Farmers’ Perception and Evaluation of Brachiaria Grass ( Brachiaria spp.) Genotypes for Smallholder Cereal-Livestock Production in East Africa

Duncan Cheruiyot, Charles A.O. Midega, Jimmy O. Pittchar, John A. Pickett and Zeyaur R. Khan
Additional contact information
Duncan Cheruiyot: International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology ( icipe ), P.O. Box 30772, Nairobi 00100, Kenya
Charles A.O. Midega: International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology ( icipe ), P.O. Box 30772, Nairobi 00100, Kenya
Jimmy O. Pittchar: International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology ( icipe ), P.O. Box 30772, Nairobi 00100, Kenya
John A. Pickett: School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK
Zeyaur R. Khan: International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology ( icipe ), P.O. Box 30772, Nairobi 00100, Kenya

Agriculture, 2020, vol. 10, issue 7, 1-13

Abstract: Brachiaria ( Urochloa ) is a genus, common name brachiaria, of forage grasses that is increasingly transforming integrated crop-livestock production systems in East Africa. A study was undertaken to (i) assess smallholder farmers’ perception on benefits of brachiaria in cereal-livestock production, (ii) identify brachiaria production constraints, and (iii) identify farmer preferred brachiaria genotypes. A multi-stage sampling technique was adopted for sample selection. Data were collected through semi-structured individual questionnaire and focus group discussions (FGDs). The study areas included Bondo, Siaya, Homabay and Mbita sub-counties in Western Kenya and the Lake zone of Tanzania. A total of 223 farmers participated in individual response questionnaires while 80 farmers participated in the FGDs. The respondents considered brachiaria mainly important in management of cereal pests (70.4% of respondents) and as an important fodder (60.8%). The major production constraint perceived by both male and female respondents is attacks by arthropods pests (49.2% and 63%, respectively). Spider smites had been observed on own farms by 50.8% of men and 63.1% of women, while sorghum shoot flies had been observed by 58.1% of men and 67.9% of women. These pests were rated as a moderate to severe problem. Xaraes was the most preferred genotype, followed by Mulato II and Piata. These genotypes are important in developing new crop pest management strategies, such as push-pull, and for relatively rapid improvements in crop management and yield increases, particularly in developing countries.

Keywords: brachiaria; cereal-livestock production; perception; push-pull technology; smallholder farmers (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 (5)

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