Farmers in the groundnut belts of Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria and Benin in West Africa were interviewed for their ability to identify economically importanct soil pests infesting their groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) crops, and to obtain information on farm histories and cultural practices which may influence soil pest infestation and spread in a field. Termites, whitegrubs and millipedes were recognised by the farmers as being the most important soil pests, with termites being the most damaging group. A negative correlation (P < 0.05) was found between the number of years a farm was cultivated and the frequency of termite occurrence in it. Information on cultural practices obtained from interviews and field visits indicated that practices such as late harvesting and the leaving behind of residues of previous sorghum, millet and maize crops increased termite infestation. The cutting down and burning of the vegetation in a farm before planting significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the percentage of plants attacked by termites. The cultivation of short-duration (< 100 days) varieties to escape drought at the end of the cropping season did not significantly reduce termite damage, due to late harvest. Other farmers' practices which are likely to have contributed to soil pest damage are also discussed.

Chilo spp. are among the most important stem borers of sugar-cane in the Old World. Chemical control is not very effective mainly because of the concealed habit of the borer larvae. Efforts have therefore mostly been directed to alternative methods of control such as cultural practices, varietal resistance, biological control and the use of sex pheromones. Varieties are not normally bred for borer resistance but very susceptible ones tend to eliminate themselves at the early stages of selection. Susceptibility is normally assessed on promising and released varieties. Classical introduction of exotic parasites has more or less reached a saturation point and biological control tends to be oriented towards the possible use of new or cross-bred strains. The importance of entomopathogens as a control component against Chilo spp. needs further studies. A great potential exists in the use of sex pheromones mainly as a means to disrupt mating, as shown by the promising results obtained through trials carried out in various countries. It is very important that the various methods of pest control available be used in combination with one another, taking into account the natural limiting factors of the environment. This would be an important contributing factor towards an objective of optimum yield at minimum cost in the management of Chilo spp. on sugarcane.