Socio-entomological characterisation of cocoa orchards in the haut-Sassandra region (Côte d’Ivoire)

Abstract

Cocoa alone accounts for more than 46% of export earnings and employs more than two-thirds of the working population. Despite this social importance, the sustainability of the cocoa orchards in Côte d'Ivoire is compromised by several biotic constraints. The objective of this study is to determine the main pests of the plantations in the area of study, to examine the perception of farmers on the importance of these pests and to assess their knowledge in managing the threat. To this end, a survey was conducted among 360 cocoa farmers in the Haut-Sassandra region of Côte d'Ivoire. The study revealed that 96.67% of the farmers were men. The plantations are family farms with an average size of about 3.24 ha and cocoa farms established on five main types of previous crops, with a preponderance of "forest" previous crops. Three types of insects are of greater concern. These are mirids, stem borers and green bugs. The distribution of insects according to the age gradient shows an abundance of stem borers on the plots.