Crop protection second visit to the GOPDC (Ghana) / SIAT / Nucleus estate-smallholders and outgrowers from 24 to 28 May 2004

This second visit in 2004 enabled me to see that the phytosanitary situation is improving throughout the Nucleus Estate, Smallholders and Outgrowers at Kwae and in the surrounding area. A new series of Evisect hot-fogging treatments was carried out in some plots that were still infested. On the whole, recommendations are respected, except in a few particular cases where treatments could have been avoided if I had received advance warning. The Coelaenomenodera indexes are very low, be it in the plots treated in March - April 2004 or in the untreated plots because they were very defoliated, in the three groups of palm plantings. I therefore recommend halting these treatments totally, until a new need is duly acknowledged. I consequently advise monthly leaf miner population counts, and any abnormalities that might occur should be reported to me, especially in the Outgrowers, which display quite a particular self-regulation phenomenon which would be well worth analysing. There is now a stock of 1 000 kg of Evisect S. Seven new Pulsfog are already at the port of Tema. 3 000 litres of Unden are going to arrive from Nigeria by road, but the age of the Unden is not known. A candidate entomologist was presented to me, with whom I was able to work for around two days. It is of course difficult to assess the candidate precisely after such a short time. As there was only one candidate, the applicant is shortly to be recruited for a trial period. During that training period, I suggested that a general SIAT request be sent to the Cirad Tree Crops Department so that I can go to Kwae each time it is necessary, for two to three days, to guide this young Ghanaian entomologist. As usual, a visit report would be submitted to SIAT indicating the situation and how it is evolving. (Résumé d'auteur