Farmers' knowledge of biological control for sustainable management of fall armyworm in Western Burkina Faso

Abstract

The recent invasion of the fall armyworm (FAW) is severely limiting cereal yields and the main method of controlling is the use of chemical insecticides, which unfortunately cause damage to human and environmental health. Alternative methods to insecticides include biological control, which is still little known by farmers. The aim of this study, carried out in the Hauts-Bassins and Cascades regions of Burkina Faso, was to assess, through surveys, the perceptions of 256 cereal crop farmers on biological control of FAW. During the interview, images of the main parasitoid species associated with FAW were shown to farmers to enable them to answer questions. Among these farmers, only 14% of them had received training in FAW management methods. The evaluation of knowledge’s level on natural enemies showed that in the Cascades and Hauts-Bassins regions, 74% and 80.77% of farmers respectively were unaware of the existence of natural enemies against the FAW. It was only after showing parasitoids’ images that 85% and 67% of farmers in the Cascades and the Hauts-Bassins regions respectively, recognized having encountered at least one of the four main parasitoid species in their fields. No farmer reported using natural enemies to control FAW. Farmers are therefore unaware of the existence of useful insects in the environment that help to control insect pests in general and FAW in particular. This study therefore highlights the urgent need to strengthen the technical skills of cereal Farmers in recognizing and preserving natural enemies in order to promote biological control in FAW.