Agricultural Sciences, 2024, 15, 1-14
https://www.scirp.org/journal/as
ISSN Online: 2156-8561
ISSN Print: 2156-8553
DOI: 10.4236/as.2024.151001 Jan. 9, 2024 1 Agricultural Sciences
Study of the Constraints of Millet Production
(Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) and the
Peasant Perception of Biological Control in the
Tahoua Region
Rabé Mahamane Moctar
1*
, Hama Oumarou
1
, Issaka Rabo Salissou
2
,
Abdoulaye Amoustapha Soumaila
1*
, Bakoye Nouhou Ousmane
1
, Baoua Ibrahim
3
1
Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Djibo Hamani University of Tahoua, Tahoua, Niger
2
NGO Sahel Bio of Maradi, Maradi, Niger
3
Faculty of Agronomy and Environnemental Science, DanDicko DanKoulodo University of Maradi, Maradi, Niger
Abstract
Millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) is the Sahelian crop par excellence
due to its adaptation to the particular production conditions in this region.
Unfortunately, in recent years this crop has been threatened by very strong
parasitic pressure and drought during the production period. The objective of
this study is to analyze the main constraints of millet production and the so-
lutions known to producers. A survey was carried out in November 2022 with
a sample of 298 producers in five municipalities in the Tahoua region. The
main constraints are drought and pressure from crop pests (locust, millet ear
miner, floricultural insects) according to 57.9% of respondents. The millet ear
miner is the most formidable pest according to 55% of respondents. Thus, the
average yield obtained in a year of good production without the leafminer is
194 kg/ha and that obtained in a year of millet ear leafminer is around 27 kg
to 43 kg/ha depending on the municipality. The yield obtained this last cam-
paign after the attack of this leafminer varies from 64 to 77 kg/ha depending
on the municipalities compared to a potential yield of over 1000 kg/ha. More
than half of producers (58.1%) are unaware of the existence of biological con-
trol compared to only 12.5% who are aware of this alternative method. Work
to popularize this technology is necessary in the five municipalities and the
entire region in general.
Keywords
Biological Control, Ear Miner, Millet
How to cite this paper: Moctar, R.M.,
Oumarou, H., Salissou, I.R., Soumaila,
A.A., Ousmane, B.N. and Ibrahim, B.
(2024) Study of the Constraints of Millet
Production (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.
Br.) and the Peasant Perception of Biologi-
cal Control in the Tahoua Region. Agricul-
tural Sciences, 15, 1-14.
https://doi.org/10.4236/as.2024.151001
Received: November 15, 2023
Accepted: January 6, 2024
Published: January 9, 2024
Copyright © 2024 by author(s) and
Scientific Research Publishing Inc.
This work is licensed under the Creative
Commons Attribution International
License (CC BY 4.0).
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Open Access