Abstract
<p>Despite the significant losses of citrus fruits due to insect pests damage, not all farmers control the menace of these pests. Control of these pests is inevitable for high quality, sustained and increased production of the product and income for the farmers. It is, therefore, imperative in the study to empirically establish the socio-economic variables of citrus farmers influencing the control of citrus insect pests. To achieve this, data collected from a random sample of 50 commercial citrus farmers from the major producing areas of Benue State in 2014, through the use of questionnaire, were analyzed by employing descriptive statistics and logistic regression model. With the exception of age with a coefficient of -.035, which influenced the control of insect pests negatively, the influence of other variables such as education (.362), experience (.159), gender (.992), income from citrus (.002) and income from other enterprises (.001) were positive, although only education and income earned from citrus were significant at 10% and 1% level of probability, respectively. Control of insect pests of citrus can be better achieved by potential and existing farmers if their education and earning from citrus production are continually and simultaneously increased.</p>
Highlights
The common species of citrus produced worldwide include grape fruit (Citrus paradisi), sweet orange (Citrus sinensis), lemon (Citrus lemon), lime (Citrus aurantifolia), mandarin/tangelo (Citrus reticulata), pummelo/shaddock (Citrus grandis), sour or Seville orange (Citrus aurantium) and rough lemon (Cobley & Steele, 1976)
With the exception of age with a coefficient of -.035, which influenced the control of insect pests negatively, the influence of other variables such as education (.362), experience (.159), gender (.992), income from citrus (.002) and income from other enterprises (.001) were positive, only education and income earned from citrus were significant at 10% and 1% level of probability, respectively
50 out of 115 commercial citrus farmers were randomly selected as respondents from Gboko and Aliade communities noted for producing citrus in large quantities after a reconnaissance survey
Summary
The common species of citrus produced worldwide include grape fruit (Citrus paradisi), sweet orange (Citrus sinensis), lemon (Citrus lemon), lime (Citrus aurantifolia), mandarin/tangelo (Citrus reticulata), pummelo/shaddock (Citrus grandis), sour or Seville orange (Citrus aurantium) and rough lemon (Cobley & Steele, 1976). The menace of insect pests and diseases are major threat to the realization of maximum yield of citrus fruits in Nigeria (Umeh, 2008). Of particular economic significance in Nigeria are fruit flies and fruit piercing moths. Depending on the severity of damage, yield losses due to fruit flies alone are estimated at between 40% to 70% (Umeh, 2004; Amatobi, 2007). For high yield and quality, competitive domestic and export markets, and high income for farmers, control of insect pests is inevitable. The implication for control or otherwise of insect pests of citrus, which may have impact on the promotion and sustainability of production and income of the farmers is being addressed in the study. The specific objectives are centred on the socio-economic variables influencing the control of insect pests of citrus
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