René Guy Hoarau, vegetable producer in la Réunion: "I no longer need insecticide for my courgettes"

“We used to spray with insecticide about once a week, and everything was fine. Then, the fruit fly arrived, and we had to start spraying every day. I was spraying the crops morning and night with an expensive insecticide. I know it’s bad for the health. Anyway, it didn’t work and didn’t get rid of the fruit flies. So, I had to stop growing courgettes.

Then, the GAMOUR project came along. We placed some trap plants around the edgeof the field. It was easy – anyone could do it – some scientists came to see us two or three times a week. They helped us get everything ready. The technique works well – 80/90% of a crop is saleable. Even in bad seasons it’s 50/60%, so yieldsare good even then. It’s a great technique, and our courgettes are now virtually natural. We do add a bit of fertilizer, so it’s not 100% organic, but it’s really sustainable. We no longer have to spray the plants with insecticides, saving time and money.”