The fall armyworm (FAW) (Spodoptera frugiperda J.E. Smith) is a major cereal pest threatening food security in Africa. African smallholder farmers apply various indigenous pest management practices, including rabbit urine; however, there is no scientific evidence for its efficacy.
Farming practice • Pest/disease control
January 27, 2023
The fall armyworm (FAW) has recently invaded and become an important pest of maize in Africa causing yield losses reaching up to a third of maize annual production. The present study evaluated different aspects of resistance of six maize cultivars, cropped by farmers in Kenya, to FAW larvae feeding under laboratory and field conditions.
Farming practice • Pest/disease control
January 18, 2023
Striga or 'witchweeds' are parasitic weeds that affect cereal crops in many parts of Africa, reducing production from 30 to 100%, or complete loss of the crop. If maize plants are attacked by both stemborers and striga weed, the yield... Continue Reading…
Pest/disease control • Push-Pull in practice
June 20, 2022
Stemborers and striga weeds cause major losses to maize production throughout Africa. Maize yield losses due to stemborers can vary from 20-40%. Striga weeds infest 40% of the arable land in sub-Saharan Africa, causing an annual crop loss of US$... Continue Reading…
January 27, 2023
Production of maize, Zea mays L. (Poaceae), in sub-Saharan Africa is threatened by a new invasive pest, fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (JE Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). To mitigate this threat, push–pull companion cropping, a system originally developed for management of lepidopteran stemborers, may be used to control FAW.
Agricultural production system • Soil management
January 27, 2023
Soil degradation is a major underlying cause of poverty and malnutrition in smallholder agrarian communities across the globe. Legume diversification, through polyculture or intercropping, is a strategy that increases yields and income while improving family nutrition.
Pest/disease control • Push-Pull in practice
June 6, 2022
Stemborers are one of the most destructive pests of cereal crops and can greatly reduce yields of maize and sorghum on smallholder farms. These pests can cause yield losses of 30 to 100% if they are not controlled. Control of... Continue Reading…
Farming practice • Push-Pull in practice
June 3, 2022
UPSCALE partners regularly organize training and demonstration days – Roadshow events – with the aim to train the farmers and provide more information on the benefits and implementation of the Push-Pull technology. These take place on already established climate-smart push-pull... Continue Reading…
June 22, 2022
Climate-Smart Push-Pull Technology (PPT) is relatively knowledge-intensive and therefore needs to be promoted in order to control Striga weeds, stemborers, and to improve soil fertility in cereal fields for increased production. International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) have... Continue Reading…
Farming practice • Push-Pull in practice
June 22, 2022
As part of the EU-funded UPSCALE project, the Tanzania Agriculture Research Institute (TARI) held another one-day MAC meeting. The meeting was held on 21st May 2021 at the Africa Inland Church Tanzania (AICT) - Agroforestry training center, Musoma District, Mara... Continue Reading…
