Silvère Tovignan's research while affiliated with University of Parakou and other places

In Africa, mixed cropping and intercropping are widely practiced, boosting the provision of ecosystem services such as improved pest control, nutrient cycling, and systems profitability. This study aimed at characterizing the role of associated crops in organic banana and plantain cropping systems and investigating their contribution to pest control and improved productivity of the system. The type of associated crops, crop productivity/profitability, and arthropod communities were assessed in 12 organic banana farmer’s fields randomly selected. The attractiveness potential of predator arthropods in the plots of three vegetable species and cowpea associated with organic plantains was evaluated using an experimental site. In total, 2112 arthropod specimens were collected in organic banana farms including 975 individuals of predatory arthropods. The abundance of several predators including seven-spot ladybird Coccinella septempunctata, staphylinids Staphylinus sp., ants Camponotus sp., spiders Araneus sp. and some herbivore species variegated locust Zonocerus variegatus and vegetable leafminer Liriomyza sativae was manly observed in the gardens. The abundance of the three pest herbivores Chaetanaphothrips, Southern Green Stink Bug Nezara viridula, and Diabrotica virgifera were lower in the presence of associated plant species. Mixed gardens (or intercrops) had a significant effect on the overall productivity and financial profitability of the banana and plantain cropping systems. Groundnut and banana and plantain associations had the highest average gross margin per hectare followed by association with maize. In the experimental site, the predator abundance was highest on Vernonia amygdalina followed by Vigna unguiculata and Ocimum gratissimum. These Findings show out interesting banana and crop association which could help to implement strategies for sustainable ecological pest management.

Diseases and pests are a growing threat to small and large banana farmers and can cause catastrophic losses. Diseases affect all parts of the plant and are caused by fungi, bacteria and viruses. Although their impact is generally less devastating, pests, mainly insects and nematodes, are also significant factors. For better management of these diseases and pests, several technologies and or agroecological practices are often used by small farmers but are not often known or disseminated. Here, we did a meta-analysis combined with a review to describe banana diseases and pests as well as agroecological methods for their management. On the basis of the meta-analysis, 11 main bananas pests and diseases have been identified. Depending on the importance of their management by agroecological methods, Mycosphaerella fijiensis was most studied here (Z-value = 0.48), followed by the nematodes Radopholus similis (Z-value = 0.32) and Helicotylenchus multicinctus (Z-value = 0.32). The insect pests Erionota thrax (Z-value = 0.28), Cosmopolites sordidus (Z-value = 0.23) and Polytus mellerborgi (Z-value = 0.22) were also widely studied. Banana Bunchy Top Disease (BBTD) was moderately studied (Z-value = 0.26). There was a significant positive response of pest and disease to agroecological practices / technologies. Agricultural technologies involving the use of predators to control pests and the use of biopesticides were the most demonstrated in studies. This study made it possible to make a synthesis of the agroecological technologies and practices used to be disseminated for the bananas production by small farmers.

Beekeeping faces numerous challenges, including the use of agrochemicals. Honeybee colonies are lost because of chemical pesticides use in agriculture to control pests and diseases, which affects detoxifying mechanisms and immune responses, making them more vulnerable to parasites. The purpose of this study was to investigate people’s perception of the impact of agricultural pesticide use on the honeybee community and honey production in northern Benin. A survey was conducted using a questionnaire among 100 beekeepers. Individual interviews were used to gather information on treated crops, the distance between beehives and these cultivated fields, the effect of pesticides and herbicides, alternative methods to pesticide use and honey production. Chemical pesticides such as Callifor G, Kalach, Atrazila 80 WP, Herbextra, Atraforce, Adwumawura (480 SL), Cottonex, Thalis, Cotonix and Cypercal P 330 EC were used in agricultural fields, and beehives were typically found near treated fields. The majority of beekeepers (79%) are aware of the risks associated with pesticides and employ non-pesticide alternatives such as biopesticides to minimize them. In general, beekeepers reported a reduction in the big breed of bees and a 40% decrease in the little breed. When the beehives were placed far away from the treated areas, the honey yield was higher. Alternative pest management strategies to farmers' pesticide use would result in long-term increases in honey production and would constitute the main step of the conversion to organic apiculture in northern Benin.

This article is a systematic review of the knowledge of technical-economic and environmental performance in agroecological transition. The data collected in the Scopus and dimension database concerned exclusively published articles and journals, using the relevant terms. Thus, 227 documents exported from Scopus and dimension were submitted to a bibliometric analysis with the Citespace software, then the inclusion and exclusion criteria were carried out according to the ROSES standards. The results reveal that the annual production of studies related to the technical-economic and environmental performance in agro-ecological transition is increasing with an annual growth rate of about 1.3%. There is a common understanding of agroecological transition. The agroecological transition addresses the problems of the food system from field to plate, covering all activities and actors involved in the cultivation based on natural resources. Among the agroecological practices analyzed, the application of compost seems the most promising to be scaled up to improve economic and environmental performance.

This article is a systematic review of the knowledge of technical-economic and environmental performance in agroecological transition. The data collected in the Scopus and dimension database concerned exclusively published articles and journals, using the relevant terms. Thus, 227 documents exported from Scopus and dimension were submitted to a bibliometric analysis with the Citespace software, then the inclusion and exclusion criteria were carried out according to the ROSES standards. The results reveal that the annual production of studies related to the technical-economic and environmental performance in agro-ecological transition is increasing with an annual growth rate of about 1.3%. There is a common understanding of agroecological transition. The agroecological transition addresses the problems of the food system from field to plate, covering all activities and actors involved in the cultivation based on natural resources. Among the agroecological practices analyzed, the application of compost seems the most promising to be scaled up to improve economic and environmental performance.