Farmers’ perceptions of sorghum production constraints and Striga control practices in semi-arid areas of Tanzania

ABSTRACT

The objectives of this study were to investigate constraints affecting sorghum production and farmers' approaches of Striga management in the semi-arid regions of Tanzania. Focus group discussions based on a semi-structured questionnaire and observations following transect walks were used for data collection. Only 35%, 15%, and 10% of the farmers from Igunga, Kishapu, and Meatu districts, respectively, reported growing newly released varieties. The major constraints affecting sorghum production in the study areas included Striga infestation, drought, storage pests, damage by birds, a lack of access to improved varieties, and a lack of access to production inputs, such as fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides and herbicides. Hand weeding, crop rotation, fallowing, intercropping, and organic manure application were the most common practices of farmers for reducing Striga infestations, but most farmers (79.7%) had little knowledge of the best recommended Striga management practices. About 65% of the farmers did not use fertilizers and herbicides for soil fertility improvement and weed management, respectively, creating favourable conditions for Striga infestation. A systematic breeding programme aiming at improving sorghum varieties for Striga resistance, including farmers' preferred traits, should be designed and implemented to increase the adoption of these new varieties by the farmers.

KEYWORDS:

• Agro-ecology
• pest control
• survey
• preferences
• resistant varieties

Acknowledgments

Farmers in the study areas are sincerely thanked for willingly making the survey possible. The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) is gratefully acknowledged for financial support of the study through the African Centre for Crop Improvement (ACCI). Thanks are due to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and the Government of Tanzania, for giving study leave to the first author.

Discloser statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The financial support of the study is provided by The Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) through the African Centre for Crop Improvement (ACCI) [grant number PASS88].