Farmers' perceptions and management of bacterial wilt disease: the case of gboma eggplant (Solanum macrocarpon L.) in Benin

Leafy eggplant (Solanum macrocarpon L.), locally known as gboma, is an important vegetable in West Africa, but its production is constrained by bacterial wilt (BW) disease caused by Ralstonia spp. Understanding farmers' awareness and perceptions of the disease, as well as their current management practices, is crucial to developing an effective extension strategy. We surveyed 572 farmers across seven agroecological zones in Benin using a questionnaire. Farmers reported that bacterial wilt as highly prevalent and severely affected their gboma crop yield. The lowest knowledge of the identification and mode of transmission of the disease was observed in the southwest and the north cotton zone, where 29% of the farmers used synthetic pesticides and 24% did not use any means of control. Longer crop rotation cycles were associated with a reduced bacterial wilt incidence. More knowledgeable farmers removed diseased plants and employed improved crop varieties, fallowing, and biopesticides such as neem mixed with poultry manure, fermented botanical products and cassava peels. The use of biopesticides was associated with a lower disease incidence. While some biopesticides are documented in the literature to reduce BW disease, control measures that target multiple diseases are preferred. Overall, the study results show the importance of comprehensive training on effective bacterial wilt management methods.