African Dryland Alliance for Pesticidal-Plant Technologies (ADAPPT)

A network for optimising and promoting the use of indigenous botanical knowledge for food security and poverty alleviation in Africa.

Farmers in Malawi discuss insect control using pesticidal plants with ADAPPT partners.

The overall objective of this project is to strengthen the scientific and technological capacity of African nations to exploit pesticidal plants and optimise their use by poor farmers. This will be achieved by establishing a pesticidal plant network of scientists and agricultural technicians from NGOs, agricultural institutes and universities. The network will facilitate the development and optimisation of appropriate, cost effective and environmentally benign agricultural technologies that are based on indigenous pesticidal plant materials for insect pest management in field crops and stored product and ectoparasite control in livestock in the small-scale farming sector across African drylands. The network will provide a platform on which old and new knowledge can be better consolidated, expanded and disseminated. Ultimately this project aims to reduce the high level of rural poverty in sub-Saharan African countries by making agriculture and animal husbandry more competitive, increasing food security and raising poor farmers’ incomes by cost effectively increasing crop yields, reducing storage loss and protecting livestock. Pesticidal plants can also provide marketable products for farmers and small business or cooperatives and their commercialisation will provide both an additional income stream to poor farming communities and a major uptake pathway for business driven promotion of this proven and effective pest management technology.

Output 1. Pan-African network on pesticidal plant research and development established.

Output 2. Collaborative research platform for capacity building and training and knowledge exchange.

Output 3. Sustainable production of botanical pesticides through improved harvesting, propagation, cultivation and conservation.

Output 4. Production and marketing of pesticidal plant products: Policy recommendations formulated and documents produced.

Output 5. Communication and dissemination platform for pesticidal plant knowledge through network forum, papers published in international scientific journals, international conference hosted in Year 3 and dedicated website.

Project duration: 2009-2012