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Farmers’ Knowledge and Practices in the Management of Insect Pests of Leafy Amaranth in Kenya

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dc.contributor.authorNampeera, Esther L
dc.contributor.authorNonnecke, Gail R
dc.contributor.authorBlodgett, Sue L
dc.contributor.authorTusiime, Sharon M
dc.contributor.authorMasinde, Dorothy M
dc.contributor.authorWesonga, John M
dc.contributor.authorMurungi, Lucy K
dc.contributor.authorBaidu-Forson, Joseph J
dc.contributor.authorAbukutsa-Onyango, Mary O
dc.date.accessioned2024-06-25T07:29:54Z
dc.date.issued2019-01-01
dc.description.abstractAmaranth (Amaranthus L.) species are grown for their grain or leaves and contribute to farmers’ livelihoods and nutritional food security. Leafy amaranth (LA) is consumed widely as a vegetable in Kenya. An assessment of current farmers’ knowledge of pest management practices provides information about future educational needs. Six-hundred LA farmers were interviewed, focus group discussions with farmers, and interviews with key informants were completed in four Kenyan counties. The majority (71%) of survey respondents grew LA on less than 0.25 acre (<0.1 ha) and 59.2% were female. Constraints of LA production differed by counties surveyed. Farmers indicated insects and birds were important in Kiambu and Kisumu counties, whereas in Vihiga and Kisii, capital, markets, and land area for production were important. Farmers stated and ranked importance of the insects they observed during LA production. Eighty-seven percent stated aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae), as a major pest and 96.8% ranked aphids as the number-one insect pest of LA in all four counties. Two other pests of LA included cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) (0.8%) and spider mites, Tetranychus spp (Trombidiformes; Tetranychidae) (0.7%). Forty-two percent of all LA farmers managed aphids, with 34% using synthetic insecticides and 8% using nonsynthetic methods. Biological controls and host-plant resistance were not mentioned. Educational programs that train farmers about integrated pest management (IPM) in LA production are needed. Future research should determine successful IPM strategies for aphids on LA to reduce insecticide use and improve sustainability and nutritional food security for small-landholder farmers and consumers.
dc.description.sponsorshipLEIBNIZ University
dc.identifier.citationEsther L Nampeera, Gail R Nonnecke, Sue L Blodgett, Sharon M Tusiime, Dorothy M Masinde, John M Wesonga, Lucy K Murungi, Joseph J Baidu-Forson, Mary O Abukutsa-Onyango, Farmers’ Knowledge and Practices in the Management of Insect Pests of Leafy Amaranth in Kenya, Journal of Integrated Pest Management, Volume 10, Issue 1, 2019, 31, https://doi.org/10.1093/jipm/pmz029
dc.identifier.issn2155-7470
dc.identifier.urihttps://academic.oup.com/jipm/article/10/1/31/5583788
dc.identifier.urihttps://repository.nrf.go.ke/handle/123456789/937
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherEntomological Society of America
dc.subjectfarmer knowledge
dc.subjectAmaranthus spp.
dc.subjectaphid
dc.subjectpesticide
dc.subjectintegrated pest management
dc.titleFarmers’ Knowledge and Practices in the Management of Insect Pests of Leafy Amaranth in Kenya
dc.typeArticle
dspace.entity.typePublication

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