Farmers’ Perception of Termite Infestation and Their Indigenous Management Practices in Abedengoro Resettlement Areas, Western Ethiopia

Abstract

This study is aimed to assess farmers’ perception of termite infestation and their indigenous management practices in Abedengoro resettlement areas. Four termite hot spot rural resettled kebeles (lower Ethiopian administrative units) were selected purposively to include highly termite infested areas. Questionnaires were used to collect data from 240 respondents which account 3.5% of the total population those selected proportionally from the sample kebeles. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the collected data. The results show that the local farmers’ perception about termite infestation was very high. They reported that termites mostly damage crops, forest trees, and grazing land. However, the damage is serious to annual and biennial plants. Maize, sorghum and teff were reported to be the most infested crops among the crops produced in the study settings. The farmers also reported that termites that pose damage are prevalent year-round, but abundantly found in dry season. The farmers in study area knew termite infestation problems and indigenous management practices. Among the indigenous termite management practices reported, disturbing mound and suffocating mound with flood were the major indigenous termite management practices identified in the study setting. In conclusion, utilization of farmers’ indigenous knowledge will not only promote ownership and sustainable use of intervention tools against termite pests but also has paramount importance in complementing ecologically friendly methods of termite control in an Integrated Termite Management in rural Ethiopia.

Keywords: Farmers perception, Resettlement, Termites, Termite infestation, Termite management

DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/10-5-01

Publication date:March 31^st 2020