This research aims to characterize and establish a typology of garden farmers according to their knowledge and use of biopesticides. The study was conducted in Louda, a village in the commune of Boussouma in the North Central region of Burkina Faso. A semi-structured socio-economic survey was conducted among 20 garden farmers, equally divided between men and women. The results of the survey showed that 70% of the garden farmers cited caterpillar as the major pest and leaf curl as the major disease. Twenty-five (25) % and 15% of the garden farmers use biopesticides as a phytosanitary treatment against caterpillar and leaf curl respectively. Unregistered industrial synthetic chemical pesticides for other crops are often used by garden farmers. Ignorance or not of the existence of biopesticides and their use against crop pests are the main criteria that establish the typology of garden farmers in Louda. Age, sex, instruction, mode of access to land, family size, number of salaried agricultural workers and average annual income of the garden farmers are the socio-economic parameters that discriminate this typology. This typology is therefore associated with the socio-economic characteristics of garden farmers.
Bambara groundnut is a food seed legume with enormous agronomic and nutritional potential. However, it remains a neglected crop. In order to improve its productivity in relation to soil and climatic conditions, the present study was conducted in Tenkodogo from July to October 2021. Soil characterization was carried out according to FAO guidelines directives before the setting up of experimental device. Experimental design consisted of the trial following a completely randomized block design with four replications. The effects of applying of 0 (BP0), 30 (BP30), 60 (BP60), 90 (BP90) and 120 (BP120) kg ha-1 of Burkina phosphate (BP) on two varieties KVS246 and KVS 235 of Bambara groundnut were compared. Crop management consisted of a flat plowing, direct application of BP, sowing distances of 0.40 m x 0.20 m and ridging on the 49th day after sowing. Results showed that the soil of experimental site are an iron and manganese sesquioxide’s soils class, specifically to shallow leached ferruginous tropical soil and should corresponding an endo petroplinthic lixisol. This acidic soil is characterized by a sandy surface texture and clay at depth, well drained, with low mineral content. In reference to the research results, the soil and climatic conditions of experimental site are potentially suitable for Bambara groundnut cropping. Treatments not significantly improved Bambara groundnut yields by verities. On this soil, the variety KVS 246 would better interact with applying of 60 and 90 kg ha-1 of BP and the variety KVS 235 with 120 kg ha-1 of BP to improve Bambara groundnut yield parameters compared to the control. Further research is needed over several years to better understand the effects of rock phosphate on Bambara groundnut crop and residual soil fertility.