Analysis of Certain Aspects of the Production System and Methods Used by Farmers in Togo to Manage Soya Pests

In Togo, there is a lack of data on the soya production system and strategies for the sustainable management of soya pests. The objectives of this study are to analyse certain aspects of the organic and conventional soya production systems and to identify methods for managing pests in three prefectures in Togo. To achieve these objectives, a survey was conducted amongst 233 soya farmers (139 organic and 94 conventional soya producers) using a questionnaire designed for this purpose, combined with a semi-structured interview. The results showed that the average area sown per farmer was 1.96 ± 1.03 hectares for organic soya and 2.86 ± 2.45 hectares for conventional soya. The proportion of soya plots infested by insect pests was 37.67 ± 14.84% for organic farming and 26 ± 12.73% for conventional farming. Average yield losses are estimated at 25 ± 8.19 per cent for organic soya and 16 ± 10.54 per cent for conventional soya. Farmers are familiar with bioinsecticides and believe that pesticides help to increase productivity. These results represent an important contribution to the development of strategies for the sustainable management of soya pests.