Agricultural practices and content of non nutritional elements (metals traces, pesticides, and plasticizing) of truck farming in Niéki valley in the South-East of Côte d'Ivoire

The objective of this study was to analyze through the cultivation and phytosanitary methods, the sanitary quality of the agricultural produce coming from garden products among the most usually consumed in the valley of Nieki. A survey was carried out and 120 truck farmers were interviewed in a random way; along an East-West transept Azaguie-Attingue-Dabou, where a strong activity of truck farming is practiced. It related to education level, type of training, agricultural practices (use or not of chemical inputs), types of crop, source of pesticides and periods of their application. Samples of plants (coretes pot, okra, spinach and eggplant) were also collected on the three sites, conditioned in polyethylene bags and analyzed at the laboratory in order to seek pesticides residues, plasticizers and metals traces. The results of investigation revealed that the majority of vegetable producers have not a sufficient knowledge on the application of pesticides, allowing them an efficient use, guaranteeing the harmlessness of these products. The various analyses of plants show the presence of some metals traces (Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb), exceeding the tolerable thresholds as recommended by FAO. Also, pesticides residues (pyrethroids) and plasticizing (phthalate) were found in the leaves and fruits in contents definitely higher than the thresholds recommended by FAO for human consumption.