Pest/disease control

The lepidopteron stemborer (Chilo partellus) and parasitic Striga weed (Striga hermonthica) caused major yield losses in subsistence sorghum production in the Eastern Amhara Region, Ethiopia. This study evaluated different number of Brachiaria (Mulato II) rows planted around sorghum plots.

Agricultural production systemPest/disease control

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.

Pest/disease control

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 systemSoil management

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

Our study evaluates field performance and farmer opinions of this new version in comparison with the earlier version, climatesmart PPT, and farmers’ own practices of growing maize in controlling stemborers, FAW, and striga weeds.

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