Light trap catches M. vitrata pod borer IITA-Benin station

In this project, we propose to develop and deploy climate-resilient, environmentally friendly and economically profitable integrated pest management approaches and tools - easily implementable by women and men farmers - to minimize the impact of insect pests in cowpea cropping systems in Burkina Faso, Niger and Nigeria. The project will have the following objectives: 1. Discovery objectives – Provide new knowledge on factors improving the performance of biocontrols. Assess the pest status of emerging, climate-driven insect pests, and the potential for their sustainable control. 2. Piloting objectives - Screen available or new biopesticides with potential to be commercialized by community-based groups and/or private sector operators. Validate locally-specific IPM baskets. 3. Scaling objectives – Mass releases of biocontrol agents from national rearing labs. Scale out the community-based production of neem tea-bags. 4. Capacity development objectives - Implement training and educational programs at all levels, including farmer, technician and graduate training, and short-term attachments for researchers. Achieving these objective will empower the project i) to be able to better target mass releases of the biocontrol agents to specific agro-ecosystems, ii) to be better informed about the risks from climate-driven pests, and their mitigation strategies, iii) to have available more potent biopesticides and their mixtures which can be produced locally by community-based women and youth groups, vi) to understand the socio-economic drivers for gender-disaggregated IPM technology adoption and impact, and v) to increase the capacity of women and men cowpea farmer and national R4D partners to develop, disseminate and implement sustainable pest management approaches.