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Evaluation of the Smallholder Farmers’ Perception and Acceptance for Push-Pull Technology in Western Hararghe Zone of Oromia, Ethiopia

Received: 12 August 2019     Accepted: 6 September 2019     Published: 17 June 2020
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Abstract

Cereal crops play an important role in ensuring food security in Africa and providing cash income for most households in the rural areas. In the last two decades, African region has been experiencing a significant decline in per capita food production in which the cereals explaining most of the observed variance in total food production. The decline in cereal production causes food self insufficiency and exposes the smallholder farmers and rural communities as whole to food shortage and famines. Striga weed and stem borers were among the major pests that contribute to the significant decline in cereals production in Ethiopia. In response to these challenges the Agricultural research Institutes both at national and international level has come up with various control strategies. Among these, Push-Pull technology was one of the strategies to cope the significant decline in cereals production. The Technology has been one of the most successful methods and with an advantage of controlling both the stem borers and striga weed simultaneously, while improving soil fertility status. The technology provides an integrated soil and pest management that makes an efficient use of natural resource to increase farm productivity. Even though the result from on farm research experiments and pre-extension demonstration revealed the positive effect of the push pull technology in improving production and productivity of cereal crops in different parts of Ethiopia (Boset, Mieso, Habro and Daro Labu), perception and acceptance of the wider smallholder farmers for the technology was not evaluated. Hence, this study was intended to analyze perception and acceptance of the smallholder farmers for the push pull technology in Habro and Daro Labu districts of western hararghe zone of Oromia regional state, Ethiopia. Ten kebeles and 81 farmers implementing the push-pull technology were purposively selected and interviewed using structured questionnaire. Both primary and secondary data used to attain the research objectives. The structured questionnaire was a primary data collection tool. Collected primary data analyzed using the Statistical Package of Social Science software (SPSS). From the total sample farm households, about 77.8% of them were fully agree and 9% of them were agree with the idea that push-pull technology is efficient in controlling stem borer and improve the production and productivity of the cereals (maize and sorghum) in the study area. Smallholder farmers perceive benefits of the push pull technology through its role in improving the cereal yield by improving soil fertility, maintaining soil moisture, reducing soil erosion and the negative effect of striga.

Published in American Journal of Agriculture and Forestry (Volume 8, Issue 3)
DOI 10.11648/j.ajaf.20200803.15
Page(s) 81-90
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Push-pull, Farmers Research Group, Smallholder Farmers

References
[1] Calatayud, P. A., Le Ru, B. P., Van den Berg, J., Schulthess, F. (2014). Ecology of African maize stalk borer. Busseola fusca (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) with special reference to insect-plant interactions. Insects 2014, 5, 539-563.
[2] Cook, S. M., Khan, Z. R., & Picket, J. A. (2007). The use of push-pull strategies in integrated pest management. Annu. Rev. Entomol 52: 375–400.
[3] Food and Agricultural Organization. (2006). Food Security and Agricultural development in Sub-Saharan Africa. Building a case for more public support, working paper no. 01/E. Rome, Italy.
[4] Gebisa E. (2007). Integrating new technologies for striga control-Towards ending the withch-Hunt. World Scientifiic publishing Co. Pte. Ltd. Avaliable: http://www.worldscibooks.com/lifesci/640.htm
[5] Getu, E., Overholt, W. A., Kairu, E. (2002). Status of stem-borers and their managemnt in Ethiopia. In proceedings of the Integrated Pest Management Conference, Kampla, Uganda, 8-12, september 2002.
[6] Hassanali, A., Harren, H., Khan, Z. R., Picket, J. A., & Wood lock, Ch. M. (2008). Integrated pest Management: the push-pull approach for controlling insect pests and weeds of cereals, and its potential for other agricultural systems including animal husbandry. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 363 (491): 611-621.
[7] Kassie, M., Stage, J., Diiro, G., Muriithi, B., Murich, G., Ledermann, S. T., Pittchar, J., Midega, C., Khan, Z. (20180. Push-Pull farming systems in kenya: Implications for economic and social welfare. Land Use Policy, no. 77. Pp 186-198.
[8] Khan, Z., Midega, C., Pitcharr, J., Pickett, J. and Bruce, T. (2011). Push-Pull technology: A conservation agriculture approach for integrated management of insect pests, weeds and soil health in Africa. International Journal of Agricultural Sustainablity. Vol. 9 (1), Pp 162-170.
[9] Khan, Z. R., & Pickett, J. A. (2004). The ‘Push-pull’ Strategy for Stemborer Management: A Case Study in Exploiting Biodiversity and Chemical Ecology. In: Gurr, G. M., Wratten, S. D., Altieri, M. A., (Eds.), Ecological Engineering for Pest Management: Advances in Habitat Manipulation for Arthropods. CABI Publishing, CABI, Wallingford, Oxon, U.K.
[10] Khan, Z. R., Hassanali, A., Overholt, W., Khamis, T. M., Hooper, A. M., Pickett, A. J., Wadhams, L. J., &Woodlock, C. M. (2002). Control of witchweed Striga hermothica by intercropping with Desmodium spp., and the mechanism defined as allelopathic. Journal of Chemical Ecology, 28, 1871-1885.
[11] Khan, Z. R., Midega, C. A. O., Wadhams, L. J., Pickett, J. A.,& Mumuni, A. (2007). Evaluation of Napier grass (Pennisetumapurpureum) varieties for use as trap plants for management of African stemborer (Busseolafusca) in a ‘Push-pull’ strategy. Entomological Experimental Application, 124, 201-211.
[12] Khan, Z. R., Midega, C. A. O., Amudavi, D. M., Hasanali, A., & Pickett, J. A. (2008). On farm evaluation of push-pull technology for the control of stem borer and striga weed on maize in western kenya. Field Crops Reserarch 106 (3): 224-223.
[13] Midega, C. A., Wasonga, C. J., Hooper, A. M., Pickett, J. A., Khan, Z. R. (2017). Drought-Tolerant Desmodium Species Effectively suppresses Parasitic Striga Weed and Improve Cereal Grain Yields in Western Kenya. Crop Prot. 2017, 98, 94-101.
[14] Midega, C. A. O., Pittcharr, J. O., Pickett, J. A., Hailu, G. W., Khan, Z. R. (2018). A climate-adapted push-pull effectively controls fall armyworm, Spodotera frugiperda (J E Smith), in maize in East Africa. Crop Prot. 2018, 105, 10-15.
[15] Oben, E. O., Ntonifor, N. N., Kekeunou, S., Abbeytakor, M. (2015). Farmers Knowledge and perception on maize stem borers and their indigenous control methods in south western region of cameroon. Journal of Ethnobio. Ethnomed. 2015, 11, 177.
[16] Ogot, N. O., Pitcharr, J. O., Midega, C. A. O. and Khan, Z. R. (2018). Attributes of push-pull technology in enhancing food and nutrition security. African Journal of agriculture and Fod Security. Vol. 6 (3), Pp. 229-242, March, 2018.
[17] Teshome, K., Esayas, M., Bayu, E., Menale, K. and Tadele, T. (2019). Effect of the push-pull cropping system on maize yield, Stem-borer infestation and farmers’ perception. Journal of Agronomy, 2019, 9, 452. Avaliable: www.mpdi.com/journal/agronomy
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  • APA Style

    Abebe Teshome, Belay Roba. (2020). Evaluation of the Smallholder Farmers’ Perception and Acceptance for Push-Pull Technology in Western Hararghe Zone of Oromia, Ethiopia. American Journal of Agriculture and Forestry, 8(3), 81-90. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajaf.20200803.15

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    ACS Style

    Abebe Teshome; Belay Roba. Evaluation of the Smallholder Farmers’ Perception and Acceptance for Push-Pull Technology in Western Hararghe Zone of Oromia, Ethiopia. Am. J. Agric. For. 2020, 8(3), 81-90. doi: 10.11648/j.ajaf.20200803.15

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    AMA Style

    Abebe Teshome, Belay Roba. Evaluation of the Smallholder Farmers’ Perception and Acceptance for Push-Pull Technology in Western Hararghe Zone of Oromia, Ethiopia. Am J Agric For. 2020;8(3):81-90. doi: 10.11648/j.ajaf.20200803.15

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ajaf.20200803.15,
      author = {Abebe Teshome and Belay Roba},
      title = {Evaluation of the Smallholder Farmers’ Perception and Acceptance for Push-Pull Technology in Western Hararghe Zone of Oromia, Ethiopia},
      journal = {American Journal of Agriculture and Forestry},
      volume = {8},
      number = {3},
      pages = {81-90},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ajaf.20200803.15},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajaf.20200803.15},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajaf.20200803.15},
      abstract = {Cereal crops play an important role in ensuring food security in Africa and providing cash income for most households in the rural areas. In the last two decades, African region has been experiencing a significant decline in per capita food production in which the cereals explaining most of the observed variance in total food production. The decline in cereal production causes food self insufficiency and exposes the smallholder farmers and rural communities as whole to food shortage and famines. Striga weed and stem borers were among the major pests that contribute to the significant decline in cereals production in Ethiopia. In response to these challenges the Agricultural research Institutes both at national and international level has come up with various control strategies. Among these, Push-Pull technology was one of the strategies to cope the significant decline in cereals production. The Technology has been one of the most successful methods and with an advantage of controlling both the stem borers and striga weed simultaneously, while improving soil fertility status. The technology provides an integrated soil and pest management that makes an efficient use of natural resource to increase farm productivity. Even though the result from on farm research experiments and pre-extension demonstration revealed the positive effect of the push pull technology in improving production and productivity of cereal crops in different parts of Ethiopia (Boset, Mieso, Habro and Daro Labu), perception and acceptance of the wider smallholder farmers for the technology was not evaluated. Hence, this study was intended to analyze perception and acceptance of the smallholder farmers for the push pull technology in Habro and Daro Labu districts of western hararghe zone of Oromia regional state, Ethiopia. Ten kebeles and 81 farmers implementing the push-pull technology were purposively selected and interviewed using structured questionnaire. Both primary and secondary data used to attain the research objectives. The structured questionnaire was a primary data collection tool. Collected primary data analyzed using the Statistical Package of Social Science software (SPSS). From the total sample farm households, about 77.8% of them were fully agree and 9% of them were agree with the idea that push-pull technology is efficient in controlling stem borer and improve the production and productivity of the cereals (maize and sorghum) in the study area. Smallholder farmers perceive benefits of the push pull technology through its role in improving the cereal yield by improving soil fertility, maintaining soil moisture, reducing soil erosion and the negative effect of striga.},
     year = {2020}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Evaluation of the Smallholder Farmers’ Perception and Acceptance for Push-Pull Technology in Western Hararghe Zone of Oromia, Ethiopia
    AU  - Abebe Teshome
    AU  - Belay Roba
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    DO  - 10.11648/j.ajaf.20200803.15
    T2  - American Journal of Agriculture and Forestry
    JF  - American Journal of Agriculture and Forestry
    JO  - American Journal of Agriculture and Forestry
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    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2330-8591
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajaf.20200803.15
    AB  - Cereal crops play an important role in ensuring food security in Africa and providing cash income for most households in the rural areas. In the last two decades, African region has been experiencing a significant decline in per capita food production in which the cereals explaining most of the observed variance in total food production. The decline in cereal production causes food self insufficiency and exposes the smallholder farmers and rural communities as whole to food shortage and famines. Striga weed and stem borers were among the major pests that contribute to the significant decline in cereals production in Ethiopia. In response to these challenges the Agricultural research Institutes both at national and international level has come up with various control strategies. Among these, Push-Pull technology was one of the strategies to cope the significant decline in cereals production. The Technology has been one of the most successful methods and with an advantage of controlling both the stem borers and striga weed simultaneously, while improving soil fertility status. The technology provides an integrated soil and pest management that makes an efficient use of natural resource to increase farm productivity. Even though the result from on farm research experiments and pre-extension demonstration revealed the positive effect of the push pull technology in improving production and productivity of cereal crops in different parts of Ethiopia (Boset, Mieso, Habro and Daro Labu), perception and acceptance of the wider smallholder farmers for the technology was not evaluated. Hence, this study was intended to analyze perception and acceptance of the smallholder farmers for the push pull technology in Habro and Daro Labu districts of western hararghe zone of Oromia regional state, Ethiopia. Ten kebeles and 81 farmers implementing the push-pull technology were purposively selected and interviewed using structured questionnaire. Both primary and secondary data used to attain the research objectives. The structured questionnaire was a primary data collection tool. Collected primary data analyzed using the Statistical Package of Social Science software (SPSS). From the total sample farm households, about 77.8% of them were fully agree and 9% of them were agree with the idea that push-pull technology is efficient in controlling stem borer and improve the production and productivity of the cereals (maize and sorghum) in the study area. Smallholder farmers perceive benefits of the push pull technology through its role in improving the cereal yield by improving soil fertility, maintaining soil moisture, reducing soil erosion and the negative effect of striga.
    VL  - 8
    IS  - 3
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Department of Agricultural Economics, Finfine, Ethiopia

  • Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research, Department of Agricultural Economics, Finfine, Ethiopia

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