Farmers’ Knowledge and Management Practices of Fall Armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) in Benin, West Africa

Sidol Houngbo, Afio Zannou, Augustin Aoudji, Hervé C. Sossou, Antonio Sinzogan, Rachidatou Sikirou, Espérance Zossou, Henri S. Totin Vodounon, Aristide Adomou and Adam Ahanchédé
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Sidol Houngbo: Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques (FSA), Université d’Abomey-Calavi, 01 BP 526 Cotonou, Benin
Afio Zannou: Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques (FSA), Université d’Abomey-Calavi, 01 BP 526 Cotonou, Benin
Augustin Aoudji: Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques (FSA), Université d’Abomey-Calavi, 01 BP 526 Cotonou, Benin
Hervé C. Sossou: Institut National des Recherches Agricoles du Bénin (INRAB), 01 BP 884 Cotonou, Benin
Antonio Sinzogan: Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques (FSA), Université d’Abomey-Calavi, 01 BP 526 Cotonou, Benin
Rachidatou Sikirou: Institut National des Recherches Agricoles du Bénin (INRAB), 01 BP 884 Cotonou, Benin
Espérance Zossou: Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques (FSA), Université d’Abomey-Calavi, 01 BP 526 Cotonou, Benin
Henri S. Totin Vodounon: Institut de Géographie, de l’Aménagement du Territoire et de l’Environnement (IGATE), Université d’Abomey-Calavi, 01 BP 526 Cotonou, Benin
Aristide Adomou: Faculté des Sciences et Techniques (FAST), Université d’Abomey-Calavi, 01 BP 526 Cotonou, Benin
Adam Ahanchédé: Faculté des Sciences Agronomiques (FSA), Université d’Abomey-Calavi, 01 BP 526 Cotonou, Benin

Agriculture, 2020, vol. 10, issue 10, 1-15

Abstract: Spodoptera frugiperda has caused significant losses of farmer income in sub-Saharan countries since 2016. This study assessed farmers’ knowledge of S. frugiperda , their perceptions and management practices in Benin. Data were collected through a national survey of 1237 maize farmers. Ninety-one point eight percent of farmers recognized S. frugiperda damage, 78.9% of them were able to identify its larvae, and 93.9% of the maize fields were infested. According to farmers, the perceived yield losses amounted to 797.2 kg/ha of maize, representing 49% of the average maize yield commonly obtained by farmers. Chi-square tests revealed that the severity of the pest attacks was significantly associated with cropping practices and types of grown maize varieties. About 16% of farmers identified francolin ( Francolinus bicalcaratus ), village weaver ( Ploceus cucullatus ), and common wasp ( Vespula vulgaris ) as natural enemies and 5% of them identified yellow nutsedge, chan, shea tree, neem, tamarind, and soybean as repellent plants of S. frugiperda . Most farmers (91.4%) used synthetic pesticides and 1.9% of them used botanical pesticides, which they found more effective than synthetic pesticides. Significant relationships exist between farmers’ management practices, their knowledge, organization membership, and contact with research and extension services. More research is required to further understand the effectiveness of botanical pesticides made by farmers against S. frugiperda and to refine them for scaling-up.

Keywords: Spodoptera frugiperda; farmers’ knowledge; perception; pest management practices; maize yield losses; damage severity; fall armyworm (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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