Perception des paysans sur la contrainte de la mineuse de l’épi Heliocheilus albipunctella De Joannis, ravageur important du mil en zone sahélienne

Abstract

Farmers’ Perception of the Pearl Millet Head Miner Heliocheilus albipunctella De Joannis, a Major Millet Pest in the Sahelian Area Heliocheilus albipunctella De Joannis is an important millet pest in the Sahelian zone. To assess the farmers’ perception related to this pest, a survey was carried out in 5 agricultural areas of Niger. The survey was carried out in April 2016 including 732 pearl millet growers. The obtained results showed that: 1) 17% of the respondents were able to describe the life cycle of H. albipunctella; 2) since 28 years the pest causes an average production loss of 43 to 82% depending on the region; 3) 37-78% of the farmers are aware that early sowing, droughts and sandy soil favor the infestations of the Millet Worm; 4) most pest damages were observed at the millet maturity stage as indicated by half of the respondents; 5) more than 80% of farmers do not know any pest control method. The results showed a negative incidence of H. albipunctella on millet yield in these precarious zones. The development of an Integrated Method Program is recommended.

Keywords

• control methods
• heliocheilus albipunctella
• losses
• niger.
• pennisetum glaucum