Agroecology: Harnessing local plants to produce biofertilizers and biopesticides

Welcome, listeners. Today, we’re going to talk about agroecology, particularly the production and use of organic fertilizers and pesticides. We have three guests, two of whom are here with us in the studio. Our third guest will join us by phone from Koupéla, which is located one hundred and forty kilometers from Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso.

Our first guest is Souleymane Bélemgnégré, president of the Béo-Neeré agroecology association. He will tell us about his agroecology research, production and training center. More specifically, he will explain how his association produces biofertilizers and biopesticides, how to use them, and their benefits.

Our second guest is Madame Hawa Kinda, a farmer who grows carrots, cabbages and edible leafy plants in her garden. She will share her experience in the use of biofertilizers and biopesticides.

Our third guest is Mr. Oumarou Koanda, a vegetable and cereal farmer who switched from using chemical fertilizers and pesticides to using biological fertilizers and pesticides after learning about them in 2019. Mr. Koanda will discuss the advantages of using biopesticides and biofertilizers.

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We begin this program with you, Mr. Souleymane Belemgnégré, president of the Béo-Neeré agroecology association. How did you get into agroecology?

I attended an agroecology course on biofertilizers and biopesticides organized by a French association called Terre et Humanisme. After this training, I became involved in the field of agroecology and applied what I learned there.

First of all, why did you get involved with biopesticides?

I used to use chemical pesticides. When I sprayed in the evening, I found that all the insects, worms, caterpillars and flies were dead the next day. The pesticide decimated every living thing. It bothered me personally, but I had no other solution. When the opportunity arose to experiment with organic pesticides, I didn’t hesitate. I discovered that I could protect myself from these crop predators without killing them. That’s how I started producing and using biopesticides.

So biopesticides don’t kill crop pests?

That’s right. They repel insects, worms, caterpillars and other flies that swarm on plants. They give off a repellent odor and toxicity that drives these pests away.

What local plants do you use to produce biopesticides?

I mainly use neem leaf, papaya leaf and tobacco leaf extracts. I also use a combination of garlic, ginger and chili pepper.

How do you produce these biopesticides from neem, papaya and tobacco leaves?

First, I pick a kilogram of neem leaves and crush them. Then, I add the resulting paste to four liters of water. I then add twenty grams of traditionally-made soap to the mixture and let it sit in the shade for twenty-four (24) hours. After 24 hours, I filter the solution to obtain the finished product. The process is the same with papaya leaves.

: After extracting neem or papaya leaves, how is the finished product used?

The solution is diluted with water according to the degree of infestation. Keep the solution concentrated if there are a lot of predators in the field and dilute it if there are fewer. Then, spray it.

When is the best time to treat plants?

The best time is at the end of the day, around 5 p.m., because worms, caterpillars, and other insects are much more active at night. Crop pests take shelter somewhere during the day and come to the plants in the early evening. They move around at night to feed. If it rains, wait until it has stopped before spraying.

You also mentioned the tobacco leaf solution. What about it?

Yes, the manufacturing process is different with tobacco leaves. You boil a handful (300 grams) of fresh tobacco leaves in three liters of water to extract the solution. Traditional soap is added just before boiling. As with the neem and papaya leaf solutions, the tobacco solution is tested on a small scale so that the proper dosage can be determined before large-scale treatment. However, I reiterate that the treatment does not kill worms, insects, or caterpillars; it merely repels them from our plants. However, as soon as the repellent scent dissipates, the pests return. That’s why the treatment must be repeated at least twice a week.

There’s also a combination of chili, ginger, and garlic. Tell us about it!

Crush one kilogram each of chili, garlic, and ginger. Mix them with 90° alcohol and let them sit for four to five days. Then, four to five liters of water are added. The extract is obtained by letting the mixture sit for at least ten days before use. The alcohol preserves the solution. Unlike other leaf-based products, which are used immediately, this product can be canned for marketing.

Can these products effectively control crop predators?

Our products are very effective. Since we’ve been using them, our crops have not been attacked. However, in agroecology, prevention is better than a cure. We anticipate treatments before an emergency arises. First, we have to find the right seeds. Then, we have to fertilize and water the soil properly. Healthy plants can resist attack.

Apart from sprays, do you have any other techniques for containing or avoiding crop predators?

Yes, of course. We grow many scent-repellent plants alongside our crops to repel predators. If you visit my farm, you’ll see these repellent plants here and there, among the lettuce, cabbage, and tomato plants. They naturally regulate the cohabitation between the plants and the predators. I’m talking about artemisia, mint, neem, and many other plants. I’m using fewer and fewer pesticides and prefer to use crop associations to protect my fields from attack.

You produce biopesticides and you use them too. What do these biological pesticides actually do for the soil and the environment?

In agroecology, these two products are used together. As I’ve said, our organic pesticides don’t kill pests; they repel them. This means that insects, worms, ants, termites, and many other natural elements are preserved and protected in our plots. Biofertilizers enable us to fertilize the soil and keep it moist, which is conducive to the life of these natural elements. These biological products can even rehabilitate degraded soils because they provide permanent moisture and the animal droppings and grasses used in compost production bring seeds of herbs and shrubs that grow everywhere. In other words, biodiversity is preserved and enhanced throughout areas where these biopesticides and biofertilizers are used. Those who have learned to produce and use these organic products no longer return to chemical products. The danger posed by chemical pesticides and fertilizers has been completely eliminated from our environment.

How are your products made available to users?

I emphasize training to disseminate knowledge. You’ll have noticed that most of our biopesticides are produced and used immediately. I train users to produce them instead of producing them for them. I welcome students and private individuals to my agroecological farm. Researchers support me by taking samples for laboratory tests and providing students for field tests.

Do you include young people and women in your training courses on producing and using organic pesticides and fertilizers?

We mainly train young people and women. They are the main players in market gardening. If you go to the market gardens and around the dams, you will see that it is all women and young people working there. In agricultural production as a whole, they are the able-bodied ones. That’s why we focus on this category of people. They’re the ones who need it, and that’s how we really manage to get good practices adopted. As you can see, nearly half of my employees are women.

We provide the same training for young people and women. They have the same product needs and usage techniques. Therefore, we don’t need any specific modules for women or young people.

How much does training at the agroecological center cost?

Training costs range from 30,000 to 100,000 CFA francs, depending on the course length. Some students spend months, if not a whole year, on the farm. In that case, it can cost millions of CFA francs. After the training, I follow up to see if what was taught is being applied in the field.

Thank you, Mr. Bélemgnégré, for sharing information about biopesticides. I’ll come back to you to talk about biofertilizers. In the meantime, we’re going to hear testimonials about the effectiveness of the biopesticides you just mentioned.

Ms. Kinda, you’re in the studio with us. Through the Béo-Neeré association, you learned about producing and using biopesticides. Did predators cause you to lose a lot of crops?

Yes! A lot. Without treatment, I couldn’t harvest anything because of insect pests. Biopesticides saved me. I apply close-up treatments every three days to control them. However, it’s important to note that biopesticides don’t kill these pests; they only repel them.

Why is it interesting that organic pesticides don’t kill insects?

We realized that chemical pesticides kill insects, worms, and caterpillars, which causes soil to become poor. This means these elements are important for our soil and the environment.

What do you gain by using biopesticides?

I can’t tell you how much more I earn financially, but remember that I practically spend nothing to produce and use biopesticides. Products from plants treated with biopesticides are safe and can be stored for a long time. Biopesticides protect human, animal, and environmental health. I earn a lot by using organic pesticides.

Thank you, Ms. Kinda. Mr. Oumarou Koanda is following us online from Koupéla. Like Ms. Kinda, you manufacture and use biological pesticides. How did you learn about these biopesticides?

I took a training course on organic products organized by the Béo-Néré agroecology association, where I learned about these products and how to produce them. I produce biofertilizers and pesticides from papaya and neem leaves, as well as from a mixture of chili, ginger, and garlic.

Were crop predators a concern for you?

Personally, I had problems with insect pests. My plants were attacked, and I lost a lot of my crops. I had to use chemical pesticides, which caused other health problems for humans and the environment. Learning to produce and use biopesticides was a great opportunity for me.

Tell us, are biopesticides effective against crop predators?

: Biopesticides are effective. I gave up chemical pesticides when I discovered biopesticides in 2019. I grow lettuce, cabbage, onions, cucumbers, eggplants, parsley, celery, and tomatoes, and I haven’t had any pest problems since. I anticipate attacks, and every week, I treat my plants to prepare for any eventuality.

In your experience, what are the advantages of biopesticides?

Products treated with biopesticides have a long shelf life and promote the health of humans, animals, and the environment. Financially, we spend almost nothing on these products. I’ve noticed that these organic products preserve the micro-organisms that thrive, which contributes to the life of the soil and keeps it productive.

Thank you, Mr. Koanda, for your explanations.

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I’d like to come back to you, Mr. Bélemgnégré, to talk about organic fertilizers. You produce and promote them. Could you tell us what the advantages of biofertilizers are?

I used chemical fertilizers for a long time, but I realized they weren’t good for the soil. For example, when I used a bag of chemical fertilizer for a plot one year, I needed two bags the following year and three bags the year after that. At some point, the soil rejects the fertilizer and becomes unproductive.

With biofertilizers, the opposite is true. Compost fertilizes the soil over time. If I use a bag of biofertilizer this year, I might only need half a bag, or none at all, the following year. Biofertilizers retain water and keep the soil alive.

: In concrete terms, what are the advantages of biofertilizers?

Biofertilizers improve arid soils and restore nature by promoting the growth of shrubs. They have no negative impact on human health and are affordable. We don’t spend anything to buy them. All of the biofertilizers that I produce come from my own farm. Nothing comes from outside. I collect animal waste, poultry droppings, harvest debris, straw, dead leaves, ash, and burnt bones.

How is fertilizer produced when these components are brought together?

I’m going to tell you about aerobic compost production, which differs from compost produced in pits.

The collected materials are placed in layers in the shade, well watered, and covered with biomass. Do not use plastic bags for covering, but rather use straw, grass, or dead leaves. Stir the pile on the fifteenth, thirtieth, and forty-fifth days. By the forty-fifth day, you’ll see that everything has decomposed, but the process continues until the sixtieth day. Using ash accelerates the decomposition process.

What happens after sixty days?

If the compost is not to be used immediately after sixty days, it should be dried in the shade and stored in bags or piled up and covered with biomass in the shade. Bags are available for sale at the center for five thousand (5,000) CFA francs per fifty-kilogram bag.

Which crops cab be grown using this organic fertilizer?

The fertilizer can be used for all crops. For market garden crops, use two kilograms per square meter, and for cereal crops, use one kilogram per square meter. However, if the soil is very poor, the dosage must be increased.

Thank you, Mr. Bélemgnégré. Mr. Koanda, you’re still on the line from Koupéla. For those of you who use these organic fertilizers, do they increase your yields?

Biofertilizers are very effective. With these fertilizers, I can double or even triple my production. For example, I can harvest two baskets of tomatoes from a single bed without using biofertilizers. With the compost I produce, however, I can harvest eight baskets or more.

What are the other advantages of organic fertilizers?

Financially, I spend almost nothing to produce them. If I use a quarter of a bag of fertilizer for one production, I can use the rest of the bag for the next production. For producing cereals like corn, I apply organic fertilizer once every two or three years. In terms of health, they’re organic, so they have no negative health impacts. As for organic pesticides, I haven’t used chemical fertilizers since I learned how to produce biofertilizers.

And you, Mrs. Kinda, who also uses organic fertilizers, do you produce them yourself, or do you buy them?

I learned how to produce biofertilizers with the Béo-Néré agroecology association. I produce the compost myself for my own use.

What can you tell us about your experience with organic fertilizers?

Organic fertilizers are very effective for plant growth and soil fertilization. When you put a pile of organic fertilizer on bare soil and water it, earthworms and grass will grow within a few days. They help to restore degraded soil and produce organic products that are good for our health.

Compared to chemical fertilizers?

Chemical fertilizers are often expensive and out of our reach. While it’s true that chemical fertilizers boost plant growth faster, the crops rot quickly and cannot be preserved. Products derived from biofertilizers, on the other hand, keep well and are healthy.

Thank you, Ms. Kinda. This is the end of the show. Thanks to all our guests: Mr. Souleymane Bélemgnégré from the Béo-Neeré agroecology association in Roumtenga, near Ouagadougou; Mr. Oumarou Koanda, a market gardener from Koupéla; and Ms. Hawa Kinda, a producer from Ouagadougou.

We talked about biopesticides and biofertilizers—biological products used to protect plants and fertilize soil. As you heard, using these biological products correctly preserves soil fertility and protects and enhances biological diversity while increasing production yields.

Thank you for listening, dear listeners. See you next time for another episode of your magazine.