We interviewed half of the mango-growers in northern Benin, including 15 farmers involved in a regional fruit fly project, and held focus group discussions with women fruit-pickers. They were asked about pest management and their knowledge of a weaver ant, Oecophylla longinoda. All considered low yields due to fruit flies to be the principal constraint upon mango production, estimating economic losses to be between 20 and 45%. None could recognize damage during the first 2 days after fruit fly egg deposition. On-farm research persuaded farmers to stop using insecticides and it also changed negative perceptions of Oecophylla. Over 80% of the farmers involved in on-farm research, compared to 25% of those not involved, reported Oecophylla to be beneficial. All fruit-pickers knew that ants protected mango from fruit flies, with 60% attributing better mango quality in terms of appearance, shelf-life and sweetness to the presence of Oecophylla. Nevertheless, 40% of the pickers still considered weaver ants a nuisance pest during harvest. Ways of reducing this nuisance need to be developed for Oecophylla to gain wider acceptance by mango-growers.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09670870802014940

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http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09670870802014940

Domestic Trade; Livelihoods; Policies And Institutions; Markets; Agribusiness; Crop Systems; Food Security; Farm Management; Handling, Transport, Storage And Protection Of Agricultural Products; Post-Harvesting Technology; Nutrition; Smallholder Farmers

Farmer Knowledge; Labourer; Fruit Fly; Oecophylla Longinoda; Weaver Ants; Conservation Biological Control; On-Farm Research; Mango

Africa; West Africa

Benin