Farmers’ Perceptions and Willingness to Pay for Metarhizium-based Biopesticide to Control Cotton Bollworms in Benin (West Africa)

The study assesses farmers’ perceptions and willingness to pay for a biopesticide developed from Metarhizium anisopliae a fungi. A sample of 400 conventional and organic cotton producers was randomly selected in cotton producing zones in Benin and interviewed for their perceptions on the efficacy of the biopesticide and the likely prices they are willing to pay for the product to control a major pest like Helicoverpa armigera or cotton bollworm causing substantial crop losses. An econometric model (Logit) is used to identify factors highly likely to affect farmer’s willingness to purchase the product. The results show that Helicoverpa armigera or cotton bollworm is perceived by farmers as the most severe pest with losses reaching up to 100%. Farmers attribute the current pest intensity to a number of factors including ineffectiveness of chemical pesticides, delay in access to input mainly fertilizers and the development of refuge host plants for cotton pests. The results also show that most cotton producers and their households members are exposed to chemical insecticides without adequate protection devices during the pest control sprays. Both organic and conventional cotton producers have expressed a significant interest in the use of Metarhizium to control Helicoverpa on cotton. Both types of farmers willing to pay more for any pest control product that would improve cotton product quality for higher cotton price. Three variables influencing farmers’ willing to pay for biopesticides from Metarhizium were efficacy, agro-ecological zone and broad spectrum.Biopesticides, Cotton bollworms, farmers survey, Benin, Agricultural and Food Policy, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Demand and Price Analysis, Farm Management, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Food Security and Poverty, International Relations/Trade, Marketing, Productivity Analysis, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Impact Assessment of agricultural research and development to reduce virus problems in tomato production in Mali: Farmers perceptions

Pests and diseases caused by bacteria, nematodes, fungi and viruses cause significant losses to tomato in West Africa. This study, carried-out within the framework of the IPM-CRSP implemented jointly by IITA, IER and Virginia Tech. and State University, assesses farmers’ perceptions on tomato pests and analyzes factors affecting pest management decision-making. Surveys were carried out in three tomato production areas where pests and diseases are major agricultural problems encountered by farmers. Data were collected a sample of from 343 farmers through a set of questionnaires on tomato production systems. Farmer’s decision-making in pest management was modeled using an econometrics Logit probability model. Results show that the main disease reported by most farmers is tomato leaf curl viruses transmitted by whitefly (Bemissia tabaci). The spray of chemicals was not effective on whitefly-transmitted viruses, but the observance of host free period could significantly reduce the population of whiteflies. Key factors affecting farmers’ pest management decision-making are gender; share of tomato income from household income and the level of farm income. Men are more involved in tomato production due to access to pesticide and effective demand for pesticides because of incomes (purchasing power). This paper concludes that tomato production can increase significantly if improved varieties tolerant to whitefly viruses are developed and disseminated, and farmers trained on the appropriate use of chemicals using a participatory approach to raise their level of awareness and information on effective pesticide use and pest-management decision-making.Agricultural and Food Policy, Agricultural Finance, Crop Production/Industries, Demand and Price Analysis, Environmental Economics and Policy, Farm Management, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Food Security and Poverty, International Relations/Trade, Marketing, Productivity Analysis, Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Pathogen genetic diversity a challenge for vaccine development: Looking for the pathogen’s Achilles’ heel

Creation of variant forms has serious consequences in diagnostic, treatment strategies and the future vaccine development. Thus, the actual and future roles of the altered or emergent pathogens in the global pandemic of AIDS, Malaria, Flu and Ebola must be monitored in new molecular epidemiological studies. During the last 5 years, we studied the genetic structure of several pathogens such as 1] malaria parasite showing that gene deletion, recombination can occur and lead to false RDT negative and to the creation of new antigens (hybrid parasites); 2] in HIV, our findings indicate a shift in the virus population circulating over time in Mali. Those observations are suggesting that a vaccine development against those pathogens such Plasmodium falciparum parasite and HIV will be a challenge. Our approach that is to target pieces of antigens within a genome which must be well conserved across the specie and immunogenic enough in boosting the immune response. Four steps were identified in that approach which are: 1] Genome mining using computational and experimental tools to identify genes that encode proteins with promising vaccine antigens properties, 2] use of the Immunoinformatics tools to map protein sequences for short, linear putative T-cell epitopes CTL/ T helper, 3] then candidates are synthesized as peptides and evaluated for HLA binding and antigenicity (in vitro evaluation) and then 4] Prototype epitope-based vaccines are evaluated for immunogenicity in human Host (in vivo evaluation). Our laboratory has partnered with the GAIA foundation to test this approach in Mali

Prophylactic and emergency cesareans: a comparative study on 718 observations at the maternity ward of Ignace Deen National hospital

Background: The objective of the study is to compare the frequency, the socio-demographic characteristics, the indications, the fetal maternal prognosis and the Robson classification of prophylactic and emergency caesarean sections.Methods: This was a comparative study of prophylactic and emergency caesarean sections at the maternity of Ignace Deen national hospital. It was a 12 month (July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017) descriptive and analytical study.Results: Prophylactic caesarean sections accounted for 12, 51% of caesarean sections and 3.96% of deliveries at the ward. Prophylactic caesarean sections involved pregnant women aged from 20 to 29, holder of higher education degrees (51.54%), married (92.76%) employed (56.83%) and whose prenatal visit was provided by the obstetrician (73.54%). While the emergency caesarean section concerned parturient aged between 20 and 34, mostly non-schooled (36.49%), transferred patients (80.22%) and nulliparous (58.5%). Surgical indications were mainly scarred uterus (32.32%) and maternal pathologies (18.11%) prophylaxis; bleeding in the last quarter (25.90%) acute fetal distress (20.33%) in emergency. Groups 6 and 5 of the Robson classification were the most represented with a 2.23% morbidity and a zero maternal lethality in prophylaxis versus groups 5 and 6 with a 10.03% morbidity and a 1.67% maternal lethality in emergency.Conclusions: Improving this prognosis would be achieved through an increase in the frequency of prophylactic caesarean sections

Communicating seasonal forecasts to farmers in Kaffrine, Senegal for better agricultural management

Our project explaining seasonal forecasting to farmers in central Senegal built common ground between scientific forecasting and traditional knowledge. It helped farmers understand and use seasonal forecasts to improve crop strategies, and let farmers explain to meteorologists what seasonal climate information they most needed, in turn improving the forecasts’ usefulness

Experimental study in natural convection

The study of thermal and ventilation parameters, obtained in a transient, laminar solar chimney of reduced dimensions, (1 < m <3) m with a square collector (side = 2m) is presented. Experimental measurements has been made to determine the temperature of the absorber and the fluid in the collector, it is shown that at the entrance of the chimney, the temperature of the absorber decreases slightly while that of the fluid is maintained at a maximum level. Temperature differences were observed up to 32°C between the atmosphere and the fluid in April. A temperature variation at the absorber depending on the stack height is presented. Temperature measurements in the chimney, at various heights depending on the axial coordinate, show a variable temperature profile. It is, from these, shown that, in the selected interval of stack height, the average speeds of output increase linearly as a function of stack height. For a chimney of 3m in height and 20cm in diameter, a maximum speed of approximately 0.7 ms-1 was observed. The lack of appropriate equipment handicaps the velocity measurement at the chimney entrance. Thus, the results of simulations with the computer code COMSOL 5.1 has confirmed temperature values measured at the chimney entrance and after this, velocity values are determined.KEYWORDS: 1- Solar chimney, 2- Laminar convection, 3- Temperature, 4- Outlet velocit

Profile of patients with HPV infection at the regional hospital of Saint-Louis, Senegal

Background: Objectives of current study was to define the sociodemographic characteristics of patients, to determine the frequency of HPV infection at the CHRSL and to describe factors associated with HPV infection. Methods: This was a prospective cross-sectional study conducted in the gynecology-obstetrics department of the Saint Louis Regional Hospital Center from November 11, 2019 to November 11, 2021, a period of 24 months. We studied sociodemographic, clinical and test results characteristics. Samples were taken from patients in the gynaecological position using a dedicated kit (cytobrush and tube). Viral research was carried out using the Atila Biosystems device for amplification and detection of viral DNA. This test genotypes HPV 16, 18 and 45, and detects 12 other HR HPVs (31, 33, 35, 39, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59, 66 and 68) simultaneously using three probes labelled with different fluorophores. Analysis was performed using Epi-Info software and Excel 2010. Results: The study population comprised 128 patients. The mean age of the patients was 41.95 years, with extremes of 23 and 70 years. They were married (92.97%) and housewives (46.88%). Almost all patients (77.34%) were genitally active. The average age at marriage was 21.78 years, and polygamous households predominated (53.91%). The average age at first intercourse was 20.05 years. The average age at first pregnancy was 21.78. Over (57.81%) of patients had at least two partners. Incense was used in 97.66% of cases. The viral HPV test was positive in (38.28%) of patients. High-risk papillomaviruses were the most common, at 63.27%. Colposcopy was performed in 17.19%; normal and satisfactory in (63.64%) of patients, with 22.27% of cervical biopsies, and histology showed one CIN2 and two CIN3. Therapeutically, one thermoablation and two hysterectomies were performed. Conclusions: HPV viral typing in primary screening for cervical cancer offers opportunities and remains realistic and feasible in less developed countries such as Senegal, despite modest resources

Isolation and molecular identification of yeast strains from “Rabilé” a starter of local fermented drink

“Rabilé” is dried yeast harvested from Sorghum beer, used as a traditional starter culture but more especially as ingredient in sauce and food cooking in Burkina Faso. The present study aimed to isolate and identify indigenous yeast flora of “Rabilé”. Standard microbiological process was carried out to value and isolate yeast in different samples of “Rabilé” coming from four localities of Burkina Faso. Phenotypical method and molecular method (PCR and RFLP) were used for yeast  strains characterization and identification. The results showed that yeast counts ranged from 9.49 to 10.35 log cfu/g of “Rabilé”. A total of twenty yeast strains were isolated. Based on phenotypical characters three genera were detected: Candida (40%), Saccharomyces (35%) and Rhodotorula (25%). Molecular identification revealed two specific strains among yeasts isolated as S. cerevisiae with a frequency of 35% and R. mucilaginosa with a frequency of 25%. This data highlights the diversity of indigenous yeast flora of “Rabilé”.Key words: Rabilé, yeast, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP), traditional starter culture