Pest and disease management practices among rural cashew farmers in Oyo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Cashew production is vital to the Nigerian economy, yet it is significantly constrained by poor management of insect pests and diseases. This study assessed the pest and disease management practices (DIPM) among 125 rural cashew farmers in Oyo State, Nigeria using a three-stage sampling procedure. Data were collected using structured interviews technique and analysed using mean, prcentage and Chi-square tests. Results revealed that the mean age of the respondents was 54.8+12.4, most (56.8%) had secondary education. Association was the main (55.2%) source of the agricultural information. It was further revealed that twig dieback (34.4%) and powdery mildew (23.2%) were the most common diseases, while termites (43.2%) and girdlers (34.4%) were prevalent pests. Only 23.2% of the respondents used treatment methods, primarily pesticide application (23.2%) while 76.8% didn’t practice disease management. Likewise, knowledge of appropriate agrochemicals was limited (23.2%). A significant association was found between education level and disease knowledge (χ² = 13.510, p = 0.001). It is therefore concluded that majority of the cashew farmers in the study area lack adequate knowledge of pest and disease management practices. Hence, it was recommended that training on integrated pest and disease management, emphasising both organic and chemical approaches should be organised.