Abstract: Generating tree-specific crop maps within heterogeneous landscapes requires imagery of fine spatial and temporal resolutions to discriminate among the rapid transitions in tree phenological and spectral features. The availability of freely accessible satellite data of relatively high spatial and temporal resolutions offers an unprecedented opportunity for wide-area land use and land cover (LULC) mapping, including tree crop (e.g., mango; Mangifera indica L.) detection. We evaluated...
Abstract: Push-pull technology improves agricultural productivity. However, its long-term effect on biomass carbon and soil organic carbon (SOC) is not yet known. The aims of this study were: to assess the effect of push-pull technology on (1) biomass carbon and (2) SOC, considering climatic conditions and the length of time that push-pull had been practiced on a farm; and (3) to establish the relationship between biomass carbon and SOC on farms. Aboveground biomass carbon and SOC were measu...
Abstract: Information does not flow freely through social networks. We use an experiment to study knowledge diffusion about an innovation (integrated pest management, IPM) in farmer groups in Ethiopia. Group leaders are incentivized to share knowledge with members through the conditional provision of material or social prestige rewards. We combine incentives with loss-framed messaging to leverage loss aversion. Incentives increase diffusion effort, and combining incentives with loss-framed m...
Abstract: Agroecological farming systems such as maize–legume intercropping (MLI) and push-pull technology (PPT) have been introduced to mitigate losses from pests. Nevertheless, the regionwide maize yield gained from practicing such farming systems remains largely unknown. This study compares the performance of two uncomplex and interpretable models, namely the hybrid fuzzy-logic combined with the genetic algorithm and symbolic regression, to predict maize yield. Specifically, the study a...
Abstract: Smallholder agroecological subzones (AEsZs) produce an array of crops occupying large areas throughout Africa but remain largely unmapped. We explored multisource satellite datasets to produce a seamless land-use and land-cover (LULC) and fragmentation dataset for upper midland (UM1 to UM4) AEsZs in central Kenya. Specifically, the utility of PlanetScope, Sentinel 2, and Landsat 8 images for mapping coffee-based landscape were tested using a random forest (RF) classifier. Vegetatio...
Abstract: Background: The diversity and abundance of Anopheles larvae has significant influence on the resulting adult mosquito population and hence the dynamics of malaria transmission. Studies were conducted to examine larval habitat dynamics and ecological factors affecting survivorship of aquatic stages of malaria vectors in three agroecological settings in Mwea, Kenya.Methods: Three villages were selected based on rice husbandry and water management practices. Aquatic habitats in the 3 ...
Abstract: A 12-month field study was conducted between April 2004 and March 2005 to determine the association between irrigated rice cultivation and malaria transmission in Mwea, Kenya. Adult mosquitoes were collected indoors twice per month in three villages representing non-irrigated, planned, and nplanned rice agro-ecosystems and screened for blood meal sources and Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite proteins. Anopheles arabiensis Patton and An. funestus Giles comprised 98.0% and 1.9%,...
Abstract: Crop models are crucial in assessing the reliability and sustainability of soil water conservation practices. The AquaCrop model was tested and validated for maize productivity under the selected climate smart agriculture (CSA) practices in the rainfed production systems. The model was validated using final biomass (B) and grain yield (GY) data from field experiments involving seven CSA practices (halfmoon pits, 2 cm thick mulch, 4 cm thick mulch, 6 cm thick mulch, 20 cm deep perma...
Abstract: Fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda, is a highly polyphagous pest that recently invaded Kenya, among other African countries. Information on the pest’s genetic diversity and mechanisms conferring insecticide resistance, in addition to farmers’ knowledge and perceptions on the applicable mitigation measures, inform the development of sustainable management strategies. Therefore, this study collected cross-sectional data from 800 farmers in Kenya and documented their knowl...
Abstract: Mango (Mangifera indica L.) is an important source of food and income in Kenya, but production is hampered by the proliferation of invasive fruit flies (Bactrocera dorsalis). The International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe) and its partners have over the past 2 decades developed and disseminated an integrated pest management (IPM) package of interventions that effectively reduce fruit fly populations, but adoption is relatively low. In response to this low adoption...
Abstract: The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda, is a devastating invasive pest and a threat to food security in Africa, with yield losses of 20–50%. Recent studies highlighted the importance of cereal crops such as maize and sorghum as the most preferred host plants for FAW oviposition. In the current work, we investigated the olfactory responses of FAW and its key larval endoparasitoid Cotesia icipe to odours from the preferred host (maize) in the presence of six potential compa...
Abstract: Bean leaf beetles (BLBs) (Ootheca spp.) are important field insect pests of the common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in agricultural communities in Sub-Saharan Africa. A survey of 128 farmers was conducted in Arua, Hoima, Lira, and Lwengo districts in Uganda, where the common bean is a major food and income crop. This paper evaluated farmers’ knowledge, control strategies, and challenges in managing BLBs. Over 87% of the farmers in Arua and Lira could identify BLBs by local names,...
Abstract: Climate variability in the tropics is partly associated with reduced and erratic precipitation, heat waves, and cold snaps thereby exerting abiotic environmental stressors to various arthropod species. For herbivorous insects, such extreme weather events may affect host plant quality and availability resulting in additional stressors such as desiccation and starvation. Neolema abbreviata Larcordaire (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is a key biocontrol agent of Tradescantia fluminensis V...
Abstract: Here, we review the advances in research on management of key oil palm insect pests globally, including defoliators, leaf/fruit scrapers, borers and sap feeders. The common oil palm pest management methods include synthetic insecticides, biopesticides, semiochemical lures, cultural practices, and integrated approaches. However, effectiveness, affordability, availability and impact of these methods on human and environmental health vary considerably based on the target insect and ge...
Abstract: The fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), is a damaging crop pest that has recently invaded and established across Africa from its native tropical and subtropical regions of the Americas. To develop an improved monitoring system for the FAW, we evaluated five commercial sex pheromone lures (Shenzhen Bioglobal, FALLTRACK, Enlure, P061-Lure and PH-869-1PR), three trap types (delta, bucket, and water-pan) and six placement heights (ground level, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2 m ab...