Farmer perception of fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiderda J.E. Smith) and farm‐level management practices in Zambia

Abstract

BACKGROUND This paper documents farmer perceptions and management practices for fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiderda J.E. Smith), providing a baseline for the development of sustainable pest management strategies. RESULTS 91% of farmers correctly identified fall armyworm, and reported it as the most important maize pest during 2016/2017 cropping season, affecting nearly half of cultivated area. Estimated maize yield loss during the season, attributed to fall armyworm was 28%. A majority of farmers (60%) used pesticides for fall armyworm control, along with other cultural/physical practices – hand picking and crushing egg masses/caterpillars (36%), and application of ash/sand in the funnel (19%). Farmers used various pesticide active ingredients, and protective measures were inadequate; >50% of farmers did not use any protective measures while spraying. Significantly more male than female farmers used pesticides (P = 0.05), and the reverse was true for cultural practices. Significant maize yield differences (P = 0.001) were observed by gender, attributed to differences in utilization of production inputs/practices. At least 77% of farmers received and shared agricultural advice, which can be optimized to spread information on fall armyworm management options. CONCLUSION Increased use of pesticides to manage fall armyworm poses health and environmental risks, besides the high cost for farmers and governments. Research into cultural and indigenous practices used by farmers will offer opportunities for alternative and sustainable management practices. Research efforts should pay attention to gender differences in access to resources and inputs. Tackling fall armyworm at the farm level, and averting yield losses will require integrated messaging addressing other production risks. © 2019 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

The Efficacy of Alternative, Environmentally Friendly Plant Protection Measures for Control of Fall Armyworm, Spodoptera Frugiperda, in Maize

“…For the ash-and soil-based treatments, reports indicate that a number of farmers use these methods in Africa [6,7,31], as well as in the Americas [25]. In the present paper, however, even though larval numbers appeared to be lower, no evidence was found that plant damage can be mitigated or that the yield can be increased by any of the applied treatments.…”

“…This provides evidence for good activity for at least this tested product and helps explain why most farmers in the recently invaded area use pesticides. Emamectin benzoate is not known to cause human health hazards, however, many African smallholder farmers use other, often cheap chemical pesticides, such as lambda-cyhalothrin and cypermethrin, or even more hazardous ones, such as monocrotophos, dichlorvos, and methomyl [6], for which pest control efficacy might be lower and detrimental effects on human health are expected [18].…”

“…As maize is a staple food in most African countries and also the second most important crop in Asia, the invasion of S. frugiperda threatens the food security of hundreds of million people. Farmers in the invaded area were not prepared for this devastating pest, resulting in heavy losses on one hand, but also a drastic increase of insecticide use on the other [6]. Farm households are reported to often use highly hazardous or banned products with generally no appropriate personal protective equipment [7].…”

Parasitoid Complex of Fall Armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, in Ghana and Benin

“…In Africa, the immediate response for the management of this pest has focused primarily on synthetic insecticides, many of which are, as yet, unregistered for use on this new threat [4,11]. Although there is a deliberate effort in some countries to develop and promote integrated approaches for the control of S. frugiperda, many farmers still rely on chemical insecticides [4,12,13]. This practice is not only costly to the farmer and economically unsustainable for resource-poor farmers, but it poses a risk to human health, can cause environmental pollution, and can favour the development of insecticide resistance, as found in the Americas [14,15].…”

Tackling fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) outbreak in Africa: an analysis of farmers’ control actions

“…There is a growing interest in investigating farmers' perceptions of FAW and management practices in Africa (Midega et al 2018;Chimweta et al 2019;Kansiime et al 2019;Kumela et al 2019). For instance, using survey data from Ethiopia and Kenya, Kumela et al (2019) found that nearly all the farmers in their sample have experienced FAW attacks on their farms and have subsequently adopted control practices, such as the use of synthetic pesticides and plant extracts, handpicking of larvae, and applying soil to maize whorls.…”