Effet antiparasitaire des graines de papaye (Carica papaya) chez l’aulacode (Thryonomys swinderianus Temminck, 1827) d’élevage : cas des aulacodicultures du Sud-Bénin

Des problèmes pathologiques sévissent souvent dans les élevages d’aulacodes (Thryonomys swinderianus) au Bénin. Des maladies parasitaires comme la coccidiose et les nématodoseses sont rencontréeschez l’aulacode. Au Bénin, cet animal d’élevage est surtout infesté par les coccidies, les trichures, les strongles et parfois les cestodes. En dehors de l’Amprol (3 g/kg) et du Ganidan (2 comprimés/jour pendant 3 jours peros), les éleveurs utilisent très fréquemment les graines de papaye sous forme séchée et broyée ou entière et fraîche comme vermifuge, bien que leur efficacité n’ait été testée scientifiquement. Le but de cette étude estd’évaluer les propriétés antiparasitaires des graines de papaye (Carica papaya) chez les aulacodes d’élevage afin d’établir sa posologie d’utilisation. La méthodologie d’étude est basée sur une enquête à l’aide d’un questionnaire et sur une analyse coprologique de 109 échantillons de fèces d’aulacodes par la méthode quantitative de Mac Master. Des résultats, il ressort que 88,99% des aulacodiculteurs utilisent la graine depapaye comme anthelminthique mais à des doses différentes (cuillerée à soupe, cuillerée à café, capsule de bière et petite boîte de tomate) et avec diverses pratiques (graines de papaye, papaye verte ou mature); 10,09%ont recours aux anthelminthiques vétérinaires et 0,92% utilisent diverses plantes médicinales (Crateva religiosa, Ocimum basilicum, Eucalyptus sp, Newbouldia laevis et Vernonia amygdalina) pour soigner les animaux. Les examens coprologiques montrent que les élevages sont infestés par les coccidies (72,73%) avec des OPG avoisinant 150.000, ensuite viennent les trichures et les strongles avec des taux respectifs de 36,36%et 9,09% et des OPG maxima respectifs de 1.200 et 600. L’examen des échantillons de matières fécales en station a montré une diminution de l’OPG de 425 à 0 avec l’utilisation du Benzal à la dose de 7,5 mg/kg de PV. L’utilisation de la graine de papaye à la dose de 100 mg/kg PV a permis d’obtenir une baisse considérable des OPG de plus de 75%

Zootechnical study of breeding modes of Somba cattle in Benin

The Somba cattle (Bos Taurus brachyceros sp), located in Benin and Togo, has a severe reduction of its livestock in recent decades. The aim of this study was to determine the causes of this phenomenon, in order to propose new approaches of conservation. The study consisted of surveys with targeted farmers and cattle. The results indicate that Somba cattle are not cared for both in terms of food and health, justifying its low performance and high mortality rate. The parameters covered by the study vary from one mode of farming to another. For individual parameters, entrusted farming is more interesting. In more than 80% of the farms of this mode, age at first calving is around 36 months, whereas it is of 42 months in the home farming, and have an inter calving period of 14 months which is also less than 24 months in the second case. Demographic parameters seem more interesting than home farming. Then, the mortality rate is 13.46% in home farming against 16.61% in entrusted farming. Regarding to external factors, health monitoring is lax in both modes. Food is a great concern especially during the dry season. The absorption by zebu was often mentioned as the main cause of the decrease of Somba cattle livestock. The present study shows that high mortality due to an absence of health monitoring is the basis of the sharp decline in the number of Somba cattle. The influence of zebu is currently marginal because 96.22% of cattle at the farm level respondents are Somba breed.Keywords: Parameters, individuals, demographic, livestock, conservation, mortalit

Etude in vitro de l’effet des tanins de Newbouldia laevis et de Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloïdes sur la migration des larves infestantes de Haemonchus contortus

Dans le but d’aborder le mécanisme d’action des extraits acétoniques et éthanoliques de Newbouldia laevis (Bignoniaceae) et de Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloïdes (Rutaceae), leur effet inhibiteur a été évalué in vitro sur la migration larvaire de Haemonchus contortus. Le test d’inhibition de la migration larvaire (LMI) a été appliqué sur les larves infestantes (L3), âgées de 2 à 3 mois incubées avec des extraits végétaux à différentes concentrations : 150, 300, 600 et 1200 μg/mL mis ou non en contact avec la polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (PVPP). Un témoin négatif (tampon PBS) a été inclus dans chaque test. L’observation sous microscope et le dénombrement des L3 ayant migré par rapport au nombre total de larves déposées dans l’insert ont permis de calculer le taux de la migration larvaire. Les extraits de Newbouldia laevis et de Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloïdes inhibent in vitro la migration larvaire de Haemonchus contortus. Cet effet est dose-dépendant (p<0,001). Les extraits hydroéthanoliques ont eu plus d’effet surtout aux fortes doses. Le contact des extraits des plantes avec la polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (PVPP) annule tout ou une partie de l’effet anthelminthique des extraits. Ces résultats suggèrent que l’inhibition de la migration larvaire est en partie due à l’action des tanins. Le pourcentage d’inhibition dû aux tanins est de 28,60% quel que soit la plante et quel que soit le solvant d’extraction.Keywords: Haemonchus contortus, migration larvaire, tanins, Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloïdes, Newbouldia laevis, Béni

<em>Ex-ante</em> participatory research proposal assessment conducted in Southern Togo

This study was conducted to showcase a participatory method for assessing technical options in Southern Togo. The aim was to address farmers’ needs with respect to soil fertility problems in situations involving mixed crop-livestock farming systems. In collaboration with various stakeholders, the scientists thus assessed the potential for adopting a crop association involving maize for food (seed) and fodder (straw), i.e. a mixed function plant, and Mucuna pruriens, i.e. a long-cycle legume that is cropped to produce fodder and enhance soil fertility. The chemically fertilized crop association is here referred to as MME. Participatory action research (PAR) analytical tools were implemented in the four-phase method used. The first phase included an overall description of the entire study region to identify representative sites based on published information and exploratory interviews. In the second phase, the diversity of farmers was characterized through interviews with resource people at the selected sites. The third phase involved participatory selection of a range of technical options that included the MME association as well as local practices with features similar to this association, and alternative research proposals to enhance soil fertility and ensure the production of sufficient fodder to feed livestock. This selection was carried out by farmers chosen as being representative of their diversity. They were asked to rank—using notes, or pebbles because of the high illiteracy level—the different technical options presented during visits to the test plots or using visual aids. The fourth phase included an assessment of farmers’ comments on the perceived effects of the different options on agropastoral resource management (water, soil, biodiversity), their acceptability or cost-effectiveness relative to the labor cost. This method was applied in three villages in southern Togo. Six main farmer categories were identified in these villages: landowners, land tenants, members of farmers’ organizations, literate farmers, illiterate farmers, and women. In addition to MME, six options were selected, including the MME association with variants of local practices, such as the unfertilized maize and long cycle Mucuna association (MM), a fertilized maize and short cycle Mucuna association (MMCE), an unfertilized maize and short cycle Mucuna association (MMC), and a monocropped maize crop with massive fertilizer applications (ME). The two other options were proposed by researchers: maize cropped in fields surrounded by quickset hedges of fodder legumes that were harvested to feed livestock managed in stalls, with the dung subsequently spread in the fields (MHF), and strip intercropping of maize and Cajanus cajan. The MME association was the option that landowners, literate farmers and members of farmers’ organizations preferred. Women selected the MM association due to their scarce financial resources and land insecurity status. Land tenants and illiterate farmers favored MMCE as a second crop season is possible. An assessment of the different options revealed that most of the farmer categories considered that the MME association and the MHF option had the most positive impacts on agropastoral resources. MME and MMCE were considered as being the most socially acceptable associations, especially amongst landowners, as well as extension agents, consumers and merchants who had also been interviewed; this was followed by the MHF option. MM and MME turned out to be the most cost-effective associations whereas the two alternatives proposed by researchers were the least. This assessment method makes effective use of farmers’ expertise and is based on their perception of the impacts of technology. A positive perception is one of the factors influencing the adoption of a research proposal. Time and suitable tools are required when farmers are trained on the different options to ensure that this perception will not be biased by the quality of the information conveyed by researchers. Local variants of the options proposed by researchers can also be identified or adapted on the basis of this assessment. Development research initiatives should be focused on the processes involved in these participatory adaptations

Production des ovins Djallonké en station dans la zone guinéenne au Bénin : 1. Performances de reproduction et influence des facteurs non génétiques

peer reviewedDe 1994 à 2002, les données relatives aux performances de reproduction ont été recueillies sur les ovins Djallonké. Ces données provenaient de la Ferme de la Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques (Université d’Abomey Calavi). Le modèle linéaire général (GLM) et le test t de Student ont été utilisés pour, analyser les données, identifier et quantifier les facteurs non-génétiques affectant l’âge au premier agnelage, l’intervalle entre agnelages et la prolificité. Les résultats ont montré : âge au premier agnelage, 609,64jours±110,26 jours ; intervalle entre agnelages, 243,01jours±68,19jours ; prolificité, 1,28±0,45 ; taux annuel de reproduction 1,92% ; taux de stérilité temporaire, 5,79%. Les effets de la saison d’agnelage, de l’année d’agnelage et de l’interaction année*saison ont été très importants (p<0,01) sur l’âge au premier agnelage et sur l’intervalle entre agnelages. Pour le caractère prolificité, les mêmes facteurs n’ont pas d’effets significatifs (p>0,05) Production of Djallonke sheep at an experimental station in the guinean zone of Benin.Production of Djallonke sheep at an experimental station in the guinean zone of Benin. Reproduction performance and influence of non-genetic factors From 1994 to 2002, data from Djallonke sheep were collected for reproduction performance. The data were obtained from the farm of the Faculty of Agronomic Sciences (University of Abomey Calavi). Data analysed by GLM procedure and Student’s t-test, were used to identify and quantify non-genetics factors affecting the age at first lambing, intervals between lambing and prolificacy. Results indicated: age at first lambing, 609.64days±110.26 days; intervals between lambing, 243.01days±68.19days; prolificity, 1.28±0.45; annual reproduction rate, 1.92%; temporary sterility rate, 5.79%. Lambing season, lambing year and the year*season interaction affected significantly (p0.05) for prolificacy

Etude comparative de la charge parasitaire des petits ruminants et du guib harnaché dans quatre campements riverains à la forêt classée de Wari-Maro au Nord-Est du Bénin

Comparative Study of the Parasitic Load of Small Ruminants and Bushbuck in Four Camps Bordering the Wari-Maro Reserve in the North East of Benin. A comparative survey of the gastro-intestinal parasitical burden of small ruminants (sheep, goat) and one species of wild ruminants (bushbuck) has been conducted in four camps around the classified forest of Wari-Maro located in the North-East of Benin. The flotation and sedimentation methods, and a semi-quantitative method associated to the flotation method were used to analyze the different samples. Feces samples were collected during the dry and rainy seasons with 100 samples for sheep, 75 for goat and 25 for bushbuck. The small domestic ruminants presented six types of parasites (strongyles, Strongyloides, coccidia, tapeworm, Capillaria, trematodes). The bushbuck presented strongyles and Strongyloides only during the rainy season. The burden of different types of parasites was low in the majority of cases. The wild or domestic nature of the animal influenced its parasitical state (p<0.05). For this study it appeared that no relation exists between the infestation intensity of small ruminants and bushbuck

Options d'intensification durable des cultures vivrieres au sud du Togo

In order to identify sustainable crop intensification options on ferralsols of Southern Togo, a series of alternative cropping technologies were evaluated together with farmers. In participatory group interviews, seven different groups of farmers prioritized options. Among five options associating maize with Mucuna cover crop, farmers had a 66% preference for a maize - mucuna - mineral fertilizers option because of its agronomic efficiency, followed by a maize - mucuna - no fertilizer option with 57% for those farmers lacking means of purchasing fertilizers, and a maize - short cycle mucuna - mineral fertilizer option with 54% preference because it enables a second cropping season. Non-mucuna options, which interested farmers were a maize - live hedge - animal manure option (86%) and a Cajanus cajan alley cropping option (79%). Low preferences were given to green biomass production with live hedges (36%) or mechanized ploughing (18%). Ecological sustainability, economic competitivity and social equity of the different options were compared using various appropriate tools. From this combined evaluation, it appears that the three options with the highest adoption potential are (1) the maize - mucuna - mineral fertilizer option, (2) the maize - short cycle mucuna - mineral fertilizer option, and (3) the maize - live hedge - animal manure option