Ecofriendly nets to improve food security in cabbage, tomato and other vegetables grown in sub-Saharan Africa for domestic consumption

Cultivation of vegetables for domestic consumption in subsaharan Africa such as cabbage and tomato by small-holder farmers is constrained by several pests damaging the crops extensively. Protection of these crops is generally by repeated application of chemicals. The evaluation of continuous coverage of cabbage and tomato with nets under different climate conditions in Benin and Kenya proved extremely effective to protect the crop both in the nursery and in the main fields against the lepidopteran, the key pests. However, netting does not protect against small insects such as aphids and whiteflies although visual barrier can sometimes delay infestations. As soon as they pass the net they quickly multiply in the absence of predator which do not pass through the nets. Besides, we showed that smaller is the mesh, lower is the parasitism rates of aphid. An alternative option to conserve the natural enemies is to open the nets once per week during the day. The smallscale growers of cabbage using nets in Benin and Kenya have reduced the number of pesticide application by 70% to 100% from their normal practice. Moreover in Kenya, nettings may improve tomato plant production by improving microclimate conditions in addition to the crop protection. After the successful experimentation and demonstration of the technique to small growers in Benin and Kenya, ecofriendly nets are now in the process of large-scale technology diffusion. Original title, complete list of authors, and sourcesECO-FRIENDLY NETS TO IMPROVE VEGETABLE PRODUCTION AND QUALITY IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICAMartin, T12, Saidi, M3, Komlan, FA4, Simon, S14, Kasina, M5, Vidogbena, F6, Parrot, L1, Adegbidi, A6, Wasilwa, LA5, Subramanian, S2, Ngouajio, M7thibaud.martin@cirad.fr1Cirad, Montpellier, France2Icipe, Nairobi, Kenya3Egerton University, Kenya4INRAB, Cotonou, Benin5KARI, Nairobi, Kenya6University ofAbomeyCalavi, Benin7Michigan State University, Lansing, USA IHC 2014, International Horticulture Congress, 17-22 August 2014, Brisbane, http://www.ihc2014.org/ The picture is by Arrigoni, a company speciallized in agricultural nets working internationally ? Key words Tomate?????????????????????????????? tomatotamatie??????????????? ????????? ????????????????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????? ?????? tomaat??????????????? pomodoro????????? pomidor????????????????????????????? ?????????????????? domates???????????? ??????? ??????????????? Col???????? repollocabbage??????????????? kool?????? ?????????????????????? brasikochou????? ????????????????????? ????????????????????????? cavolo?? kapusta?????????????? repolho??????????????? ????????????????????? lahana? ???????????????????? Kohl??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?