A survey of 337 cotton farmers in the three northern regions of Ghana was conducted between November 2002 and March 2003 with the objectives of assessing farmers' knowledge and perceptions of cotton insect pests and examining their control practices. The survey revealed that between 69 and 86% of the farmers were illiterate. Farmers' age average 42 years and had an average of 9 years of cotton farming experience. Farmers were familiar with cotton insect pests, especially those whose feeding caused obvious symptoms in the field such as bollworms, leafrollers and cotton stainers. Farmers relied on chemical insecticides supplied by their contract cotton companies to control insect pests on their fields. Insecticides from three classes namely organochlorines (e.g. endosulfan), pyrethroids (e.g. Lambda-cyhalothrin), organophosphates (e.g. Chlorpyrifos) or their mixtures were used. An average of five applications were made during the season. Farmers indicated that the control practice was largely ineffective against the pests, and attributed the cause to the use of expired and inadequate quantities of chemicals. The study showed that only 28% of the respondents had some knowledge of alternative pest control measures. It is important to improve farmers' knowledge and management skills of cotton insect pests through participatory research and training in integrated pest management (IPM). IPM trainingthrough farmer field schools will help farmers to acquire the requisite knowledge and skills to improve their management of insect pests on their fields.
Field efficacy of neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) for managing soil arthropods and Cercospora leaf spots damage to peanut was studied in Ghana from 2008 to 2010. Treatments consisted of neem kernel water extract (NKWE) and neem kernel powder (NKP) applied separately as soil drench at the rates of 10.5 and 21.0 kg/ha at either planting or pegging. Untreated control and chlorpyrifos treatment at pegging were included as checks. Results showed generally that the neem products at the concentrations tested were efficacious and comparable to chlorpyrifos in lowering populations of soil arthropods and severity of leaf spot diseases, leaf defoliation, and scarified and bored pod damage, resulting in increased pod yield in 2008 and 2009.
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