Farmers’ perspectives of rodent damage and rodent management in smallholder maize cropping systems of Southern Ethiopia

Abstract

A survey was conducted in Chano area, Southern Ethiopia, to investigate farmers' viewpoints with regard to rodent pest problems. Farmers (n = 384) were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaire between October 2018 and January 2019. Pests were implied (51%) as the major constraints of cereal crop production followed by shifting to cash crops (20.6%), waterlogged farmlands (15.6%), infertile soils (8.6%) and insufficient rains (4.2%). Farmers experienced rodent outbreaks (83%) and identified maize (98%) as a crop most susceptible to rodent damage. Farmer suffered 23.5% average annual maize loss due to rodents. Being male (OR = 2.82, P < 0.05) and years spent in farming (OR = 1.13, P < 0.001) increased the likelihood of farmers' experience with rodent outbreaks. Seedling stage of maize was identified as the stage most susceptible to rodent damage (64.8%), followed by harvesting (19.3%) and maturity (15.9%) stages. When adjusted for other factors, a year increase in farming as an occupation decreased farmers' estimate of annual maize yield loss due to rodent damage by a coefficient of 0.04 (P < 0.05). An individual's experience (86.5%) was the major factor in deciding the type of rodent pest management. Application of rodenticides was the most frequently used (76%) rodent management method. We recommend awareness creation and extension support to the farmer community to reduce the reliance on toxic rodenticides and shift to community-based integrated rodent management approaches that would reduce the unacceptable damage levels.