[ Synthèse des principaux travaux de recherche sur la teigne des choux (Plutella xylostella L.) en Afrique de l’Ouest ]
Volume 47, Issue 3, January 2026, Pages 353–366
Bargui A. Ramatou1, Halilou Mamane Sani2, and Moumouni Dan Mairo Adamou3
1 Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques (FSA), Université de Djibo Hamani de Tahoua, Tahoua, Niger
2 Laboratoire de Gestion des Bioagresseurs, Universite Abdou Moumouni de Niamey, Niamey, Niger
3 Université Abdou Moumouni de Niamey, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, BP. 10662 Niamey, Niger
Original language: French
Copyright © 2026 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
The diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella L., is a significant lepidopteran pest of brassicas, posing a major threat to vegetable production in West Africa. This highly prolific, mobile, and adaptive species can cause up to 100% yield loss, particularly in intensive production systems lacking crop rotation. Larval feeding damages leaf tissue, reducing the marketability of crops and jeopardizing food security. Economically, control costs and financial losses are substantial, with global estimates exceeding $4 billion. In West Africa, producers heavily rely on chemical insecticides, leading to increased resistance, environmental pollution, and health risks. Despite research efforts, managing P. xylostella remains challenging due to the rapid development of resistance and the limited availability of viable alternatives. Various control strategies have been studied, including Chemical control, Biological control, Cultural practices and Integrated Pest Management (IPM). New avenues for research include biotechnology (RNAi, RIDL), varietal selection, digital forecasting tools, and participatory research involving producers. The review concludes that only an integrated agroecological approach combining scientific innovation, local knowledge, and institutional support-will enable sustainable control of P. xylostella in West Africa while preserving human health, the environment, and the profitability of the vegetable sector.
Author Keywords: Plutella xylostella, yield losses, insecticide resistance, integrated pest management, West Africa.
Volume 47, Issue 3, January 2026, Pages 353–366
Bargui A. Ramatou1, Halilou Mamane Sani2, and Moumouni Dan Mairo Adamou3
1 Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques (FSA), Université de Djibo Hamani de Tahoua, Tahoua, Niger
2 Laboratoire de Gestion des Bioagresseurs, Universite Abdou Moumouni de Niamey, Niamey, Niger
3 Université Abdou Moumouni de Niamey, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, BP. 10662 Niamey, Niger
Original language: French
Copyright © 2026 ISSR Journals. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract
The diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella L., is a significant lepidopteran pest of brassicas, posing a major threat to vegetable production in West Africa. This highly prolific, mobile, and adaptive species can cause up to 100% yield loss, particularly in intensive production systems lacking crop rotation. Larval feeding damages leaf tissue, reducing the marketability of crops and jeopardizing food security. Economically, control costs and financial losses are substantial, with global estimates exceeding $4 billion. In West Africa, producers heavily rely on chemical insecticides, leading to increased resistance, environmental pollution, and health risks. Despite research efforts, managing P. xylostella remains challenging due to the rapid development of resistance and the limited availability of viable alternatives. Various control strategies have been studied, including Chemical control, Biological control, Cultural practices and Integrated Pest Management (IPM). New avenues for research include biotechnology (RNAi, RIDL), varietal selection, digital forecasting tools, and participatory research involving producers. The review concludes that only an integrated agroecological approach combining scientific innovation, local knowledge, and institutional support-will enable sustainable control of P. xylostella in West Africa while preserving human health, the environment, and the profitability of the vegetable sector.
Author Keywords: Plutella xylostella, yield losses, insecticide resistance, integrated pest management, West Africa.
Abstract: (french)
La teigne des choux (Plutella xylostella L.), lépidoptère ravageur des Brassicacées, représente une menace majeure pour la production maraîchère en Afrique de l’Ouest. Cette espèce, hautement prolifique, mobile et adaptative, engendre des pertes de rendement pouvant atteindre 100 %, en particulier dans les systèmes de production intensifs dépourvus de rotation culturale. Les dégâts sont causés par les larves qui détruisent les tissus foliaires, réduisant la qualité marchande des récoltes et compromettant la sécurité alimentaire. Sur le plan économique, les coûts de lutte et les pertes financières sont considérables, estimés à plus de 4 milliards de dollars à l’échelle mondiale. En Afrique de l’Ouest, les producteurs recourent massivement aux insecticides chimiques, entraînant des résistances accrues, une pollution environnementale et des risques sanitaires. Malgré les efforts de recherche, la gestion de P. xylostella reste problématique, notamment en raison de l’émergence rapide de résistances et de la faiblesse des alternatives accessibles. Diverses stratégies de lutte sont étudiées: lutte chimique, biologique, culturales et intégrée (IPM). De nouvelles perspectives incluent la biotechnologie (RNAi, RIDL), la sélection variétale, la prévision par outils numériques et l’implication des producteurs via la recherche participative. La revue conclut que seule une approche agroécologique intégrée, combinant les innovations scientifiques, les savoirs locaux et les appuis institutionnels, permettra de contrôler durablement P. xylostella en Afrique de l’Ouest tout en préservant la santé humaine, l’environnement et la rentabilité des filières maraîchères.
Author Keywords: Plutella xylostella, pertes de rendement, résistance aux insecticides, lutte intégrée, Afrique de l’Ouest.
How to Cite this Article
Bargui A. Ramatou, Halilou Mamane Sani, and Moumouni Dan Mairo Adamou, “Synthesis of Major Research on the Diamondback Moth (Plutella xylostella L.) in West Africa,” International Journal of Innovation and Applied Studies, vol. 47, no. 3, pp. 353–366, January 2026.
