A Guide to IPM in French Beans Production with Emphasis on Kenya

Authors

• Abdurabi Seif, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe)
• Ana Milena Varela, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe)
• Susanne Michalik, German Agency for Technical Cooperation - Integrated Pest Management (GTZ-IPM) Project on Horticultural Crops for Eastern and Southern Africa
• Bernhard Löhr, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe)

Files

Description

French beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) are a major export vegetable commodity in many horticultural crop producing countries, such as Kenya. Most of the crop is grown by smallholders and virtually all is exported to Europe. Estimates indicate that up to 50,000 smallholder families are involved in French bean production in Kenya. Recent data show that almost 100,000 people earn an income from French bean production and another 500,000 derive income directly from export of this crop.

French beans can be harvested 45 days after planting and are immediately paid for upon delivery. They thus constitute a crop that provides for the daily needs of many smallholder families. However, recent export figures show a slight decline. This can be attributed to a variety of factors: in addition to meteorological and macro-economic factors, difficulties in protecting the crop against insect pests and diseases have contributed to a large extent to the decline in the sector.

French beans are attacked by a number of different pests. The most important pests and diseases are bean flies, bean flower thrips, aphids, pod borers, bean rust, red spider mites and various root diseases. The severity of infestation of different pests varies depending on the location and season. Farmers have relied in the past on controlling the various pests by application of foliar pesticides, especially insecticides. Pesticide applications are frequent, between 4–12 times in a crop cycle. This high application frequency is particularly worrisome, considering the short growing cycle of the crop (a crop may take only 12 weeks in the field). Furthermore, harvesting is done daily or every other day. As a result, farmers observe extremely short pre-harvest intervals of a few days or even one day only.

ISBN

92 9064 142 8

Publication Date

2001

Publisher

International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe)

Recommended Citation

Seif, A., Varela, A. M., Michalik, S., & Löhr, B. (2001). A Guide to IPM in French Beans Production with Emphasis on Kenya. Retrieved from https://thehive.icipe.org/manuals/9