Farmers’ indigenous knowledge and management of insect pests in Maize and Tomato crops at West Hararghe Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia

Abstract

The survey involved 207 purposely selected farmers (Key Informants (KI) and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) who were interviewed using structured questionnaires. Majority of the farmers estimated that the insects, the most serious pest infesting maize and tomato crops, mainly were army worm, maize stalk borer, and African ball worm on maize and spider mite, white fly, and African ball worm on tomato crop. Averagely from all the study areas, more than 25.9% of the farmers make use of cultural control method when comparing with chemical insecticides. Only 12.0% had access to chemical insecticides in controlling of insect pests of both the crops. Most of discussants traditionally used by adding various particles like ash, urea, soils and botanical extracts such as tobacco, garlic, Datura (banji), green pepper and also soap particles (66.6 and 18.5% from Darolebu and 29.7 and 4.7% from Chiro districts), respectively. From all the study areas, 26.40% respondents were used mechanically by the removal of infested plants in the fields. But 14.3% of respondents were not used any traditional methods.