Aspects of Socioecological Studies of Groundnut Soil Pests: Farmers' Perspectives

Abstract

Reports by extension and research personnel working with the national agricultural research systems, and incessant complaints by groundnut farmers have continued to send signals on the increasing economic importance of soil pests in groundnut production in Western and Central Africa, and the need for research to be directed towards the development of control measures. The present report is based on responses from interviews with 70 groundnut farmers, and field visits spread across Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Nigeria on their farm histories, cultural practices, control measures during the 1996 cropping season, and the relationship between their responses and field observations on soil pests. Observations on soil pests were made on soil and plant samples taken simultaneously along the diagonals (or transec lines) of each sampled farm