Integrated pest management (IPM) represents a range of environmentally sound, ecologically based approaches to crop protection and is increasingly recognized as a key element in sustainable agricultural development. To enhance the use of IPM it is essential to test, apply, and publicize more effective options for farming communities.

he Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research System-wide Program on Integrated Pest Management (SP-IPM) supported the initiation of seven IPM Pilot Sites in Africa during the 2000-2001 growing season, including two sites in North Africa: one in Beni Suef Governorate, Egypt, and the other in Settat, Morocco.
    The main objective of the pilot site model is to build an effective farmer-scientist-extension partnership and to permit such a team to analyze production problems, identify ways farmers cope with problems, come up with researcher recommended IPM options and agree on "best bet" options to evaluate jointly. At the pilot site, lead farmers are identified and they select IPM options to evaluate in their fields in collaboration with neighboring farmers.

Egypt IPM pilot site

Faba bean and wheat are important crops in Beni Suef Governorate, Middle Egypt. Around 20,000 ha were planted to faba bean before 1991, with and average yield of about 2.7 t/ha. A virus epidemic in 1991-1992 reduced faba bean yield in Beni Suef by 80%. The virus hit again in the 1998-99 growing season. Due to the virus and other problems, the area planted to faba bean in this governorate dropped from 17,600 ha in 1990-1991 to 800 ha in 1999-2000. To salvage the crop and to restore farmers' confidence in planting faba bean in Beni Suef, the IPM pilot site activities were initiated during the 2000-2001 growing season.

Pest constraints and IPM options evaluated

The preliminary meeting between lead farmers, research scientists, and extension workers identified the major limiting factors for faba bean production as: virus diseases, especially faba bean necrotic yellows virus (FBNYV), aphids, especially the cowpea aphid Aphis craccivora, and the parasitic weed Orobanche.
    Discussion between lead farmers, agricultural research center scientists, and extension workers led to the identification of the following IPM "best bet" options: (i) improved cultivars 'Giza 429' and 'Giza 843' tolerant to Orobanche, (ii) sowing during second half of October, (iii) seed rate of 150 kg/ha, (iv) chemical control of aphids with a systemic aphicide, and (v) roguing of virus-infected faba bean plants early in the growing season.

Achievements

Evaluation of the above IPM options was carried out with two clusters of five lead farmers each at El-Fashn and Somosta districts. Faba bean yields were determined at the end of the season in all 10 fields of participating farmers and were compared with yields of non-participating farmers in the same districts. The percent increase in yield in the fields of the participating farmers in El-Fashn district as compared to non-participating farmers ranged from 23% to 125%, with an average of 68%. In the Somosta district the increase ranged from 9% to 83%, with an average of 52%. The average seed yield of the fields of participating farmers in the El-Fashn and Somosta districts was 4.5 t/ha and 3.2 t/ha, respectively.

    Neighboring farmers were invited to visit the fields of pilot site farmers. These field days were a big success--the faba bean fields looked healthy and the yields obtained were very promising. Confidence in planting faba bean in Middle Egypt seems to be building, and it is hoped that the success of the pilot sites in 2000-2001 will bring more farmers back to faba bean production.

Morocco IPM pilot site

In Settat, Central Morocco, rainfed wheat and chickpea are major crops in rotation. In some years, however, Hessian fly causes complete wheat crop failure, and chickpea suffers from Ascochyta blight. The pilot site was composed of two clusters of three lead farmers each, at the villages of Sidi El-Aidi and Ain Nzagh.

Pest constraints and IPM options evaluated

Farmers, researchers, and extension workers agreed that the IPM options for wheat should center around (i) a wheat variety tolerant to Hessian fly attack, (ii) weed control, (iii) proper fertilization, (iv) optimal planting date, and (v) the use of a drill for planting; and for chickpea (i) a variety with improved tolerance to Ascochyta blight, (ii) optimal (earlier) planting date, (iii) weed control, and (iv) the use of a drill for planting. It was agreed that each lead farmer would evaluate six IPM options for wheat and four for chickpea.

Achievements

Yield was determined for all the IPM options evaluated and was compared with the yield achieved by the neighboring farmers who followed traditional practices. The best IPM option for wheat produced 1630 kg/ha (average of six lead farmers), as compared to an average of 800 kg/ha for the neighboring farmers. Most of the increase was due to the Hessian fly resistant wheat variety 'Arrihane.' In chickpea, the best IPM option produced 945 kg/ha (average of six lead farmers), as compared to an average of 350 kg/ha for the farmers who followed traditional planting in spring. The major factors behind the increase in yield were the use of the Ascochyta blight tolerant variety 'Rizki,' early planting, and use of pre-emergence herbicide 'Granstar.'

Farmers' fields as training sites

The fields of the lead farmers in Egypt and Morocco were used as sites to train neighboring farmers throughout the growing season. These sites were visited by many farmers in each country (300-500), by decision makers, and news reporters. The dialog between researchers and lead farmers and visiting farmers was extremely beneficial.

Outlook

Pilot site achievements attracted the attention of policy makers. In Morocco, for example, a visit by the Minister of Agriculture to a pilot site led to the scaling up of the activities nationally. Similarly, in Egypt, site results gave farmers confidence in faba bean. In the future, a series of similar pilot sites will be needed in key locations to serve as focal points for developing and disseminating "best-bet" IPM options. There is a great need to sharpen farmer participatory approaches for rapid, wide, and cost-effective dissemination of results.