Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Urban and Peri-Urban Horticulture in Benin

Entomology: Intensive diagnoses for aphid pests at 31 vegetable sites across Benin show that 22 vegetable species and 15 weed species were favourite hosts of the aphids. The aphid pest list includes a) Aphis gossipii G. (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on Abelmosch us esculentus (okra), Capsicum frutescence L./Capsicum annum (hot pepper/sweet pepper), Solanum macrocarpon L. (African garden eggplant), Cucumis sativus L. (cucumber); b) Lipaphis erysimi K. (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on Brassica oleracea L. (cabbage) and Br assica rapa (turnip), and c) ?Hyadaphis coriandri D. (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on Coriandrum sativum L. (coriander) and Vernonia sp. and d) other not yet identified aphids on amaranth; Ocimum spp. (basil), lettuce, Corchorus olitorus L. (bush okra/ West Afri can sorrel), Raphanus raphanistrum (white charlock), Cucurbita pepo (zucchini), Hibiscus sabdariffa L. (red sorrel), Daucus carota L. (carrot), Phaseolus sp. (green beans); Lycopersicon esculentum Mill (tomato); Citrullus lanatus (watermelon); Mentha (min ts); Celosia, Solanum melongena L. (aubergine). The most common alternate host plants of the aphids were the weeds, Chromoleana odorata, Euphorbia hirta, Catharantus roseus and Palisota hirsuta. In the assessment of natural enemy diversity associated with aphid colonies on vegetables, 11 species of natural enemies were identified and four of them are being mass reared to test their potentials in aphid pest management. Socio-economics: An informal survey on vegetable production systems and the use of chemi cal pesticides and bio pesticides was carried-out in the peri-urban and urban vegetable gardens of Parakou, Bohicon, Cotonou, Sèmè-Kpodji and Porto-Novo.This work will lead to an MSc-thesis at the University of Abomey Calavi, Cotonou, Benin. Masterstude nter: En MSc-student, tverrfaglig studie i samfunnsvitenskap og naturvitenskap, har avsluttet og fått sin MSc fra UMB. Tre andre masterstudenter er under utdanning i Frankrike og Benin.