Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-j824f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T06:25:19.059Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Nigerian farmers' perception of pests and pesticides

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2011

Oluwayomi D. Atteh
Oluwayomi D. Atteh
Affiliation:
Department of Geography, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria
Get access

Abstract

The ability of peasant farmers in the third world to monitor environmental occurrences around them has often been ignored. This study looks at Nigerian fanners' perception of pests and pesticides and determines the relevance of such knowledge as an input to efforts to devise effective integrated pest management strategies.

Farmers in Kabba area of Kwara State, Nigeria were extensively interviewed and the following findings were highlighted: they had a deep knowledge of all insect, animal and fungi pests; could identify each pest, know their breeding cycles and their general behaviour characteristics; were able to make a relatively accurate assessment of damage caused by pests; and developed an indigenous integrated pest management strategy.

Due to massive pest damage in the last few years, and strenuous advertisement by the Ministry of Agriculture, many farmers are now turning to chemical pesticides for solution to the pest problem. Prognosis of future trends in pesticide usage among farmers reveal the likely danger of farmers becoming pesticide-dependent with the consequent possibilities of human poisoning and eventually aggravating the pest problem.

Type
Research Article
Information
International Journal of Tropical Insect Science , Volume 5 , Special Issue 3: Perception and Management of Pests and Pesticides , June 1984 , pp. 213 - 220
Copyright
Copyright © ICIPE 1984

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Ajibola, T. T. (1977) Mixed cropping as an input in the management of crop pests in tropical Africa. African Environ. 2, 111–126.Google Scholar
Allan, W. (1965) The African Husbandman. Oliver & Bayd, Edinburgh.Google Scholar
Atteh, D. O. (1980) Resources and Decisions: Peasant Farmer Agricultural Management, and its Relevance for Rural Development Planning in Kwara State, Nigeria. Ph.D. Thesis, University of London.Google Scholar
Barker, D. (1979) Appropriate methodology: An example using a traditional African board game to measure farmers' attitudes and environmental images. Inst. dev. Stud. Bull. 10, 37–40.Google Scholar
Barker, D., Oguntoyinbo, J. S. and Richards, P. (1977) The utility of the Nigerian Peasant Farmers' knowledge in the monitoring of agricultural resources. Monitoring and Assessment Research Centre, General Report Series 4, London: MARC, Chelsea College.Google Scholar
Chambers, R. (1979) Rural development: whose knowledge counts? I. Editorial. IDS Bull. 10,Google Scholar
Clayton, W. D. (1962) Derived Savanna in Kabba Province, Nigeria. Samaru Bulletin 15, Ministry of Agriculture, Northern Nigeria, Kaduna.Google Scholar
De Vos, A. (1975) Africa, The Devastated Continents? Hague W. junk.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
De Wilde, J. (1967) Experiences with Agricultural Development in Tropical Africa. John Hopkins, Baltimore.Google Scholar
Herrera, W. T. and Harwood, R. R. (1973) Crop interrelationships in intensive cropping systems. IRRI seminar (1973 series), Philippines.Google Scholar
Johnny, M. (1979) Traditional Farmers' Perception of Farming and Farming Problems in the Moyamba Area. M.A. dissertation, Forah Bay College, Freetown.Google Scholar
Jones, A. P. D. (1945) Notes on terms for use in vegetation description in Southern Nigeria. Farming Forests 6, 130–136.Google Scholar
Keay, R. W. J. (1953) An Outline of Nigerian Vegetation, 2nd ed.Government Printer, Lagos.Google Scholar
Norman, D. W. (1974) Rationalizing mixed-cropping under indigenous conditions: the example of Northern Nigeria. J. Devi. Stud. 11, 3–21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Page, W. and Richards, R. (1977) Agricultural Pest Control by community action: the case of the variegated grasshopper in southern Nigeria. African Environ. 2, 127–141.Google Scholar
Rarros, R. S. (1973) Prospects and problems of integrated pest control in multi-cropping. IRRI seminar series, Philippines.Google Scholar
Richards, P. (1978) Ethnoecological Studies and the Control of the Variegated Grasshopper in West Africa, Sept. 1978, Mimeo.Google Scholar
Ruthenberg, H. (1971) Farming Systems in the Tropics. Clarendon Press, Oxford.Google Scholar