Development and adaptation of innovative crop management in tropical plant production - INNOVEG (RITA Mayotte)

The INNOVEG project operates in the fields of plant health and improved crop management sequences (trials of market garden varieties, pineapple experiments) and product processing (new procedure notably for “mataba”, a typical cassava-based dish in Mayotte).
Market garden crops under insect-proof nets © Cirad
Market garden crops under insect-proof nets © Cirad

Market garden crops under insect-proof nets © Cirad

Issues

Market garden crops in Mayotte are subjected to strong pest and disease pressure due to the humid tropical climate of the island. With a view to limiting synthetic pesticide use, the actors in the Innovation and Agricultural Technology Transfer Network (RITA), in line with the objectives of the Ecophyto plan, investigated alternative ways of controlling two pests with a major economic impact: the cucurbit fly, Dacus ciliatus and the tomato fruit fly, Neoceratitis cyanescens

Description

The INNOVEG project aims to structure and develop crop supply chains in Mayotte by intervening at different stages of the production process up to harvesting, along with product processing, by testing new methods and tools. Objective: sustainably improve the agronomic and environmental efficiency of crops, and open up new trading markets, while ensuring the on-farm transfer and dissemination of innovations, taking a participatory approach.

Expected changes 

The expected changes from the INNOVEG project:

  • Reduced use of synthetic pesticides in market gardening by developing alternative techniques, such as insect-proof nets; 
  • Establishment of an epidemiology surveillance network, with the publication of a plant health newsletter; 
  • Revival of the healthy citrus plant production sector;                                         
  • Production of banana suckers by the PIF method (plants from stem fragments); 
  • Semi-industrialization of mataba; 
  • Staggering and planning of pineapple production.

Expected impacts 

INNOVEG project aims:

  • Strengthen the supply chains and their structure, to guarantee yields and farmer incomes;
  • Ensure supplies of local products to the markets;
  • Reduce health and environmental impacts by reducing pesticide use.
Contract partners :
COOPADEM, COMAVI, CAPAM, EPN