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dc.contributor.authorBaudron, Frédéric
dc.contributor.authorZaman-Allah, M.A.
dc.contributor.authorChaipa, I.
dc.contributor.authorChari, N.
dc.contributor.authorChinwada, P.
dc.date.accessioned2019-12-04T11:33:44Z
dc.date.available2019-12-04T11:33:44Z
dc.date.issued2019-06
dc.identifier.citationBaudron, F., Zaman-Allah, M.A., Chaipa, I., Chari, N. & Chinwada, P. (2019). Understanding the factors influencing fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda JE Smith) damage in African smallholder maize fields and quantifying its impact on yield: a case study in eastern Zimbabwe. Crop Protection, 120, 141-150.
dc.identifier.issn0261-2194
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12478/5791
dc.descriptionOpen Access Article; Published online: 26 Jan 2019
dc.description.abstractFall armyworm (FAW, Spodoptera frugiperda J.E. Smith) is an invasive lepidopteran pest established in most of sub-Saharan Africa since 2016. Although the immediate reaction of governments has been to invest in chemical pesticides, control methods based on agronomic management would be more affordable to resource-constrained smallholders and minimize risks for health and the environment. However, little is known about the most effective agronomic practices that could control FAW under typical African smallholder conditions. In addition, the impact of FAW damage on yield in Africa has been reported as very large, but these estimates are mainly based on farmers' perceptions, and not on rigorous field scouting methods. Thus, the objectives of this study were to understand the factors influencing FAW damage in African smallholder maize fields and quantify its impact on yield, using two districts of Eastern Zimbabwe as cases. A total of 791 smallholder maize plots were scouted for FAW damage and the head of the corresponding farming household interviewed. Grain yield was later determined in about 20% of these fields. FAW damage was found to be significantly reduced by frequent weeding operations and by minimum- and zero-tillage. Conversely, pumpkin intercropping was found to significantly increase FAW damage. FAW damage was also found to be higher for some maize varieties, although these varieties may not be the lowest yielding. If the incidence of plants with FAW damage symptoms recorded in this research (32–48%, depending on the estimate used) is commensurate with what other studies conducted on the continent found, our best estimate of the impact of FAW damage on yield (11.57%) is much lower than what these studies reported. Although our study presents limitations, losses due to FAW damage in Africa could have been over-estimated. The threat that FAW represents for African smallholders, although very real, should not divert attention away from other pressing challenges they face.
dc.description.sponsorshipIrish Aid
dc.description.sponsorshipBakker Brothers
dc.format.extent141-150
dc.language.isoen
dc.rightsCC-BY-NC-ND-4.0
dc.subjectIntegrated Pest Management
dc.subjectPests
dc.subjectBiocontrol
dc.subjectAgronomic Characters
dc.subjectCultural Control
dc.titleUnderstanding the factors influencing fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda J.E. Smith) damage in African smallholder maize fields and quantifying its impact on yield: a case study in eastern Zimbabwe
dc.typeJournal Article
dc.description.versionPeer Review
cg.contributor.crpAgriculture for Nutrition and Health
cg.contributor.crpRoots, Tubers and Bananas
cg.contributor.affiliationInternational Maize and Wheat Improvement Center
cg.contributor.affiliationGOAL Zimbabwe
cg.contributor.affiliationInternational Institute of Tropical Agriculture
cg.coverage.regionAfrica
cg.coverage.regionSouthern Africa
cg.coverage.countryZimbabwe
cg.isijournalISI Journal
cg.authorship.typesCGIAR and developing country institute
cg.iitasubjectMaize
cg.iitasubjectPests Of Plants
cg.journalCrop Protection
cg.howpublishedFormally Published
cg.accessibilitystatusOpen Access
local.dspaceid105083
cg.targetaudienceScientists
cg.identifier.doihttps://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cropro.2019.01.028


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