Abstract
The study assessed the contribution of FFS training to farmers’ knowledge of control of cocoa mirids (<em>Saghbergella singularis</em>) in Edo State. The specific objectives were to describe the socio-economic characteristics of respondents, identify which control measures FFS has helped farmers to acquire knowledge, ascertain FFS contributory role in improving farmers’ knowledge on these control measures and ascertain the percentage of farmers who benefited from FFS training on control of mirids. A multi-stage sampling procedure was used in selecting 68 respondents for the study and descriptive statistics like frequency counts and percentages were used for data analysis. The results of the study showed that FFS has contributed significantly to farmers’ knowledge on the control of cocoa mirids. It was therefore recommended that this approach should be used for training farmers in other crops besides cocoa.
Highlights
Mirids, called capsids, belong to the order of insects called hemiptera and the sub-order heteroptera
No farmer in the study area was below 31 years
Ogungbile et al (2002) and Oloruntoba (2000) asserted that farmers in this range of age are always active and this can lead to positive effect on cocoa production
Summary
Called capsids, belong to the order of insects called hemiptera and the sub-order heteroptera. They are the major insect pests of cocoa in West Africa (David, 2005). These insect use their needle like mouthparts to pierce the tissues of cocoa trees and suck the sap. During this process they may inject toxic saliva into the plants. Losses can be as high as 30% or more if infestation is severe (David, 2005)
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