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Title
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Farmers’ perspectives of rodent damage and rodent management in smallholder maize cropping systems of Southern Ethiopia
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Author
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Abstract
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| A survey was conducted in Chano area, Southern Ethiopia, to investigate farmers' viewpoints with regard to rodent pest problems. Farmers (n = 384) were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaire between October 2018 and January 2019. Pests were implied (51%) as the major constraints of cereal crop production followed by shifting to cash crops (20.6%), waterlogged farmlands (15.6%), infertile soils (8.6%) and insufficient rains (4.2%). Farmers experienced rodent outbreaks (83%) and identified maize (98%) as a crop most susceptible to rodent damage. Farmer suffered 23.5% average annual maize loss due to rodents. Being male (OR = 2.82, P < 0.05) and years spent in farming (OR = 1.13, P < 0.001) increased the likelihood of farmers' experience with rodent outbreaks. Seedling stage of maize was identified as the stage most susceptible to rodent damage (64.8%), followed by harvesting (19.3%) and maturity (15.9%) stages. When adjusted for other factors, a year increase in farming as an occupation decreased farmers' estimate of annual maize yield loss due to rodent damage by a coefficient of 0.04 (P < 0.05). An individual's experience (86.5%) was the major factor in deciding the type of rodent pest management. Application of rodenticides was the most frequently used (76%) rodent management method. We recommend awareness creation and extension support to the farmer community to reduce the reliance on toxic rodenticides and shift to community-based integrated rodent management approaches that would reduce the unacceptable damage levels. |
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Language
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English
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Source (journal)
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Crop protection. - Haywards Heath
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Publication
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Haywards Heath
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2020
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ISSN
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0261-2194
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DOI
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10.1016/J.CROPRO.2020.105232
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Volume/pages
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136
(2020)
, p. 1-7
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Article Reference
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105232
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ISI
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000556166500012
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Medium
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E-only publicatie
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Full text (Publisher's DOI)
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Full text (open access)
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Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
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