Abstract: Maize (Zea mays L.) production in Africa is constrained by several biotic and abiotic factors. The recent occurrence of fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (JE Smith) a new invasive pest in Africa, has escalated the problem. Push–pull technology (PPT), proven to be effective for stemborers (Chilo partellus Swinhoe and Busseola fusca Fuller) and the parasitic weed striga (Striga hermontica Delile) management in Africa has been shown to provide good control of FAW. This stud...
Abstract: The objective of this paper was to investigate farmers’ knowledge and management of rice blast disease in Tanzania. Farmers’ household survey was conducted in five districts namely Mvomero, Morogoro rural, Ulanga, Korogwe and Muheza in April and May 2017. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using semi-structured questionnaire and observations made through transect walks across selected villages. Farmers observed symptoms of rice blast disease for the first time ...
Abstract: We estimate the impacts of a bundle of integrated pest management (IPM) practices on mango yield, mango net income, insecticide use, human health and the environment, using recent household survey data of mango growers in Kenya. We employ a multinomial endogenous switching treatment regression model with an ordered probit selection rule to establish counterfactual outcomes. Our results indicate that IPM-adopting farmers have higher mango yields and mango net income,and also use low...
Abstract: Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J E Smith), an economically important pest native to tropical and subtropical America has recently invaded Africa, causing substantial damage to maize and other crops. We evaluated functionality of a companion cropping system, ‘climate-adapted push-pull’, developed for control of cereal stemborers in drier agro-ecologies, as an added tool for the management of fall armyworm. The technology comprises intercropping maize with drought-tolerant...
Abstract: This paper documents a positive relationship between maize productivity in western Kenya and women’s empowerment in agriculture, measured using indicators derived from the abbreviated version of the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index. Applying a cross-sectional instrumental-variable regression method to a data set of 707 maize farm households from western Kenya, we find that women’s empowerment in agriculture significantly increases maize productivity. Although all indi...
Abstract: Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is a region beset with challenges, not least its ability to feed itself. Low agricultural productivity, exploding populations, and escalating urbanization have led to declining per capita food availability. In order to reverse this trend, crop production systems must intensify, which brings with it an elevated threat from pests and diseases, including plant-parasitic nematodes. A holistic systems approach to pest management recognizes disciplinary integrati...
Abstract: In this study, we tested whether GLS field symptoms on maize can be detected using hyperspectral data re-sampled to WorldView-2, Quickbird, RapidEye and Sentinel-2 resolutions. To achieve this objective, Random Forest algorithm was used to classify the 2013 re-sampled spectra to represent the three identified disease severity categories. Results showed that Sentinel-2, with 13 spectral bands, achieved the highest overall accuracy and kappa value of 84% and 0.76, respectively, while...
Abstract: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of sealing methods, grain volume and lighting candle in metal silo for the control of Prostephanus truncatus in stored maize. Metal silos with 100 kilograms holding capacity were loaded with 90 kilograms of grain, in-let and out-let were covered with lids and sealed either with rubber band, grease, rubber band combined with grease and lid without sealing (control). The control suffered highest grain damage of 6.6% and weight loss of...
Abstract: The African coffee white stem borer (CWSB) Monochamus leuconotusis a destructive pest of Arabica coffee in Africa. Documentation on outbreaks, spatiotemporal development and the relationship with different environmental conditions and coffee production system is limited. To underpin effective control measures, we studied aspects of local and regional pest drivers in Eastern Uganda. At the local scale, we (i) characterized the temporal development of CWSB and explored associations w...
Abstract: Rice farmers in Tanzania continue to experience losses due to stem borers. However, the information on farmers’ knowledge and perceptions of rice stem borers is limited and farmers’ efforts on managing this insect have been ineffective. The aim of this study was to investigate constraints affecting rice production and farmers’ approaches of stem borer management in irrigated low land rice ecosystems in Tanzania. Research method: A focus group discussion with farmers using a s...
Abstract: The shea caterpillar Cirina butyrospermi is an important insect, highly valued as a human food item in Burkina Faso.However, its appearance is seasonal due to its univoltine cycle. This study therefore investigated the possibilities of breaking the nymphal diapause by changing the environmental factors and through the hormonal treatment of prepupae and pupae using bovine insulin and 20-hydroxyecdysone. Changes in humidity and temperature did not result in emergence, suggesting a ma...
Abstract: While it is often recognised that agricultural technology adoption decisions areintertwined and best characterised by multivariate models, typical approaches toexamining adoption and impacts of agricultural technology have focused on singletechnology adoption choice and ignored interdependence among technologies. Weexamine farm- and market-level impacts of multiple technology adoption choicesusing comprehensive household survey data collected in 2010/11 and 2012/13 inEthiopia. Econ...
Abstract: Maize lethal necrosis disease occur in major growing regions of Kenya, causing losses of up to 100% estimated at 50 million US$ in 2014/15. The study was undertaken to evaluate the efficiency of thrips and aphids in transmission of maize lethal necrosis viruses. Maize seedlings were inoculated with adults and nymphs of Western flower thrip (Franklinella occidentalis), corn leaf aphids (Rhapolosiphum maidis) and Russian wheat aphid (Diuraphis noxia) carrying maize lethal necrosis vi...
Abstract: Integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) technologies hold potential to protect against climate risks, reduce nutrient depletion and enhance food security. In this paper, we study how exposure to dry spells influences use and use intensity of ISFM technologies, specifically focusing on maize-legume intercropping and organic manure. We use a four-round panel dataset collected from households in six Malawi districts over a period of nine years and merged with daily rainfall data f...
Abstract: Bean common mosaic virus (BCMV), bean common mosaic necrosis virus (BCMNV), and cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) cause serious epidemics in common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), a vital food security crop in many low-to-medium income countries, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. Aphids transmit these viruses “non-persistently,” i.e., virions attach loosely to the insects' stylets. Viruses may manipulate aphid-host interactions to enhance transmission. We used direct observation and ele...