Sorghum is the most cultivated cereal in Burkina Faso. However, sorghum is produced extensively without respect for good agricultural and storage practices and the resulting grains are permanently infected by mold species. These mold species cause seeds rot, seedling damping-off and others diseases in field. They also secrete mycotoxins harmful to human health. The main method recommended for their control is seed treatment with chemicals. However, handling pesticides presents high risks of toxicity and ecotoxicity. The search for an alternative method made it possible to identify the essential oil of Cymbopogon citratus which has antifungal properties. This essential oil was then formulated by adsorption on clay in order to facilitate its use in the field. The objective of this study was to test the efficacy of the formulation made with two types of clay against Phoma sorghina and Fusarium moniliforme, the main species of molds encountered, and to evaluate the effect of the formulation on seed germination and seedling growth. Sorghum grains from two varieties were thus coated with the formulations. The grains thus coated were first analyzed to assess the presence of the target molds and then sown in pots containing sterilized fine sand to assess the germination and growth of the seedlings. The formulations significantly reduced grain infection rates from both fungi by more than 70%. The formulation with Sitiéna clay significantly improved germination, plant vigor and root length of both varieties. Field trials are necessary to confirm the efficacy of this formulation and initiate the popularization procedure.

In the search for new, cheaper and environmentally sustainable sources of protein-rich food, much research has shown the alternative role that insects could play in animal feed. Fly larvae or maggots have been identified as a food source that is very rich in protein, dietary fat, vitamins and minerals. The most commonly used maggots in animal feed are those of the housefly (Musca domestica L. 1758) and the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens L. 1758). Different maggot production systems for these two fly species have been developed and others are still being developed in different contexts around the world. The production of these maggots does not require much expenditure as they can be easily obtained from animal and/or plant waste available free of charge or at low cost. This study summarizes the available literature on the methods of production of maggots of these two fly species and their use in animal feed. Also, the zootechnical performance of animals fed with maggots and the importance of maggots were discussed in this study.

Onion bulbs production and commercialization is now a powerful tool against poverty in rural areas in Burkina Faso. However, Fusarium basal rot disease caused by a complex of soilborne fungi appears to be a serious threat to growers. The prophylactic methods proposed for its control remain difficult to apply effectively and the most used varieties of onion are susceptible to the disease. In order to work out a palliative solution to this problem, eleven onion varieties marketed in Burkina Faso were screened for their tolerance to fusarium basal rot. The varieties were produced in infested rural area on completely randomized blocs by three producers in three different sites. The harvested bulbs were then tested in the laboratory under artificial inoculation conditions with conidial suspensions of Fusarium oxysporum and F. solani, responsible for the disease. In field, the Noflaye and Gandiol+ varieties were the most tolerant to the disease with respective incidence values ​​of 0 and 1.6% while the Mercedes variety was the most sensitive with an incidence of 16,5%. In the laboratory, all the inoculated varieties developed rot at varying intensities, but the Noflaye and Gandiol+ varieties were still the least rotten. These results recommend the continuation of investigations on these two varieties with a view to their integration into an integrated control program against Fusarium basal rot disease of onion in Burkina Faso.

Changes in forest vegetation composition can lead to changes in carbon stocks. The aim of this study is to identify the relationships between diversity attributes, structural parameters and aboveground carbon stock within vegetation units in the Péni Classified Forest. In total, 3225 individuals belonging to 212 woody species were measured. Our results show a variability of carbon stock between vegetation units ranging from 2.56±2.31 t.ha-1 in shrub savannas to 131.80±75.45 t.ha-1 in gallery forests. Allometric models of structural parameters alone govern the variation of carbon stock between vegetation units. In gallery forests, Gmelina plantations and tree savannas, basal area explained 95%, 95% and 92% of the variation in carbon stock, respectively. In shrub savannas, the model combining mean diameter, basal area and mean height, explained 92% of the variation in carbon stock. The consideration of models combining diversity attributes and structure parameters is therefore necessary for a good estimation of the carbon stock of forest ecosystems.

The use of synthetic pesticides may present a danger to humans and the environment, to the point that the research of an alternative to these chemicals is necessary. The present study, aimed finding new natural molecules that may replace synthetic chemicals, looked at the effect of the ethanolic extract of B.grandiflora bark on eight seed-borne phytopathogenic fungi. The results of this study showed that C. lunata and C. dematium are the most sensitive to the ethanolic extract. This attests the presence of fungicidal or fungistatic substances in B. grandiflora bark. These results show that the ethanolic extract contains active molecules which, once fractionated, could constitute an alternative in the fight against phytopathogenic fungi. These preliminary results open up the possibility of using the bark of B. grandiflora for the production of a natural fungicide. Bioguided fractionation and phytotoxicity tests will identify the most active and non-toxic fractions which could be use in seed protection.

Aspergillus and Fusarium species are the major seed-borne fungi occurring on onion in Burkina Faso according to a previous study. In order to work out effective, available and healthy method of seed treatment against these fungi, this study aimed to evaluate the antifungal activity of three local botanical species. Mycelial growth of Aspergillus niger, Fusarium moniliforme, Fusarium oxysporum and Fusarium solani was evaluated in vitro on media prepared with aqueous extracts of Cymbopogon citratus, Eclipta alba and Portulaca oleracea. The health and germination quality of seeds previously treated with the best aqueous extracts were then evaluated. The aqueous extract of C. citratus significantly inhibited the mycelial growth of all Fusarium species at rates ranged from 42,8 to 92,0% but stimulated the growth of A. niger. Those of P. oleracea inhibited the mycelial growth of all tested fungi at rates ranged from 3,2 to 42,4% while those of E. alba stimulated the mycelial growth of all tested fungi. Seed treatment with the extracts of C. citratus and P. oleracea allowed reducing their infection rates by fungi of over 50%. However, the emergence and growth of seedlings were respectively reduced by P. oleracea and C. citratus compared to those of untreated seeds. Our study concludes that both aqueous extracts have proven antifungal properties. The appropriated shape and dose of use, that does not affect the seedling emergence and growth, should be sought.

In Burkina Faso, the food post- harvest conservation remains a major constraint. A survey to understand farmers' perceptions of post-harvest conservation of cowpea and Bambara groundnut was carried out in nine villages of Hauts-Bassins. This survey was followed by an evaluation of samples taken from stocks of these legumes. The results show that farmers retain their crops of Bambara groundnut and cowpea at home in bags, sealed and unsealed devices. The use of traditional methods is the most widespread. According to farmers, the insects are responsible for the essential of post-harvest losses of legumes. Laboratory analysis of the samples collected, helped to identify six (6) insect species distributed in the orders of Coleoptera and Hymenoptera. Callosobruchus maculatus Fab. and Callosobruchus subinnotatus Pic. are the most abundant species. Knowledge of post-harvest strategies in a traditional rural environment is an essential prerequisite for the development of methods and structures for effective protection of stored products. Such knowledge opens the way for the definition of methods for detection of infestations and loss estimation, the recommendation of rational methods of control, preventive as well as curative.