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Home-made organic pest control products offer an ecological, healthy and low-cost alternative to ready-made products available for organic cotton farmers in the Nimar region. Yet the recipes are not standardized and the products vary in quality and concentration of the active ingredients. bioRe®, together with the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), engages in research activities to address this challenge and constantly improve pest management strategies in organic farming. The research activities are carried out as a combination of on-station trials and participatory on-farm trials with the farmers. During the cotton cropping season 2013-14 one on-station and two on-farm trials were conducted with the objective of comparing different spraying intervals of the most commonly used self-made organic pest control products in order to identify an optimum level of crop protection. The study focused on the effect of the spraying intervals on the most important sucking pests (Cotton aphid (Aphis gossypii), Cotton jassid (Amrasca biguttula biguttula), Whitefly (Bemisia tabaci), Cotton mealy bug (Phenacoccus solenopsis) and Thrips (Thripidae)). Besides sucking pest incidences, data on plant stress symptoms and yield formation as well as economic parameters were also collected. Additionally, on-station trials were established to investigate different measures of early stage crop protection and to evaluate specific effects of three self-made products (Garlic-Onion-Chilli extract, Top Ten and Neem seed extract) against certain sucking pests. The products were prepared according to recipes standardized by bioRe® after careful research and hands-on experience of its associated scientists and extension workers. This knowledge was reproduced in pictorial technical leaflets which are easy-to-understand for the local farmers. A total of 11 leaflets - on seed treatments (2), early stage protection measures (1), pest control sprays (6), effective spraying technique (1) and growth promoter (1) were designed in both English and Hindi and will be used for dissemination activities. On-station results were inconclusive due to a low pest pressure in this year’s cotton season, as well as the small size of on-station trial plots. Results of on-farm trials revealed that a suitable strategy for in-field pest monitoring is needed for farmers to determine how often and at what time point pest control interventions are indicated. Further research is needed to understand the specific effects of home-made products on the different insect species. Optimized dosage and application techniques have to be worked out along with other options for integrated pest control (e.g. bird perches, border crops, soil enhancement practices) which could reduce the frequency of time-consuming spraying practices. These activities would best be conducted in on-farm rather than on–station trials.

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) trees have a lifespan of up to 100 years in their natural environment, the lower strata of tropical alluvial forests. Sustainability of global cocoa production is at stake due to the deterioration of soil fertility, high losses due to pests and diseases (P&D) and old tree stock. Producing cocoa in shaded, low input agroforestry systems offers a potential solution for achieving long-term productivity and sustainability. However, shade-tolerant cocoa clones are needed which are productive and resistant to P&D, as well as meeting the quality standards requested by the industry. In Bolivia, the cocoa mirid (Monalonion dissimulatum) and the novel disease Frosty Pod Rot (“Monilia” Moniliophthora roreri) are among the most devastating P&D. The Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) and its local partners have been conducting cocoa production systems research in the Alto Beni region of Bolivia since 2008. A participatory rural appraisal revealed that indeed, how to reduce incidences of the cocoa mirid and Frosty Pod Rot was the top priority of cocoa farmers. Furthermore, a need for evaluating the productivity of different cocoa clones and for the documentation of best practices was expressed. In order to address these points, several research activities were carried out: 1. 16 cocoa clones have been evaluated for productivity and susceptibility to P&D for four consecutive years (2010—13) in on-farm trials at multiple locations. 2. The yield development and prevalence of P&D in the fields of four outstanding farmers was assessed for two years (2012–13) Data analysis revealed that some locally selected clones (elite tree selection program) were not only among the most productive, but also showed earliest maturation and some degree of resistance to Monilia (i.e. with lower incidences of the disease). Thus these clones hold the potential to escape attacks by P&D which occur later on in the season and may serve as a basis for further germplasm development towards clones with resistance to Monilia. However, before disseminating information to farmers and farmers’ organisations, sound scientific data from at least five years is required.