A Logit Analysis of Farmer Knowledge on Rice Blast Disease Pyricularia grisea [Cook, Sacc] at Mwea Irrigation Scheme, Kirinyaga County, Central Province, Kenya

Kega V M,Kamau G M,Kasina M,Nderitu J H,Olubayo F

doi:10.13189/ujar.2015.030306

Abstract

In Kenya rice is the third most important cereal crop after maize and wheat. However production is constrained by rice blast disease (Pyricularia grisea (Cooke) Sacc). In order to develop viable pest management practices for rice blast disease we need to understand rice farmers' knowledge of the disease. A study was set up to determine the level of farmer knowledge on rice blast disease. A formal questionnaire was administered to a random sample of 119 farmers at Mwea irrigation scheme on 17-22 February 2011. Farmers were requested to provide information about rice, its importance and rice blast disease. Logit regression model was used to identify factors which influence farmer knowledge of rice blast disease. Logit analysis revealed that age had significant influence on rice blast disease knowledge (p<0.001). Rice cultivation as the sole occupation of household head significantly influenced rice blast knowledge (p<0.001). Rotavating for other farmers (p=0.02), being a casual labourer (p=0.024) agricultural training (p=0.001) and being a man (p=0.001) had significant influence on rice blast knowledge. The implications of this on dissemination of rice blast disease information are discussed in this paper.

Highlights

Rice is an important food and cash crop item in East Africa
No experience in rice cultivation and rice cultivation experience of one to 15 years had a significant influence on rice blast knowledge possibly implying that farmers had knowledge of rice blast knowledge irrespective of number of years one has been cultivating rice (Table 2)
Rice farming as the sole occupation of household head, hiring out rotavation services to other farmers, casual labourer and being a man meant that these categories of farmers were in constant contact with the rice crop and able to identify the disease

Summary

Introduction

Rice is an important food and cash crop item in East Africa. Of the three East African countries Tanzania has the highest area under rice at 355,000 hectares followed by Uganda at 93,000 hectares. Kenya is the lowest producer with only 13,000 hectares under the crop [5]. In Kenya the small scale farmers are the main producers and acreage range

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Discussion