Market gardening crops are subject to attacks from pests, including the Fall Armyworm (FAW), which remains little known or even unknown at the research level due to the fact that the choice of researchers is often oriented towards cereal crops, for example corn. It is in this context that a study was carried out during the period from April 4 to May 30, 2023 in two market gardening sites in the city province of Kinshasa. The objectives of this study were to assess the level of damage caused by the Fall Armyworm on market gardening crops, and to determine the level of knowledge and management of this pest by farmers in the market gardening sites of N’djili Cecomaf and Kimwenza. The methodological approach focused on surveys at the level of market gardeners on the CECOMAF and KIMWENZA sites. As a result of the surveys carried out, 60 market gardeners in the two sites were interviewed, 30 in each site under study. The results obtained report that approximately 69.6% of those who have recorded attacks of this pest confirm that the infestations are severe and worrying. Regarding the management of CLA attacks, approximately 75.75 of these market gardeners use chemical pesticides and the minority try to protect their crops by cultural methods.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, maize is currently the second most important food crop after cassava. It is the most energy-rich cereal, thanks to its nutritional benefits (high starch content) and economic advantages (easy to grow, harvest and store). However, it is susceptible to pest attacks, particularly from the fall armyworm (CLA), Spodoptera frugiperda, which can cause enormous losses to maize crops. For this reason, synthetic pesticides remain the most widely used method of control. However, the current focus on preserving the environment for sustainable agriculture requires the search for alternative methods, and phytopesticides are an interesting avenue of research due to their advantages. This study aimed to establish a simple and accessible means of biological protection for farmers in the fight against the fall armyworm in order to ensure sustainable production that respects the health of populations and the environment. Specifically, the objectives were to: I) evaluate the biocidal potential of aqueous extracts of neem leaves and chilli peppers as an alternative to synthetic pesticides, and ii) evaluate the effects of these applications on the growth and productivity of the maize crop under study. The trial was conducted in the experimental garden of the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences of the University of Kinshasa located in the Kopia compound. This trial was conducted using a completely randomised block design with four treatments repeated three times. The treatments involved aqueous extracts of neem leaves and chilli peppers, chemical pesticides and a control without any treatment. Observations focused on vegetative and productive parameters and CLA infestations. With regard to the results obtained in relation to vegetative parameters, the plots treated with biopesticides showed a high germination rate (100%) and were vigorous (15.00 mm and 12.00 mm in diameter) compared to the chemical treatment and the control without protection (9.66 mm and 8.66 mm in diameter). The results of this study also show that the plots that received no protection were more severely attacked, with an incidence rate of 75.00%, compared to the plots treated with biopesticides (22.33% and 46.66%). The yield in kg/ha was highest in plants treated with biopesticides (2308.3 kg/ha and 1511.7 kg/ha), while the lowest yield was obtained in the unprotected control (556.7 kg/ha).