 Status quo of chemical weed control in rice in sub-Saharan AfricaJonne Rodenburg (),
Jean-Martial Johnson,
Ibnou Dieng,
Kalimuthu Senthilkumar,
Elke Vandamme,
Cyriaque Akakpo,
Moundibaye Dastre Allarangaye,
Idriss Baggie,
Samuel Oladele Bakare,
Ralph Kwame Bam,
Ibrahim Bassoro,
Bayuh Belay Abera,
Madiama Cisse,
Wilson Dogbe,
Henri Gbakatchétché,
Famara Jaiteh,
Geophrey Jasper Kajiru,
Alain Kalisa,
Nianankoro Kamissoko,
Keita Sékou,
Ahouanton Kokou,
Delphine Mapiemfu-Lamare,
Fanny Mabone Lunze,
Jerome Mghase,
Illiassou Mossi Maïga,
David Nanfumba,
Abibou Niang,
Raymond Rabeson,
Zacharie Segda,
Fitta Silas Sillo,
Atsuko Tanaka and
Kazuki Saito
Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, 2019, vol. 11, issue 1, No 10, 69-92 Abstract: Abstract If future rice production is to contribute to food security for the increasing population of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), effective strategies are needed to control weeds, the crop’s fiercest competitors for resources. To gain better insights into farmers’ access to, and use of, herbicides as part of weed control strategies, surveys were conducted in key rice production locations across SSA. Farm surveys were held among 1965 farmers across 20 countries to collect data on rice yields, farmer’s weed management practices, herbicide use, frequencies of interventions and information sources regarding herbicides. Markets were surveyed across 17 countries to collect data on herbicide availability, brand names and local prices (converted to US$ ha−1). Herbicides are used by 34% of the rice farmers in SSA, but adoption ranges from 0 to 72% across countries. Herbicides are more often used by men (40%) than by women (27%) and more often in irrigated (44% of farmers) than in rainfed lowland (36%) or upland rice growing environments (24%). Herbicides are always used supplementary to hand weeding. Following this combination, yield loss reductions in irrigated lowlands and rainfed uplands are estimated to be 0.4 t ha−1 higher than hand weeding alone. In rainfed lowlands no benefits were observed from herbicide use. Sixty-two percent of the herbicides sold at rural agro-chemical supply markets are unauthorized. These markets are dominated by glyphosate and 2,4-D, sold under 55 and 41 different brand names, respectively, and at relatively competitive prices (below average herbicide price of US $17 ha−1). They are also the most popular herbicides among farmers. For advice on herbicide application methods, farmers primarily rely on their peers, and only a few receive advice from extension services ( Keywords: Herbicides; Glyphosate; 2; 4-D; Farmers; Subsistence agriculture; Markets (search for similar items in EconPapers) Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:ssefpa:v:11:y:2019:i:1:d:10.1007_s12571-018-0878-0 Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from DOI: 10.1007/s12571-018-0878-0 Access Statistics for this article Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food is currently edited by R.N. Strange More articles in Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food from Springer, The International Society for Plant Pathology |
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