Ethnobotanical characterization of scarlet eggplant (Solanum aethiopicum L.) varieties cultivated in Benin (West Africa)

Open Access Article; Published online: 12 Jun 2021The African eggplant (Solanum aethiopicum L.) is an important traditional vegetable cultivated in tropical regions for its edible fruits. In the Benin Republic, S. aethiopicum is mainly cultivated by rural farmers for food and for its use in traditional medicine. Assessing varietal diversity, endogenous knowledge, production constraints and farmers' preference criteria are of great importance for promotion and conservation purposes. Using rural appraisal tools and methods, an ethnobotanical study was conducted in 680 households across 92 villages. A total of 60 local cultivars were collected and documented in the surveyed sites. We documented 15 farmers’ criteria for agronomic (57.88% of responses), culinary (28.51%) preference, and for economic (13.61%) aspects. Several constraints related to eggplant production in Benin were also recorded. The low market demand (27% of responses), lack of high-yielding cultivars (11.08% of responses), low fruit storability (10.67%), low productivity (9.84%), soil poverty (8.43%), susceptibility to high soil moisture (8.02%), pests (9.56%), diseases (8.45%), and drought (6.38%) appeared to be the most important constraints of the eggplant production system in Benin. In addition to synthetic pesticides, the eggplant farmers use botanical plant extracts such as extracts from Azadirachta indica (Meliaceae) and Hyptis suaveolens (Lamiaceae). It appears that eggplant production is still traditional and is of limited use in Benin. Finally, the currently collected germplasm was proposed for further evaluation using morphological and molecular markers to provide breeders with traits of interest for developing better eggplant varieties and hybrids that are suitable for local environmental conditions and production systems

Pesticide Contamination of the Dridji Cotton Plantation Area in the Republic of Bénin

Pesticides used for cotton production and pest control in the growing of food crops such as beans, maize and vegetables eventually may not only end up on the crops, but also in soil and surface water. As a consequence, aquatic organisms and humans consuming crops may experience pesticide exposure. This also is the case in developing countries in Africa, where pesticide use sometimes is less controlled and includes the use of older organochlorinated products. This study assessed the public health risk due to pesticide exposure along the Kiti River in the Dridji cotton-growing area in the Republic of Bénin. Aquatic organisms from the Kiti River and vegetable plants commonly consumed by the local people were analyzed for residues of organochlorinated pesticides. Kiti River sediment contained metabolites of DDT with levels up to 5.14 μg/kg dry weight. In fish, crabs and amphibians collected from the Kiti River DDT-like compounds and α-endosulfan reached levels up to 403 ng/g lipid. Leaves from beans grown in the river floodplain and consumed by the local population were contaminated with 10 pesticides including DDT-like compounds, α-endosulfan, dieldrin, lindane, hexachlorobenzene and heptachlor. Sum DDT concentrations in the bean leaves ranged between 274 and 1351 μg/kg dry weight, while these vegetables also contained endosulfan (23-210 μg/kg dry weight), dieldrin (<9-32 μg/kg dry weight) and lindane (<6 – 90 μg/kg dry weight) in high concentrations. To assess the risk to public health, pesticide intake by fish and vegetable consumption was estimated and compared with Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) values reported by the World Health Organization. This comparison showed that fish consumption does not pose a risk for public health, but that consuming bean leaves as vegetables may lead to exceeding of TDI values. It is concluded that pesticide contamination in the Dridji cotton production area poses a risk to public health

Dominant viral pathologies in the extensive and semi-intensive animal breeding and their treatment mode in ethno veterinary medicine in Benin

Aim: This study aims to identify the dominant viral animal pathologies and to list the traditional recipes used by the breeders for their treatment. Materials and Methods: The method of data collection was based on a retrospective survey. Thus, 787 breeders and agro-breeders scattered in the eight agro-ecological areas of Benin were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires. Results: In total, 5 pathologies were reported by breeders. Among those pathologies, foot and mouth disease was reported by all of the breeders of the southern part of Borgou compared with the other areas (p<0.05) and treated by 25 species of medicinal plants. African swine fever was the main pathology reported (22.92%) (p<0.05) in the fishery areas which is controlled by 7 medicinal plants. Pseudorinderpest was more reported (33.78%) (p<0.05) in the cotton area of central Benin and treated by 8 medicinal plants. There is also Newcastle disease that was mostly reported in the Western Atacora and treated by 32 medicinal plants as well as fowl pox which was a more reported in the lands of the bar area and the low-pressure area about 34.48% and 36.17% proportions, respectively, and treated by eight medicinal plants. Conclusion: The breeders in Benin possess rich ethno veterinary knowledge on medicinal plants and their uses in the treatment of livestock. A total of 57 medicinal plants have been inventoried to fight against five major viral diseases as African swine fever, pseudorinderpest and foot and mouth disease. The common plants used to treat viral disease in general were Euphorbia unispina, Euphorbia poissonii, Lannea acida, and Mangifera indica. The most harvested organs on the plants reported in this survey were the barks, the leaves, and the whole plants. To better develop our indigenous resources, it would be important to expand this ethno-pharmacological investigation to other diseases category

Unique botanical value on Atacora Mountains: reasons for the creation of new conservation areas in Benin

Background and aims- Atacora Mountains (AMs) are a geo-morphologically, ecologically and floristically important ecosystem in Benin. Unfortunately, nearly entire the area remains without official protection. Considering the high pressure on the flora and vegetation during last decades, identification of suitable conservation areas at finer scale is needed. This work present a checklist of plant species found in the six site covered by Atacora Mountains, assess distribution of the special plants (endemic, nearly endemic, exclusive and threatened) and identify diversity centres and priority conservation area.Material and methods- Inventories were conducted in six sites covered by the AMs from August 2017 to March 2019. The phytosociological method of Braun-Blanquet was applied. A total of 129 plots of 900 m² for mature individuals, and subplots of 5 x 5 m for regenerations were performed. The map of AMs was digitised using ArcGIS 9.3 and grid cells based on mileage were used to assess the spatial patterns of special species.Key results- In total, 827 plant species belonging to 464 genera and 105 families of which 55 special species were recorded. The highest numbers of the special species were distributed throughout the study area except in Toucountouna and Kérou sites. Using distribution and taxonomic richness in special taxa as model system, three biodiversity centers and one top conservation priority site (Boukoumbé) were identified.Conclusion- The identified areas of AMs can form the basis for defining habitats with priority conservation in this ecosystem. It is therefore important to preserve the remaining plant populations in situ to create an environment in which they can increase to levels beyond an imminent danger of extinction