Aa. Adesina et al., RICE PESTS IN THE IVORY-COAST, WEST-AFRICA - FARMERS PERCEPTIONS AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES, International journal of pest management, 40(4), 1994, pp. 293-299
An understanding of farmers' perceptions of pests and their existing p
est control methods can make an important contribution to the developm
ent of effective integrated pest management strategies. While the rela
tively successful rice IPM technologies in Asia have been extensively
documented in studies examining farmers' pest perceptions and manageme
nt practices, studies examining, specifically, perceptions and managem
ent practices of West Af rican rice farmers are rare. This may reflect
the more limited success to date in the implementation of rice IPM st
rategies in the region. This paper describes rice pests, pest percepti
ons and management practices of smallholder rice farmers in the Ivory
Coast. It was found that the major rice pests, as perceived by farmers
, are weeds, vertebrates (birds and rodents) and insects. Farmers are
generally unable to diagnose rice plant diseases and thus did not cons
ider them as important production constraints. Implications are derive
d for an integrated pest management strategy that incorporates farmers
' perceptions and builds on their existing cultural control practices.