Farmer Perceptions on Vegetable Diseases and Their Control in Sub-Humid Areas in Zimbabwe
The monoculture vegetable production systems practiced by Zimbabwean farmers has resulted in major disease outbreaks, causing major production constraints. There is need to determine the intensity of pesticides usage and methods of alternative disease management strategies. This study was carried ou...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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De Gruyter
2019-12-01
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| Series: | Change and Adaptation in Socio-Ecological Systems |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/cass.2019.5.issue-1/cass-2019-0001/cass-2019-0001.xml?format=INT |
| _version_ | 1818971039521046528 |
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| author | Goss Maria Mafongoya Paramu. L. Gubba Augustine Jiri Obert |
| author_facet | Goss Maria Mafongoya Paramu. L. Gubba Augustine Jiri Obert |
| author_sort | Goss Maria |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The monoculture vegetable production systems practiced by Zimbabwean farmers has resulted in major disease outbreaks, causing major production constraints. There is need to determine the intensity of pesticides usage and methods of alternative disease management strategies. This study was carried out using 250 randomly selected vegetable farmers by administering questionnaires. The study objectives were to determine farmers’ perceptions on vegetable disease incidence and severity in relation to prevailing weather conditions, and determine common control methods practiced to manage fungal and bacterial disease outbreaks. The results indicated significant increases in fungal and bacterial disease incidence of 84.6% (within community cropping fields) and severity of 73.1% (within individual farmer fields) over the past 5-10 years (P £ 0.05). It also revealed disease incidence being highest [30.8%] during winter (May – July) and rainy months [23.1%] (November – February). Results further indicated 96.2% of the respondents relied on chemical methods, 53.8% used cultural control, and 11.5% used natural control methods. However, none of the farmers used bio-pesticide/biological control methods. In conclusion: farmers are aware of the disease shifts in response to different climate variability but seem unaware of the negative effects of extensive chemical use, nor existence of alternative bio-pesticide/biological disease management strategies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T14:46:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b9a68ed3dfdc43808fd2e585c1be643f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2300-3669 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T14:46:02Z |
| publishDate | 2019-12-01 |
| publisher | De Gruyter |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Change and Adaptation in Socio-Ecological Systems |
| spelling | doaj.art-b9a68ed3dfdc43808fd2e585c1be643f2022-12-21T19:37:07ZengDe GruyterChange and Adaptation in Socio-Ecological Systems2300-36692019-12-015111110.1515/cass-2019-0001cass-2019-0001Farmer Perceptions on Vegetable Diseases and Their Control in Sub-Humid Areas in ZimbabweGoss Maria0Mafongoya Paramu. L.1Gubba Augustine2Jiri Obert3School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, 3209, South Africa; University of Zimbabwe, Faculty of Agriculture, P. O. Box MP167, Mt Pleasant, Harare, Zimbabwe, Email: mmgoss7@gmail.comSchool of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, 3209, South AfricaSchool of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Private Bag X01, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg, 3209, South AfricaUniversity of Zimbabwe, Faculty of Agriculture, P. O. Box MP167, Mt Pleasant, Harare, ZimbabweThe monoculture vegetable production systems practiced by Zimbabwean farmers has resulted in major disease outbreaks, causing major production constraints. There is need to determine the intensity of pesticides usage and methods of alternative disease management strategies. This study was carried out using 250 randomly selected vegetable farmers by administering questionnaires. The study objectives were to determine farmers’ perceptions on vegetable disease incidence and severity in relation to prevailing weather conditions, and determine common control methods practiced to manage fungal and bacterial disease outbreaks. The results indicated significant increases in fungal and bacterial disease incidence of 84.6% (within community cropping fields) and severity of 73.1% (within individual farmer fields) over the past 5-10 years (P £ 0.05). It also revealed disease incidence being highest [30.8%] during winter (May – July) and rainy months [23.1%] (November – February). Results further indicated 96.2% of the respondents relied on chemical methods, 53.8% used cultural control, and 11.5% used natural control methods. However, none of the farmers used bio-pesticide/biological control methods. In conclusion: farmers are aware of the disease shifts in response to different climate variability but seem unaware of the negative effects of extensive chemical use, nor existence of alternative bio-pesticide/biological disease management strategies.http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/cass.2019.5.issue-1/cass-2019-0001/cass-2019-0001.xml?format=INTdisease incidence and severityfarmers’ perspectivenatural botanicalsbio-pesticides |
| spellingShingle | Goss Maria Mafongoya Paramu. L. Gubba Augustine Jiri Obert Farmer Perceptions on Vegetable Diseases and Their Control in Sub-Humid Areas in Zimbabwe Change and Adaptation in Socio-Ecological Systems disease incidence and severity farmers’ perspective natural botanicals bio-pesticides |
| title | Farmer Perceptions on Vegetable Diseases and Their Control in Sub-Humid Areas in Zimbabwe |
| title_full | Farmer Perceptions on Vegetable Diseases and Their Control in Sub-Humid Areas in Zimbabwe |
| title_fullStr | Farmer Perceptions on Vegetable Diseases and Their Control in Sub-Humid Areas in Zimbabwe |
| title_full_unstemmed | Farmer Perceptions on Vegetable Diseases and Their Control in Sub-Humid Areas in Zimbabwe |
| title_short | Farmer Perceptions on Vegetable Diseases and Their Control in Sub-Humid Areas in Zimbabwe |
| title_sort | farmer perceptions on vegetable diseases and their control in sub humid areas in zimbabwe |
| topic | disease incidence and severity farmers’ perspective natural botanicals bio-pesticides |
| url | http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/cass.2019.5.issue-1/cass-2019-0001/cass-2019-0001.xml?format=INT |
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