Farmers' Perceptions and Management Strategies for Striga in Maize Farming: A Regional Survey

Abstract

Striga hermonthica is a serious biotic stress in Sub Saharan Africa. A survey was conducted in 2024 in five districts of Iganga, Bugweri, Luuka, Namutumba and Bugiri, of Uganda to understand the economic and agricultural impact of Striga on the communities, identify the challenges, guide intervention strategies and improve crop management in Striga affected areas. Data were collected using a questionnaire from a stratified random sample of 250 diverse farm households and analyzed by cohort method. A high percentage of farmer in Iganga & Bugweri districts had farming experience of more than 21 years and Iganga had less experienced farmers. Maize was the major crop followed by cassava and sweet potatoes. Groundnuts was not commonly grown in Iganga while, beans were a major crop in Iganga district.  Crop rankings were based on food security, market demand, easy to cultivate, soil health improvement, crop rotation and resilience. S. hermonthica was known to all farmers with high severity levels in all districts. Adopted Striga control methods included hand pulling, crop rotation, deep ploughing, fertilizer, intercropping, frequent weeding and use of herbicides. Striga control adoption rates were high in all districts except Bugweri. The percentage of farmers controlling Striga was high in Iganga, Bugweri, Luuka and Bugiri but low in Namutumba district. Sources of Striga control methods included fellow farmers and extension staff and high declines in maize yields were reported in all districts which had an average grain yield of 1.3–5.0 Mt ha-1. Extension workers and Non government organization conducted limited farmer trainings. Based on the findings S. hermonthica is a serious problem in Uganda and farmers have made efforts to control it using various methods. However, there is need for a government policy to deliberately train Extension workers and farmers especially the youths in order to contain the negative impact of Striga on maize and other crop yields in Eastern Uganda.