Insect-proof nets to reduce pesticide use

Last update: 28 April 2014

In order to feed the growing urban population in sub-Saharan Africa, vegetable production is booming. In order to protect crops from pests, smallholders apply intensive chemical control which pollutes the environment and threatens public health. In order to avoid using pesticides, a team of scientists from several organizations has, along with smallholders, tested the use of nets placed over vegetables in Benin and Kenya.

These simple and easy-to-use nets have helped reduce insecticide spraying by 70 to 100% in cabbage and tomato crops. The nets also improve vegetable quality and crop yields. They can be reused for five years on different crops. The Tanzanian company A to Z Textile Mills can produce, distribute and recycle these nets in the region. Researchers are now seeking to strengthen the protective effect of the nets against small insects that can pass through the mesh.

The project, entitled BioNetAgro, was funded by USAID and CIRAD and implemented by CIRAD and Michigan State University in partnership with KARI (Kenya), Egerton University (Kenya), ICIPE (Kenya), INRAB (Benin), Abomey Calavi University (Benin), the NGO APRETECTRA (Benin), and A to Z Textile Mills (Tanzania).
A film by Thibaud Martin and Michel Royo.
Caméléon Production - Kenya - 2013

Last update: 28 April 2014