Farmers knowledge, perceptions and management practices of termites in the central rift valley of Ethiopia

Debelo, Daniel Getahun; Degaga, Getu

doi:10.5897/ajar2014.9283

Cited by 12 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…Farmers involved in this study could identify 10 termite pest species using their indigenous names; however, there exist some farmers who lack this knowledge, for example, farmers from the central rift valley of Ethiopia [23] are not aware of the existence of different species of termites. This is also the case of Ugandan farmers of Toronto district [44] and Nakasongola district [26], which identified respectively 14 and 9 termite pest species with distinct indigenous names.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, the soil of termite mounds is used as fertilizer by some farmers in Ethiopia [23], Laos [57], Uganda [58], Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Niger, and Sierra Leone [25]. Indeed, the soil of termite mounds is usually rich in minerals, such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, and available phosphorus [59, 60].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite the huge amounts of damage to crops, very little information is known on farmers’ perceptions of termite pests and their management practices [21]. The first step towards the development of successful pest management strategies adapted to farmers’ needs is an understanding of farmers’ perceptions of the pests and their control methods [22, 23]. …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Farmers’ perception of termites in agriculture production and their indigenous utilization in Northwest Benin

Loko

Orobiyi

Agre

et al. 2017

J Ethnobiology Ethnomedicine

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BackgroundAlthough termites are considered as agricultural pests, they play an important role in maintaining the ecosystem. Therefore, it matters to investigate the farmers’ perception of the impacts of the termites on the agriculture and their indigenous utilization.MethodsA semi-structured questionnaire was used to interview 94 farmers through 10 villages of Atacora department, in the northwestern region of Benin, to obtain information for the development of successful strategies of termite management and conservation. Their perceptions on the importance and management of termites along with the indigenous nomenclature and utilization of termite mounds were assessed. Termite species identified by farmers were collected and preserved in 80% alcohol for identification.ResultsEight crops were identified by farmers as susceptible to termites with maize, sorghum, and yam as being the most susceptible. According to farmers, the susceptibility to termites of these crops is due to their high-water content and sweet taste. A total of 27 vernacular names of termites were recorded corresponding to 10 species, Amitermes evuncifer, Macrotermes subhyalinus, and Trinervitermes oeconomus being the most damaging termite species. All the names given to termite species had a meaning. The drought was identified by farmers as the main factor favouring termite attacks. Demolition of termite mounds in the fields was the most commonly reported control method. Salt and other pesticides were commonly used by farmers to protect stored farm products. The lack of effective control methods is the main constraint for termite management. In northwestern Benin, farmers reported different purpose utilizations of termite mounds and termites.ConclusionsThe study has shown that farmers perceived termites as pests of several agricultural crops and apply various indigenous control practices whose efficiency need to be verified. Utilization of termites and termite mound soil as food and medicinal resources underlines the need for a more focused approach to termite control for the conservation of non-pest termite species. The sensitization of farmers on the importance of termites as well as the development of an integrated control method to combat termite pests proved necessary.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Farmers’ perception of termites in agriculture production and their indigenous utilization in Northwest Benin

Loko

Orobiyi

Agre

et al. 2017

J Ethnobiology Ethnomedicine

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“…In the current study, mostly termites of the genus Macrotermes were found damaging tree seedlings. Termites of the genus Macrotermes are the most common termites in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia responsible for lodging of maize plants which cut the plants at ground surface (Daniel and Emana, 2015). Rural houses in the area are mostly damaged by Macrotermes (Emana and Daniel, 2014).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Study on termite damage to different species of tree seedlings in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia

Debelo¹,

Degaga²

2017

Afr. J. Agric. Res.

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A high density of termite mounds is common in the Maki-Batu area of the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia.To determine whether farmers consider termites as one of their problems in growi ng trees and practices they use to manage termites, short semi-structured questionnaires were distributed to farmers selected randomly. To evaluate the efficacy of some non-chemical control methods, Eucalyptus camaldulensis seedlings of five months were transplanted from nursery beds at two experimental sites. The seedlings were planted in three blocks each containing 6 treatments with 3 replicates laid out in randomized complete block design (RCBD). The treatments were: wood ash, cow dung, maize stalk, wood ash + cow dung + maize stalk, Untreated/control and Diazinon 60% EC applied at 2 l/ha as spray on the soil surface and a soil pit drench as a standard check. Plant mortality assessment was recorded once every month for one year. Mortality data were analyzed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) with SAS at 5% probability level. To find out the impact of termites on tree seedlings after transplanting in the area, mortality assessment was conducted at five sites on 11 species of tree seedlings transplanted from nursery beds. Termite damage on the seedlings was recorded once every month. After 12 months, seedlings of each plant species damaged during each month were summed and results were computed as percentages. To assess farmers' perceptions of termites as pests, unstructured questionnaires were distributed to 64 farmers randomly selected. Eucalyptus seedling mortality was very l ow and there was no significant difference among the treatments (P > 0.05) except at one site in which wood ash + manure + maize stover showed higher mortality. Seventy-eight percent of the farmers mentioned that they had planted tree seedlings for different purposes and 72% of them considered termites as the major cause of seedling mortality. Although, higher density of Macroterems termite mounds were found in the area and most farmers considered te rmites as one of the major constraints in growing tree seedlings, this study showed very low termite damage to the tree seedlings studied for one year after transplanting.

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“…One of the major constraints upon establishing effective and sustainable IPM programme is the lack of adequate information about farmers' Knowledge, Perceptions and Practices (KPP) in pest management (Heong et al, 2002;Parsa et al, 2014). Farmers' perception based on local experience and indigenous knowledge, which provide valuable insights not presently covered in scientific literature, is important in pest management development (Debelo & Degaga, 2015). Recognizing farmers' constraints and their existing technical knowledge is crucial to improve crop production and crop protection (Okolle et al, 2017;Rijal et al, 2018) and understanding on how research could be conducted to address the needs and constraints of farmers (Tefera, 2004;Sileshi et al, 2008;Ayuke, 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Farmers Status, Knowledge & Management Practices on Major Chickpea Insect Pests in Some Selected Zones of Ethiopia

Fite¹,

Tefera²,

Negeri³

et al. 2018

JAS

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Survey were undertaken in five zones of Oromiya and Amhara regional states, Ethiopia from February to March 2018 to investigate farmers’ status, knowledge, major chickpea production constraints and insect pest management practices of chickpea. The survey involved 293 randomly taken farmers, who are interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Chickpea insect pests were considered as the main, among production constraints of chickpea by most of the interviewed farmers in Ethiopia. The majority of the farmers’ responded that Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is the most prevalent insect pests of chickpea under field condition and Callosobruchus chinensis (L.) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) in storage. Development Agents (DAs) were the top pest advisory service providers in the current study. A conventional insecticide (namely; Lambda-cyhalotrin and Dimethoate) for the control of H. armigera was the most commonly used pest management methods. Moreover, Two times insecticide applications per cropping season were the most frequent, deployed by most of the interviewed farmers followed by cultural pest management practices. Use of biological control and resistant chickpea varieties against major insect pests were low to negligible in the current survey study in the area. The majority of the farmers began control decision when H. armigera larval stages were smaller and they did not consider larval number per chickpea plant for the decision. These results will be used to formulate future effective and sustainable integrated pest management (IPM) in chickpea for Ethiopian farmers emphasizing ecologically and economically-based approaches.

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Farmers knowledge, perceptions and management practices of termites in the central rift valley of Ethiopia

Cited by 12 publications

References 13 publications

Farmers’ perception of termites in agriculture production and their indigenous utilization in Northwest Benin

Farmers’ perception of termites in agriculture production and their indigenous utilization in Northwest Benin

Study on termite damage to different species of tree seedlings in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia

Farmers Status, Knowledge & Management Practices on Major Chickpea Insect Pests in Some Selected Zones of Ethiopia

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