On-farm maize storage systems and rodent postharvest losses in six maize growing agro-ecological zones of Kenya

Kukom Edoh Ognakossan (), Hippolyte D. Affognon, Christopher M. Mutungi, Daniel N. Sila, Soul-Kifouly G. Midingoyi and Willis O. Owino
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Kukom Edoh Ognakossan: International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology
Hippolyte D. Affognon: International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)
Christopher M. Mutungi: International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology
Daniel N. Sila: Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology
Soul-Kifouly G. Midingoyi: International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology
Willis O. Owino: Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology

Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, 2016, vol. 8, issue 6, No 11, 1169-1189

Abstract: Abstract Rodents are one of the major postharvest pests that affect food security by impacting on both food availability and safety. However, knowledge of the impact of rodents in on-farm maize storage systems in Kenya is limited. A survey was conducted in 2014 to assess magnitudes of postharvest losses in on-farm maize storage systems in Kenya, and the contribution of rodents to the losses. A total of 630 farmers spread across six maize growing agro-ecological zones (AEZs) were interviewed. Insects, rodents and moulds were the main storage problems reported by farmers. Storage losses were highest in the moist transitional and moist mid-altitude zones, and lowest in the dry-transitional zone. Overall, rodents represented the second most important cause of storage losses after insects, and were ranked as the main storage problem in the lowland tropical zone, while insects were the main storage problem in the other AEZs. Where maize was stored on cobs, total farmer perceived (farmer estimation) storage weight losses were 11.1 ± 0.7 %, with rodents causing up to 43 % of these losses. Contrastingly, where maize was stored as shelled grain, the losses were 15.5 ± 0.6 % with rodents accounting for up to 30 %. Regression analysis showed that rodents contributed significantly to total storage losses (p

Keywords: Postharvest losses; Rodents; Maize; On-farm storage; Food security; Kenya (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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DOI: 10.1007/s12571-016-0618-2

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