Chilli Pepper (<i>Capsicum</i>Spp.) Diversity, Production and Fungal Contamination Management in Benin

The present study was carried out in the form of a survey with the aim of listing and describing the technical itineraries of production, storage and conservation used in six departments of high production of chilli pepper in Benin. The survey was conducted on the basis of a questionnaire in the six departments of Benin: Ouémé, Plateau, Atlantic, Littoral, Zou and Collines. The survey collected information on the socio-economic characteristics of producers, the varieties of chilli pepper grown, and the current technical itineraries used for the production, storage and conservation of chilli pepper. On the other hand, it also gave an idea of the constraints that prevent the production of chilli pepper of good sanitary quality. The results of this survey show that three varieties of chilli peppers are the most produced and consumed in Benin. These are the Gbotakin variety (Capsicum chinense), the Afundja variety (Capsicum annuum) and the Danhomètakin variety (Capsicum frutescens). The technical itineraries related to the cultivation of these chilli peppers varieties are the same in the six study departments. Unfortunately, their contamination sometimes starts at the nursery stage, passing through the field where other contaminants are added and develop until harvest. After harvest, contamination can continue in storage and finally reach the consumer if proper measures are not taken. The inappropriate or inadequate use of phytosanitary products in the chilli pepper industry is also a source of illness for consumers of this vegetable fruit. Training of producers on the best technical itineraries for the production and storage of chilli peppers is essential to revitalize and develop this sector by improving the sanitary quality of the chilli peppers produced in Benin.

Cold weather and Kashin-Beck disease

Kashin-Beck disease(KBD)is an endemic osteoarthropathy.Its distribution region covers a long and narrow belt on the Pacific side and belongs to continental climate with short summer,long frost period,and large temperature differences between day and night.In particular,KBD patients are typically scattered in the rural areas with seasonal features such as cold winters and rainy autumns.Etiological studies have demonstrated that the carrier of pathogenic factors is the grains produced in endemic areas.Risk factors for KBD include fungal contamination of grains due to poor storage conditions associated with cold weather.The epidemiological characteristics of KBD include agricultural area,early age of onset,gender equality,family aggregation,regional differences,and annual fluctuations.A series of preventive measures have been successfully taken in the past decades.National surveillance data indicate that the annual incidence of KBD is gradually declining.