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The Centre régional de recherches sur bananiers et plantains (CRBP) multiplies plant material for sale in the Cameroon and other countries in West and Central Africa. In 1999, the different research progams at the Center have provided two thousand four hundred and seven plantlets. National organizations, like the Institut de recherche agricole pour le développement (IRAD) and the Programme national de vulgarisation agricole (PNVA), and private sector operators also provided one thousand nine hundred and sixty plantlets. Demand for plants from the Center has become so high that plans have been made for some national agencies to become involved in multiplication. In 1999, 1eleven countries in the sub-region imported 3,300 hybrid black stripe resistant plantains (CRBP 14, CRBP 39, CRBP 85, and CRBP 100): Benin, Gabon, Congo, Senegal, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, and Equatorial Guinea. An agreement was signed for the transfer of material and a licence to experiment (for protected hybrid material). The different types of plantlets available are at the in vitro multiplication stage, final growth stage, final severing and planting stage. The Center also offers training on these techniques. Contact: Kodjo Tomekpe, Pascal Noupaja, Emmanuel
Youmbi
Up until 1997, hydatid disease was unknown in humans in Mauritania. However, this year, twenty four people were affected by this parasitic disease, which is caused by an adult worm (tapeworm), a parasit of domestic and wild carnivores. In domestic herbivores and humans, the larva develops (in the form of a large cyst) in the liver or lungs. The Centre national d’élevage et de recherches vétérinaires (CNERV) began by carrying out several multi-site epidemiological surveys to find out more about the disease. The results showed infection rates of 28,4% in camels, 5,6% in small ruminants, and 4,5% in cattle. In Nouakchott alone, 14% of the dogs are infected by the disease. Research was then carried out to determine the different natural strains of tapeworm to compare them to those in certain regions of the Maghreb (where the incidence in sheep is high), and identify the herbivore that is the main vector for transmitting the parasite to humans. This research, which is supported by the French government, should help prevent the disease. Contact: Fabien Schneegans, Dia Mamadou Lamine
In the Congo, increasing foodcrop production has been such a high priority for research, that a plant biotechnology laboratory was needed. The Centre de recherche sur l’amélioration génétique des plantes (CERAG) set up a laboratory which is used to apply biotechnology (organ, tissue and plant cell culture) to roots and tubers like cassava, yam, taro, and potato. As a result, new high-yielding cassava varieties have been developed that are resistant to mosaic virus, bacteriosis, scale insects, and adapted to cropping practices. Improved clones and healthy cuttings are also available. CERAG has set up a fast in vitro multiplication system to breed healthy yam, taro, and potato plants for sale. CERAG now has a genebank of all these plants. Contact: Joseph Mabanza
In West and Eastern Africa, population growth has led to a high demand in animal products, particularly meat and milk. Improving the productivity of local breeds is necessary to meet this demand. Therefore, breeding programs for purebreds and mixed breeds using imported high-yielding breeds are a priority. The objective is to maintain resistance to trypanosomiasis. This depends on an understanding of the mechanisms involved in natural resistance and acquired resistance to this fearsome disease which is necessary if the industry is to improve the productivity of local breeds. Some thirty researchers, research planners and decision-makers met at an international workshop organized by the International Trypanotolerance Centre (ITC) in Banjul, at the end of March 2000. The Gambia was chosen to host the meeting, because the domestic animals mainly include "Ndaama" cattle, goats and "Djallonke" sheep which are known for their trypanotolerance. In addition, ITC has experience in the field of trypanotolerance research. However, the disease is a long way from being eradicated since even Ndaama cattle that live in highly infested areas are suffering. These difficulties must not be overlooked, and the fact that there was European Union support for this meeting is extremely important. Contact: Raffaele C. Mattioli The "Ndaama" is the only trypanotolerant breed in Senegal. It provides meat, milk, and income to both rural and urban populations. For years, the Institut sénégalais de recherches agricoles (ISRA) has been carrying out research into improving the breed genetically in the Kolda region in the southeast of Senegal. The technique involves selecting the best sire in a herd and running it with a group of cows that belong to village. This technique has undoubtedly produced valuable results but it is limited because the herd size is small, it disregards milk yields, and herders are not involved. It has been replaced by a new technique which takes account of the breedís main assets like trypanotolerance, milk production, reproductive capacity, growth, and suitability for animal traction. First of all, breeding cows are protected against brucellosis, pasteurellosis and blackleg. Adult females are fed groundnut hays, mineral licks and sesame seedcakes. Then, they are mated naturally or are inseminated artificially. However, success rates were low. In the first trial, only 6 out of 54 cows (11%) calved. In the second trial, only 11 out of 50 (22%) calved. In the third trial, 8 out of 26 (31%) calved. The likely causes of these low calving rates are: production conditions, feeding, health, supervision, extension work, poor understanding of the breedís physiology, and lack of expertise in animal biotechnology. Greater Stakeholders Involvement There is a need for further studies in order to improve understanding of the breed (fertility periods, duration of breeding cycles, etc.), to learn the techniques used (hormone dosage, use of echography during ovulation, sperm conditioning and storage, artificial insemination, etc.). Development bodies and breeders should be more involved and breeders should be trained in herd reproductive management. Contact: M.A. Bâ‚ P.N. Dièye, A. Faye
GABON. Located to the south of Libreville, Sibang is a forestry station run by the Institut de pharmacopée et de médecine traditionnelle (IPHAMETRA) and the Institut de recherche agronomique et forestière (IRAF). It covers sixteen hectares and has a diverse range of plant species. This large reserve was improved several times between 1933 and 1953 and trees such as Terminalia superba, Terminalia ivorensis, and teak, Tectona grandis, were introduced. Contact: Bourobou Bourobou CNAREST, BP 842, Libreville, Gabon CONGO has a total surface area of three hundred forty-two tthousand cubic kilometers, sixty per cent of which are covered by twenty-one million hectares of forest. The authorities would like this invaluable resource to be preserved and managed sustainably. In the Kouilou region, in the south of the country, flora is being studied in detail, by the Centre d’étude sur les ressources végétales (CERVE). Its researchers have furthered understanding of the ecosystems, particularly in the Conkouati reservation. An inventory has been drawn up of 5,755 plant species, 311 of which are medicinal plants that can be used for treating major diseases. In the Conkouati reserve, CERVE has shown how this heritage can be reconstituted. This forested area spreads from the coast to the Mayombé hills and is composed of sedimentary terrain with four types of vegetation: thickly wooded coastal areas where Manilkara lacera and Chysobalanus icaco grow; coastal forests made up of Symphonia globulifera (known as "ossol" or "pahouin") and Klainedoxa gabonensis; the sub-coastal forests made up of Aucoumea klaineana ("okoume" or "angouma") and Saccoglotis gabonensis ("issoua" or "ozouga") and leguminous forests. Three major ecological groups have been identified: the first is made up of pioneer species that colonizes bare soil; the second is made up of polyvalent species, and the third is made up of late secondary species. Unknown Fungi Research has shown that the older the forest, the less hemicryptophytes (plants with buds at ground level), nanophanerophytes (plants with buds between 25-30 m), and therophytes (plants with short seed reproductive cycles) there are above ground. On the other hand, there are more mesophanerophytes (30-100 m above ground) and megaphanerophytes (above 100 m). These species have fast reproduction cycles during the first 10 years of regerenation, which slowsdown and stabilizes after 50 years. It would appear that forest regeneration takes 3-10 years. However, forestry ecosystems are deteriorating, because of harmful slash-and-burn practices, and the fact that fallow periods are less than 10 years long. CERVE recommends the creation of traditional cropping areas and zones for conserving resources. In fact, all areas should be restored and rehabilitated, and all the flora identified. However, this is not yet possible, largely because of a lack of mycology specialists (the study of fungi). Contact: Félix Koubouana, Jean-Marie Moutsamboté
In the Cameroon, the success of intercropping with maize and grounduts and the introduction of an earwig to control maize borers has intensified the fight against this pest. In the central region, Busseola fusca (90% of the borer population), Sesamia calamistis, Eldana saccharina, Mussidia nigrivenella, are destroying the maize crop, by ravaging stems and seeds. However, researchers at the Institut de recherche agricole pour le développement (IRAD) have observed that they do more damage to monocropped maize than when maize is intercropped with groundnuts. This is due to the fact that groudnuts inhibit the spread of borer larvae. In addition, researchers are investigating the impact of several natural enemies of maize borers which seems to be greater in mixed cropping areas. The earwig, DIasperasticus erythrocephala, the most common pest, invades maize fields as soon as the crop reaches heading stage. When the plant matures, the earwig multiplies as fast as the borers, making it the most effective predator. A study of its voracity shows that this insect can consume an average of 45 eggs and 21 Busseola fusca larvae (the most dangerous borer) in twenty four hours. It also attacks all borers and the more numerous they are, the more likely they are to be preyed on by the earwig. This earwig could be bred quickly on pollen and a diet of maize pollen, and then released to test its impact on maize borers on-farm. Contact: Régine Aroga
There has been a sudden appearance of fowl encephalomyelitis, unknown in Senegal until 1997, in six hatcheries for laying hens in the Dakar and Thiés regions. Researchers from the Institut sénégalais de recherches agricoles (ISRA) and the Centre de coopération Internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement (CIRAD) discovered the disease in chicks of twenty to twenty-five days old. This viral disease also attacks turkeys, pheasants, and quails. It causes trembling in the head and neck, paralysis in young birds and laying losses in adult birds. Poultry breeders have already suffered heavy losses because of the disease. Out of 8,000 birds caught, 2,525 become ill (a morbidity rate of 31.5%) and 1,580 died (a mortality rate of 19.7%). The main factors responsible for the spread of the disease are the rapid expansion in the sale of layers following the devaluation of the CFA franc in 1994, and especially the failure to vaccinate breeding birds in some hatcheries. However, vaccines do exist, although farmers do not know how to use them. The live vaccine should, in fact, be administered orally in the drinking water. It is important to ensure that the animals are thirsty, that there is not an excess of disinfectant and metal-based ions in the water, that a large number of clean plastic troughs are used, and milk powder is added. The vaccine must also be administered at specific periods (between 10-16 months of age and not at the point of lay) to avoid laying losses and protect the progeny. A Vaccine for all Poultry Units A better understanding of the factors that cause laying losses, due to fowl encephalomyelitis is important, especially because of the presence of Newcastle disease, and infectious bronchitis. An estimation of the cost of laying losses due to this disease should be calculated, because it would encourage a number of poultry breeders to vaccinate. Contact: E. Cardinale, J.F. Dayon, F. Tall For the last twenty years, most of the cane varieties grown in Nigeria have been imported. However, yields are constantly declining, because these varieties are not adpated to local conditions. The National Cereals Research Institute (NCRI) has developed a simple technique for the producing new hybrid varieties, plantlets and young shoots, in order to assist sugarcane growers and the industry. The method involves ensuring that the hybrids come from selected parents, that pure seeds are left to ripen, and that the line is tested. As soon as the buds appear, selected parents are isolated in crossing "lanterns" until flowering begins (September-October). Pollen from the male parents are used to fertilize the female parent. The pure seeds are harvested, dried, sieved, cleaned, and treated. They are sown in wooden trays in a mixture of sterile soil, baggasse, etc. Germination takes one week. They are watered with a nutrient-rich solution for tree weeks.They are then transplanted into individual polyethylene seedling bags, where they are nurtured until they are twelve weeks old, before being planted out in the field. Quality of the Juice In this way, large quantities of pure seeds are harvested annually and subject to evaluation in the field. of 5,000 new lines, only one or two are selected after three years of trials. Trials for quality of juice are carried out on a number of varieties, before they are used in on-farm trials. The final stage is the commercial evaluation of new varieties by farmers. 250 new cane varieties have already been released in the framework of the Nationally Coordinated Research Project on Sugarcane. Four of these varieties (NGSO-97-11, NGS0-97-12, NGSO-97-13, and NGSO-97-14) have been registered and disseminated by the National Varietal Release Committee. Contact: Latif B. Basri, Sam Agboire, Mouhammed Ishaq
The Sahel is known for its fragile farming environment. The introduction of an annual crop like sesame (Sesamum indicum) to one of the countries in the region contributes to crop diversification and an increase in meagre farmer incomes. In Senegal, on-farm research trials conducted since 1998 have led to better understanding of this oilseed crop and to improved yields. The Centre d’étude régional pour l’amélioration de l’adaptation à la sécheresse(CERAAS), which is carrying out this research, has completed seed multiplication trials and studied the development cycles of seven varieties of sesame, that have been introduced (Primoca, Ceraas-1-98, Yendev 55, Cross n0. 3, 38-1-7, cross n0. 32-15, Jaalgon 128). Each variety has cycles ranging from 70-120 days. The germinating capacity of the different varieties in conditions of water stress is also known: Primoca reached germination rates of 98%, and the other varieties attained rates slightly above 85%. It was also observed that Cross n0. 3, 32-15, 38-1-7 and Jaalgon 128 varieties have slightly longer roots. Pilot Villages for Improved Yields Water requirements and the productivity of these varieties were also studied, so that cropping practices could be improved. Depending on their performance (spread of root system, water consumption and yields) the varieties 32-15, 38-1-7, Jaalgon 128 and Cross n0. 3 (83-90 days) reached average yields of 1,400 kg/ha, Yendev 55 and Primoca (83-120 days) had yields of 750 kg/ha, and Ceraas-1-98 (70 days) had yields of 625 kg/ha. Although, on-farm varietal trials have not been carried out, CERAAS considers that the sudano-sahelian zone (north-center) and the sub-humid zone (south) could be suitable for growing 32-15, 38-1-7, Jaalgon 128 and Cross n0. 3, the sudan zone and subhumid zone (south-center) be suitable for Primoca and Yendev 55, and the sahelian zone (north) can receive Ceraas-1-98. In the Kolda region, in the south-west of the country, 16 farmers from six pilot villages trained by the Non-Governmental Organization Vétérinaires sans frontières (VSF), received support from CERAAS during the 1999 cropping season. Nine of the farmers who followed the advice they were given obtained yields of between 370 and 1,140 kg/ha, an average of 735 kg/ha. However, the seven other farmers only obtained low yields ranging from 70-370 kg/ha, an average of 200 kg/ha. In addition, average production figures for this year are five times higher than they were in 1998: 800 kg/ha compared to 160 kg/ha. Attractive Income This kind of experience should be repeated particularly since for an investment of 6,625 millions CFA francs for a farm of 10,000 ha, farmers obtain yields of 1,200 kg/ha, or 12,000 t. Farmers in the region can earn about 1,694 billions CFA francs (200,000 CFA fr/t) from sesame crop sales, and processing the sesame crop into oil and seedcake can earn about 2,515 billions CFA francs (296,000 CFA fr/t). CERAAS is trying to strengthen partnerships to promote sesame production and to encourage farmers to grow sesame. CERAAS works closely with the Programme de développement rural intégral pour la moyenne Casamance (PRIMOCA), Catholic Relief Services (CRS), and Vétérinaires sans frontières (VSF). Contact: Macoumba Diouf, Harold Roy-Macauley Contact: Alain Colleuille CORAF/WECARD LIFE
If agricultural research programs are to be managed properly, monitoring and evaluation are essential The Centre national de recherche agronomique (CNRA) in Côte d’Ivoire has established the necessary tools to achieve this: activity planning, the publication of six-monthly reports, and internal review processes. After a workshop on planning by objectives, the activities for the twenty-two research programs selected for the next tree years were defined (see eleventh issue of Coraf Action). Researchers are now required to produce reports every six months. The internal review of research programs, which aims to evaluate results, analyze findings, indicate the shortfalls, and make recommendations, took place in April 2000 in CNRA’s five regional headquarters (Abidjan, Man, Gagnoa, Bouaké et Korhogo). The review process revealed the fact that the work carried out by CNRA scientists and their expatriate colleagues is of a high standard. Contact: Kédro Diomandé
Information and communication were among the first issues to be dealt with by West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (WECARD) (or Conseil Ouest et Centre africain pour la recherche et le développement agricoles (CORAF). Their improvement has led to the publication of the newsletter, Coraf Action, and the launch of a subregional information system. Their management requires coordination and the pooling of resources for which an information and communications policy and strategy have been defined. The policy and strategy were adopted in Dakar, in February 2000, at the end of a workshop which was attended by eighteen out of twenty-one representatives of WECARD’s National Agricultural Research Systems (NARS) and other partners including Non- Governmental Organizations, farmer organizations, and the private sector. The strategy includes a plan to set up a project for an information system. When considering the project, participants looked at the needs and expectations of the different stakeholders, how to obtain information held by the NARS, funding, organization and management of activities. They recommended that information management should be decentralized. The national institutions that will act as focal points, were selected and the NARS databases were harmonized. To achieve this, national institutional capacity should be strengthened, particularly in terms of equipment, web pages, and training. WECARD benefited from United Nations Organzation for Food and Agriculture support, through the NARS steering committee secretariat of the Global Forum for Agricultural Research (GFAR), and the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA). Contact: Dady Demby
The Institut de recherche en sciences appliquées et technologies (IRSAT) in Burkina, and the Association burkinabé d’action communautaire (ABAC) have manufactured and distributed solar dryers for domestic use (see the fourteenth and fifteenth issues of Coraf Action) that can process fresh agricultural produce (mangoes, in particular) into dried food. Considerable assistance has come from the Groupe de recherche et d’échanges technologiques (GRET) in Burkina, the Groupe énergies renouvelables et environnement (GERES) in France, and the Centre écologique Albert Schweitzer (CEAS) in Switzerland. This experience has been a great success for women organized into producer associations, small units, craft or semi-industrial units that manufacture produce for local and export markets. Now, the question is what about the agrifood industry? Is there an alternative so that production and export can be measured to a reasonable level? These institutions have found the answer: a gas dryer and a dryer that recycles air. Gas is availabe in bottles that range from 12 kg (3,000 CFA francs) to 36 kg bottles (9,000 CFA francs). It is a good source of energy for semi-industrial units, in particular. It was used to manufacture a natural convection dryer each consisting of two cells fitted with an air vent, a 2,5 kw burner, and a manual thermostat. The dryer can transform 100 kg of fresh produce into 18 kg of dry goods a day. In 1992, the three units that were installed produced 9 tons of dried produce for export worth a total of 18 millions CFA francs. The design is simple which means that they are easy to build and can be assembled locally at a cost of 800,000 CFA francs. However, they are not easy to operate. When natural convection is used, fresh produce has to be treated chemicals to limit the harmful effects of bacteria. Energy production is also low, and the product is not dried evenly. Nevertheless, the export market has expanded to include Europe, and eight industrial units were redesigned in 1995 to meet the new requirements, this involved creating a company, diversifying external markets, making production more homogenous, and improving the quality of the finished product. Gas Chosen as an Energy Source Given the situation, a new, more efficient solar dryer was necessary: the recycled air dryer. This is made up of a cell divided into two chambers, one that receives two belts (conveying the produce), the other containing the heating and ventilation. The heating capacity is 40 kw and the ventilation capacity is 8,000 m3 an hour. The drier can produce 65 kg of dried mango, in 18 hours using 320 kg of fresh mangoes. Gas was chosen as the energy source. Recycling it reduces energy consumption to 1,25 kw/hr per 1 kg of steam, compared to 2,5 kw/hr for the gas dryer. With this drier, prior treatment of the product can be avoided, and excellent rates of homogeneity (95%) can be obtained in the finished product. Ease of operation means that other products can be dried such as fruit, vegetables, and fish. It can also be used for other manufacturing processes such as pasteurisation at medium rates of humidity (35%). This drier can take up to six belts in one cell, giving it a production capacity of 200 kg/day of dried mango, or 30 t/yr, for an input of five months labor. For a sale price of 3,500 CFA fr/kg, a single unit can generate 34% of the funds required to purchase it. In addition, it provides work for about fifteen people. There is great potential for increased production if the environment is favorable for professionals in the sector: access to credit given the cost of installation (over 13,800,000 CFA francs), technical and commercial training, etc. Contact: Thérése Onadja, Christian Legay
Spread in Congo, hetcheries for layers are severely affected by fowl pox, an infectious disease that strike at particularly hens, cockerels, pigeons, turkeys and ducks. On one farm of one thousand layers, one hundred of the twenty-seven week-old birds died of the disease. Researchers from the Centre de recherches vétérinaires et zootechniques (CRVZ) identified fowl pox mixed or diptherio in its fowl pox form. Sick birds developed greyish boils on their crests and pustules around the eyes and beaks. The researchers isolated these birds and cured them. Then, they vaccinated birds that were healthy or slightly affected. The treatment was so effective that once all the symptoms had disappeared, laying levels increased. Contact: E. Nkodia
The cane rat, a West African rodent, is bred because people like its taste and tender meat. The cane rat is widely hunted in Côte d’Ivoire and in recent years, it has been increasingly bred in rural and periurban areas. This trend is supported by the extension program set up by the Agence nationale d’appui au développement rural (ANADER) and the Projet d’appui à la commercialisation et aux initiatives locales (PACIL). The program (1998-2001) covers fifty farms and one experimental farm in Bouaké. The aim it to train potential farmers and technicians, to test technical innovations before they are transferred on-farm, and to produce breeding rodents that can live in captivity. In addition, breeding animals from Benin have been imported to build up stock, which will be less expensive for Ivorian breeders. However, in order for this to be viable by the end of the third year, farms have to produce feed for the cane rat. Laws will also have to be drafted on breeding small game. The program is expected to be extended to other regions. Its success should reduce poaching, bushfires, and cases of poisoning due to eating game that has been caught using poisoned bait. Contact: Aboubakri Touré Sweet potato has always been grown on the Senegal river banks. Nowadays, irrigated cropping is so widespread near Guiers Lake that the cultivation of this tuber has become the main source of farmer income. High-yielding clones were needed to replace the local, long-cycle variety from hundred and eighty to two hundred and ten days which is sensitive to nematodes and is not very productive from ten to twenty tons per hectare. Studies from the Institut sénégalais de recherches agricoles (ISRA), the Pôle régional de recherche sur les systèmes irrigués en zone soudano-sahélienne (PSI) and the Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD) show that clone 2, clone 27, clone 29, CJM, Louga 5 and Ndargu are also prone to infestation by M. incognita, M. javanica, and M. mayaguensis. Trials have show that no clone is resistant to M. mayaguensis. In addition, clone 2 and clone 29 are its only hosts. On the other hand, they are all resistant to M. incognita except for clone 2 and clone 29. They also all show resistance to M. javanica with the exception of the CJM clone, which is its host. Bearing in mind these results, the distribution of these varieties should be envisaged in areas around Lake Guiers. Cuttings are available at the ISRA agonomy station in Saint-Louis (north of the country). Contact: Joël Huat Contact: Thierry Mateille Answer Andriantahina Rakotondralambo of the Association nationale d’actions environnementales (ANAE) in Madagascar asked a question about human consumption of millet and sorghum (see eleventh issue of Coraf Action). A reply came from Daniel Bartianelli of the Centre de coopération internationale en recherche agronomique pour le développement (CIRAD), from Babatunde Obilana of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) in Zimbabwe, and from Dédjogueré Laokole and Moundibaye Allarangaye of the Institut tchadien de recherche agricole pour le développement (ITRAD). This time, Cécile Broutin of the Groupe de recherche et d’échanges technologiques (GRET) has an answer. GRET and the Non Governmental Organization Environnement, Développement et Action du Tiers-monde (ENDA) have recently published a book on cereals processing and consumption, that describes a joint experiment carried out since 1993 (see "To be Read", page 12). The Programme de promotion des céréales locales of the Comité Inter-Etats de lutte contre la sécheresse au Sahel (CILSS) has also published books on cereal-based recipes from Senegal and Burkina, in particular. Finally, it is interesting to note that Namibia, which is closer to Madagascar, is a major producer of millet which is generally eaten in the form of a paste. Contact: Cécile Broutin
Although lemon may seem commonplace, it has much more than simply culinary virtues. It has tonic, curative, and dermatological virtues. It can be ingested in the form of a juice, a lemonade, an infusion, a powder, on its own or mixed with other plants (especially pawpaw). Lemon stimulates the lymph nodes, nerves, and ribcage. It cures acute enteritis (inflammation of the small intestine), arthritis (swelling of the joints), scurvy (Vitamin C deficiency), rheumatism, sinusitis, varicose veins, haemorroids, angina, gastritis, ulcers, and venereal diseases. In addition, it helps reduce hair loss, colds, constipation, and obesity. Lemon is a powerful diuretic, stimulating blood flow and thereby regulating blood pressure. It is an antiseptic (preventing infections) and protects teeth. It helps the repigmentation of skin that has been damaged by harmful cosmetic products, and smoothes out wrinkles, restoring the skin’s freshness. Contact: Empereur Ibrahima Camara Question
Christine M. Soro-Giordanie, a rural extension worker and a regular reader of Coraf Action, wants to set up a medicinal plant garden on her farm, and is looking for camphor plantlings or seeds. Camphor soothes aching muscles which many farmers suffer from because of their hard physical work. Contact: Soro-Giordanie M. Christine
In Côte d’Ivoire, the control of cotton pests involves pesticide applications every two weeks from forty- five to one hundred and fifteen days old. However, this method is not suited to changing insect behavior, and now that insecticide is no longer free, farmers have stopped treating their crops regularly. Now, researchers at the Centre national de recherche agronomique (CNRA) in Côte d’Ivoire are recommending that farmers wait until the cotton is seriously infested by insects before applying a pesticide. Treatment should start at the vegetative stage and continue until the cotton fruits appear. Simple methods have been developed, so that farmers can recognize the critical stages, the main pests, and the chemical products. Training should also help young farmers to improve their profit margins. Contact: Germain Ochou Ochou
Fallow periods are becoming shorter and shorter to the extent, that there are fears that it may disappear altogether, particularly in the Sahel. Yet this time-honored technique not only restores soil fertility but provides firewood, fodder, and controls weeds, cantharides, and locusts. In Séno Bankass, in the Mopti regions in Mali, farmers stop cultivating fields when they notice a drop in fertility levels, weed infestation, or water erosion. Similarly, they start cropping again as soon as they observe an increase in fertility levels from the presence of fodder crops, such as Andropogon gayanus, Pennisetum penicellatum and Andropogon pseudapricus, an increase in tree density, and the disappearance of Digitaria horizonalis. Farmers prepare mounds of buried weeds 1 year in advance, into which they then sow cowpea and "dah". To restore this practice, the Projet régional d’amélioration et de gestion de la jachère en Afrique de l’Ouest (see twelfth issue of Coraf Action) is conducting research and development on agronomic stations in Sotuba (Koulikoro region) and N’tarla (Sikasso region) belonging to the Institut d’économie rurale (IER), and in the villages of Gouani (Koulikoro region) and Lagassagou (Mopti region). The objective is to study the role of fallow in the agrarian systems, the state of soil and the plant degradation, to improve fallow management techniques and alternative technologies. Contact : Harouna Yossi Coraf Action
Odile Tahouo, Deputy Director of Scientific and Technical Information at the Centre national de recherche agronomique (CNRA), is a documentalist and coordinator for the national communications network of the WECARD regional newsletter, Coraf Action. She is responsible for collecting, writing and editing articles. In each network member institution, a correspondent is designated to help the coordinator by providing articles. Since the coordinator edits all articles for Coraf Action, authors based in Côte d’Ivoire are requested to send articles to her address wherever possible. Contact: Odile Tahouo
Bah Seiti Rabiou is an agronomist and head of the Division of Scientific and Technical Information, Documentation and Training at the Institut togolais de recherche agronomique (ITRA). He is coordinator of the Togolese national communications network for the WECARD regional newsletter, Coraf Action. He is responsible for collecting, writing and editing articles. In each network member institution, a correspondent is designated to help the coordinator by providing articles. Since the coordinator edits all articles for Coraf Action, authors based in Togo are requested to send articles to his address wherever possible. Contact: Bah Seiti Rabiou
Innovations pour la promotion des céréales
locales. Reconquérir les marchés urbains = Innovative Methods of Promoting Local
Cereals. Winning Urban Markets. By Cécile Broutin and Khanata Sokona. 1999, 147
pages, ISBN 2 86844 105 X. Edited by the Groupe de recherche et d’échanges
technologiques (GRET), 211-213 rue La Fayette, 75010 Paris, France, and African Indigenous Vegetables. An Overview of the Cultivated
Species. By R.R. Schippers. 2000, 214 pages, ISBN 0 85954 515 6. Published by the
Department for International Development (DFID), 94 Victoria Street, London SW1E 5JL,
Great Britain, the Natural Research Institute (NRI), University of Greenwich, Central
Avenue, Chatham Maritime, Kent ME4 4TB, Great Britain and the Technical Centre for
Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), postbus 380, 6700 AJ Wageningen, The
Netherlands. Contrôler la mosaïque africaine du manioc = African Cassava
Leafspot Control. By John Guthrie. 20 pages, ISBN 92 9081 074 2. Edited by the
Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA), postbus 380, 6700 AJ
Wageningen, The Netherlands.
WECARD Meetings The Executive Committee of the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development (WECARD) will take place in Dakar, in June 2000. WECARD’s General Assembly will be held in Dakar, from 17 to 21 July 2000. |
