Farmers' knowledge and perceptions of Kersting's groundnut [Macrotyloma geocarpum (Harms) Maréchal and Baudet] diseases and pests in Benin

Abstract

Kersting's groundnut [Macrotyloma geocarpum (Harms) Maréchal and Baudet] is a neglected and underutilized legume crop in Benin and is subject to several constraints, including diseases and pests, which constitute a bottleneck to its production. A randomized semi-structured interview and participant observation survey were conducted in September 2020 to find out the perceptions and knowledge of farmers on diseases and pests affecting Kersting's groundnut. Thus, 84 farmers were surveyed in three agro-ecological zones where Kersting's groundnut is produced in Benin. After observation of disease symptoms through photographs, about 62% of the respondents stated that they observed diseases with low to medium incidence, but nearly 93% of the respondents did not recognize these symptoms as due to diseases. However, although 83% of the respondents recognize diseases as a constraint, all respondents (100%) do not adopt any control strategy against these diseases, due to the lack of knowledge about management practices and are linking the symptoms to mystical phenomena, heavy rainfall, or strong sunlight. As for pests, about 69% of the respondents observe them in their fields, but 80% of the respondents do not consider them as a constraint in Kersting's groundnut production, although 17 and 26% of the respondents claim to observe locusts and caterpillars in their fields respectively. No control methods are applied against these pests as well. Extensive extension work is needed to raise awareness of the diseases and pests of this crop while seeking effective control strategies.