role in national economic transformation drive. Indigenous and exotic vegetables will play a key role in nutrition, food security and poverty reduction programmes for the growing populations of rural and urban poor within the context of the expected agricultural advancement.

Increasing production demands coupled with finite agricultural resources will threaten the sustainability of the vegetable production ecologies. Within this framework, pests, diseases, and harmful pesticide regimes in particular will combine to reduce yields and pose major risks to human and environmental health. The development objective of this project is therefore to help increase the productivity and profitability of small-scale vegetable agricultural systems, and thereby contribute to increased food security and poverty alleviation in the region. This will be done through the development and implementation of ecologically-sustainable vegetable plant protection intervention technologies, mostly through participatory methods and processes. The vegetable research and extension capability in participating countries will be strengthened through training, international collaboration and access to more technical information.

1.2 Envisioned success or impact

The purpose of the vegetable IPM project is to reduce harmful pesticide regimes (by substituting synthetic chemical pesticides with biological alternatives) that contaminate the production environment and the produce, and act as barriers to trade and causes of poor human heath. In the short-term, farmers will reduce harmful pesticide regimes by 60% compared to baseline figures and reduce pest damage in major crops by at least 30% in targeted fields. In the medium term, farmers will increase crop yields by at least 20% more than in current farmers’ practices. In the longer term, a wider set of mutually reinforcing opportunities for raising incomes should become available, including new commercial ventures in such areas as seed multiplication schemes for resistant crop varieties, local production of alternatives to chemical pesticides. Given the substantial economic costs of pest infestations in vegetable agroecosystems, the long-term gains will impact positively on income earning potential and overall agricultural productivity.

2. R4D pathway

2.1 Research interventions

Plant protection problem diagnoses: IITA has generated extensive baseline information on the diversity, distribution, economic importance of pests/diseases and associated natural enemies in vegetable production, mostly at urban and peri-urban areas of Benin. The main crops sampled were Solanum macrocarpon L. (commonly known as gboma), Amaranthus sp (amaranth), Brassica oleracea L.(cabbage), Daucus carota L. (carrot), Lactuca sativa L (lettuce.), Allium cepa L. (onion), Capsicum frutesence L. (pepper), Solanum melongena L (aubergine), Cucumis sativus L. (cucumber), Phaseolus vulgaris L. (green beans), and Lycopersicon esculentum Mill (tomato). The baseline survey database as comprises a comprehensive pest list and geo-referenced distribution maps with accompanying graphs depicting location specific data on economic damage per pest in each of the administrative regions surveyed in the country. The database provides a basis to initiate the development of historical profiles on the changing status of vegetable pest problems, e.g., as would have been impacted upon by interventions. The project’s methodology and database on vegetable IPM would however need to be applied to a wider range of countries seeking to benefit from trade opportunities with USA, for example.

Soil health: Root knot nematodes, (RKN, Meloidogyne spp), are major production constraints in vegetables. IITA R4D aims to evaluate a wide range of botanicals for nematicidal properties and develop and evaluate different application methods and formulations of the products; ascertain the efficacy of microbial antagonists against RKN; carry out multi-locational trials on the efficacy of these biological alternatives to toxic synthetic chemical nematicides.

Water quality: IITA has initiated pesticide residue research to specify pesticide contamination of production environments. The study monitors pesticide residue levels in irrigation and ground water, assess pesticide dissipation in soils and from plant surfaces (at harvest). In additional to studies on pesticide residues in irrigation water, there is a need for studies in the microbial/macrobial fauna and flora that contaminate the produce at harvest. In pesticide residue research, there is the need to identify and train a suitable technician for IPM field auditing and produce certification as part means to promote vegetable trade..

Entomopathogens against foliage pests: In the search for biological alternatives to toxic pesticides, the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana is increasingly gaining the attention of vegetable producers as effective candidate microbial pesticides in the management of leaf and fruit feeding Lepidoptera. Eight isolates of fungal pathogens were tested for their respective virulence against diamondback moth (DBM) larvae. DBM mortality caused by B. bassiana 5653 (Bba5653) was 92% at two days after treatment and 94% at 6 DAT, and was significantly higher than for the other isolates tested. In farmer participatory field trials with 28 community organizers at seven farmer field school (FFS) locations the high virulence of Bba5653 to control DBM larvae and pupae was obtained. Bba5653 out-competed the chemical pesticide Talstar and was approximately 100% more efficient in DBM control. Across sites DBM population density and mortality were consistently higher in plots treated with the chemical insecticide Talstar and in control plots than in those treated with Bba5653. Additionally, cabbage yield was significantly at least 2.5 times higher in plots treated with the biopesticide than in plots treated with Talstar or left untreated plots. In laboratory trials on Lepidoptera pests of amaranth, B. bassiana isolate Bba5648 is more virulent to H. recurvalis than any of the other isolates tested. Bba5648 caused 100% mortality of H. recurvalis larvae 5 days after inoculation and 83% of the dead larvae show signs of mycosis (fungal sporulation). A third isolate Bba5644 caused the highest mortality of P. basalis larvae (100%) with 83% dead larvae with fungal sporulation, Bba5648 and Bba5644 have been selected for field trials against H. recurvalis and P. basalis respectively. IITA has initiated the development of cost-effective techniques for mass production of new biopesticide candidates such as B. bassiana isolates which seems to hold good promise for control Lepidoptera pests of cabbage, gboma and amaranth. The project also initiated diagnosis of limitations to local commercialization of vegetable produce in order to advise on organizations structures and the opportunities that can lead to development of an enterprise of production and commercialization of healthy vegetables.

Life table studies on mite pest of S. macrocarpon and amaranth) have provided a basis to develop biological control approaches against the pests. A number of predatory mites (phytoseiid species) encountered on S. macrocarpon can play vital roles in biological control of P. latus on the crop. The studies also indicated that host type greatly affect development, fecundity and life-table parameters of mite pests, especially T. ludeni. Adult longevity and daily oviposition rate of T. ludeni were similar on the two vegetable crops. Total fecundity was, however, higher on A. cruentus than on S. macrocarpon.

IPM application: In capacity building of vegetable producers, the IITA has completed three sessions of training of trainers (ToT) combined with farmer field school/FFS in Benin. The training covered 81 farmer’s group representatives (30% women farmers) who serve as farmer-trainers of 435 vegetable producers (Table 4) at their respective 28 vegetable production sites in urban and peri-urban areas of southern Benin. The ToT/FFS was integrated with research and extension by community organizers to enable farmers to understand the need for correct and timely crop and pest observations coupled with field plot experiments as the bases for informed decision making for plant protection interventions. Participants’ evaluation of the training and secondary transfer of the information and skills show some changes in farmers’ production practices. For example, on S. macrocarpon, s ToT/FFS trained farmers have reduced the use of chemical pesticide and increased the dosage of the chicken droppings to 40t/ha to enhance vegetable health and limit pest damage on their vegetable production plots. In cabbage production, farmers keenly await sustainable supply of Bba5653 for DBM control. A TV public awareness campaign focusing on the project’s results on the use of biopesticide Bba5653 against DBM enabled trained farmers to present and discuss their new experiences with and need for friendly environmental alternatives to chemical pesticides. Based on the project’s implementation experience, vegetable IPM field guides have been drafted to assist extension agents and farmers in farm-level integration of plant protection and plant production practices to grow a healthy crop of 10 most common vegetables in Benin. The guides are based on common farm-level questions generated during project implementation, and designed on a 'question and answer' format to facilitate problem solving and learning.

Germplasm collection: Vegetable farmers are eager for improved vegetable varieties and planting materials, especially of their indigenous vegetables. In Benin, IITA has initiated an on-station but farmer managed collection of vegetable crops as basis for subsequent vegetable crop improvement research. It is highly essential, as a next step, to straighten out the taxonomy of indigenous vegetable crops and then systematize the germplasm collection in ways that enable IITA to house a nationwide collection and eventually to a sub-regional collection.

2.2 Development implications

The primary beneficiaries are small-scale farmers, mostly women and the unemployed, who will benefit from increased capacity to manage vegetable production systems for higher and stable productivity and profitability, and foster healthy production environments. The farmers and other stakeholders will not adopt, support or promote IPM interventions unless it is in their interests to do so. In poor countries, this means that interventions must raise their net incomes and improve their food security, preferably in the short as well as the medium and longer terms. National agricultural research and extension systems (NARS) will also need to benefit from international collaboration, training and exchange of information and genetic resources. Gender analysis should form part of the baseline activities on institutional and livelihood analysis to guide design of the project’s partnership model. Through field days, national policy makers will be exposed to the results of women’s groups, and thereby help to increase the profile of women’s contributions to national economic growth. Overall, the project should result in lower vegetable production costs, increased household security, economic growth and environmental quality, high quality of produce for consumers. The project should have these impacts already during its lifetime, to be increased later as new research and its products become available.

2.3 Partnerships and roles

IITA's pioneering role and success with developing and delivering IPM systems in sub-Sahara Africa and its historically strong linkage with the NARS for capacity building through training and collaborative research at all levels provide the foundation for the institute to manage and coordinate this project. The partners will be international organizations/experts who serve as technical resource partners on cross-cutting issues, e.g., review and advise on local action plans; harmonize project approaches across sites; facilitate the development of training curricula and related decision support information resources; identify and facilitate exchange of intervention technologies to increase farmer access to resources that have been developed elsewhere; develop mechanisms such as mentored study tours for information exchange and sharing of expertise between countries (where needed), organizations and policy makers; organize learning workshops for study tour participants to identify and promote success factors, challenges, and cornerstones that will underpin project planning, execution and management. Key actors will be farmers groups (particularly women), government agencies, NARES, NGOs, and CBOs with responsibility for location-specific activities, e.g., sensitize policy makers on the concept and benefits of the project and different project approaches; identify, select and mobilize suitable human, technical and materials resources in the country; prepare, organize and supervise project implementation plans; provide technical support to project implementation; facilitate joint learning and field experimentation by farmers; Promote participatory extension of sustainable IPM practices; provide oversight for national project implementation; monitor, supervise and coordinate project activities

2.4 Exit or transfer strategy

Educational activities such as experiential learning, action research and local research capacity building through student training will be central to project exit strategy. In the strategy, the project will encourage national research-for-development partners to develop collaborative research protocols on follow-up action plans and undertake resource mobilization for the generation, testing and sharing of IPM knowledge and technologies with vegetable production groups in other localities requiring similar assistance in target country. Towards sustainability of results, producers and other pertinent actors will be facilitated to integrate IPM experiences into vegetable crop development activities. Together with specially trained community organizers the project will develop and implement effective mechanisms to scale out results/gains within the communities served. Community organisers will be encouraged to plan and coordinate local action plans and assist neighbouring communities with minimal (supervisory) input from external technical agencies.

2.5 Feedback for research design

The success of project activities will depend largely on how well farmers understand and combine knowledge of biological and ecological processes with their own farming experiences to develop and select vegetable pest management options. In this regard, participatory learning will provide the key to capacity building for wider adoption of IPM options in the fight against food insecurity and poverty and fed back.

2.6 Final outcome

The project will leave behind a) clearer guidelines for informed decision making on independent IPM development and delivery; b) mechanisms to ensure local availability and timely access of vegetable producers to proven IPM options; c) a wider range of novel and proven IPM options as alternatives to harmful pesticide regimes, and d) increased local ownership of IPM processes, approaches and results leading to wider adoption and scaling out these gains.