Effect of farmers’ knowledge and production practices on the intensity of cassava bacterial blight in Western Kenya

Abstract

The study was conducted to determine the association between farmers’ knowledge and production practices on the intensity of cassava bacterial blight (CBB) in Western Kenya. Multistage sampling was used to select 193 farms in Nambale and Teso south sub-counties in Western Kenya. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to obtain information on farmer’s knowledge and cassava production practices. Within each farm, bacterial blight incidence was determined and 30 cassava plants were evaluated for disease severity. Symptomatic leaf samples were collected for isolation and confirmation of the CBB pathogens. GPS coordinates of each farm were taken for the development of disease distribution maps. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and the Chi-square test which was used to determine the association between sociodemographic traits and disease incidence. CBB was prevalent in both sub-counties and Xanthomonas phaseoli pv manihotis was the more widespread compared to Xanthomonas axonopodis pv cassavae. However, there was no association between CBB incidence, training, seed source, and intercropping suggesting that other factors contributed to the high prevalence of the disease. About 85% of the farmers interviewed were unaware of the disease suggesting that the farmers could be spreading the disease unknowingly through the use of self-recycled and neighbor-obtained cassava cuttings. The findings of this study will contribute toward measures aimed at curbing the disease and its spread.