Microlevel analysis of smallholder farmers’ knowledge and perspectives of cassava pests, disease risks, and eco-friendly management techniques in two agroecological landscapes of Ghana

IF 2.5 2区农林科学 Q1 AGRONOMY

Crop Protection Pub Date : 2025-08-29 DOI:10.1016/j.cropro.2025.107388

Benedicta Nsiah Frimpong , Victor Owusu , Robert Aidoo , Bright Owusu Asante , Allen Oppong , Justin Pita , Eveline M.F.W. Compaoré-Sawadogo , Ousmane Ndoye , Kouassi Modeste

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Cassava, Africa's most significant tuberous crop and one of Ghana's strategic commodities, is currently threatened by pests and diseases. This study explored agroecological disparities in farmers' knowledge and perceptions regarding cassava pests, disease risks, and management approaches. We employed both descriptive and inferential statistics to analyze data collected from 511 smallholder cassava farmers across two distinct agroecological landscapes in Ghana. While farmers demonstrated a strong understanding of pests, diseases, and their causes, their knowledge of control measures and disease transmission between farms was lacking. The findings indicate that overall knowledge among farmers was moderate, with scores slightly above 50 % on knowledge-related questions. Farmers in the forest zone exhibited greater awareness of the benefits and challenges associated with integrated cassava disease management techniques compared to those in the forest-savannah transition zone. We conclude that there is a need to enhance farmers' capabilities in detecting, understanding, and managing cassava diseases. To improve farmers' knowledge and perceptions of crop health, a collaborative effort involving experts in cassava crop protection (entomologists, virologists, mycologists, and weed scientists), social scientists, advisory groups, and policymakers is essential.

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加纳两个农业生态景观中小农对木薯病虫害风险和生态友好型管理技术的知识和观点的微观分析

木薯是非洲最重要的块茎作物，也是加纳的战略商品之一，目前受到病虫害的威胁。本研究探讨了农民在木薯病虫害、病害风险和管理方法方面的知识和认知方面的农业生态差异。我们采用描述性和推断性统计来分析从加纳两种不同农业生态景观的511名木薯小农中收集的数据。虽然农民对病虫害及其原因有深刻的了解，但他们缺乏控制措施和农场间疾病传播的知识。调查结果表明，农民的总体知识水平中等，在知识相关问题上的得分略高于50%。与森林-草原过渡带的农民相比，林区的农民对木薯病害综合管理技术的益处和挑战表现出更高的认识。我们的结论是，有必要提高农民检测、了解和管理木薯疾病的能力。为了提高农民对作物健康的认识和认知，木薯作物保护专家（昆虫学家、病毒学家、真菌学家和杂草科学家）、社会科学家、咨询小组和决策者的合作努力至关重要。

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来源期刊

Crop Protection 农林科学-农艺学

CiteScore

6.10

自引率

3.60%

发文量

200

审稿时长

29 days

期刊介绍： The Editors of Crop Protection especially welcome papers describing an interdisciplinary approach showing how different control strategies can be integrated into practical pest management programs, covering high and low input agricultural systems worldwide. Crop Protection particularly emphasizes the practical aspects of control in the field and for protected crops, and includes work which may lead in the near future to more effective control. The journal does not duplicate the many existing excellent biological science journals, which deal mainly with the more fundamental aspects of plant pathology, applied zoology and weed science. Crop Protection covers all practical aspects of pest, disease and weed control, including the following topics: -Abiotic damage- Agronomic control methods- Assessment of pest and disease damage- Molecular methods for the detection and assessment of pests and diseases- Biological control- Biorational pesticides- Control of animal pests of world crops- Control of diseases of crop plants caused by microorganisms- Control of weeds and integrated management- Economic considerations- Effects of plant growth regulators- Environmental benefits of reduced pesticide use- Environmental effects of pesticides- Epidemiology of pests and diseases in relation to control- GM Crops, and genetic engineering applications- Importance and control of postharvest crop losses- Integrated control- Interrelationships and compatibility among different control strategies- Invasive species as they relate to implications for crop protection- Pesticide application methods- Pest management- Phytobiomes for pest and disease control- Resistance management- Sampling and monitoring schemes for diseases, nematodes, pests and weeds.