CHAPTER 2: FARMER’S PERCEPTION OF CASSAVA MOSAIC DISEASE, PREFERENCES
2.4 Discussion
clearly did not constitute effective management of CMD. Most of the cultivars grown by the farmers were susceptible to CMD.
The majority of the farmers in Mansa, Samfya and Mwense districts obtained cassava planting materials from either their own fields or from fellow farmers. The exchange of cassava cuttings is not only restricted within farming communities but also across districts. Consequently planting materials are often contaminated with viruses, a situation which contributes to the high incidence of CMD. In Mansa district, few farmers obtained cuttings from their colleagues, probably because farmers farm in close proximity to Mansa Research Station, which has a cassava multiplication programme. The planting materials are mostly distributed to farmers in Mansa district by MACO (M. Chiona, personal communication). In contrast, farmers in Mwense and Samfya districts sourced the planting materials mainly from their fellow farmers, because MACO and the various NGOs are less involved in these districts in the distribution of cuttings.
Although MACO is one of the sources for cassava cuttings, the materials are also contaminated with viruses as indexing is not done prior to distribution to the farming community. In addition, farmers were not aware of the planting materials being sources of the cassava viruses in the fields.
Important traits mentioned by the farmers included high yield, early bulking, low cyanide content, branching type and white flour. Yield was the principal consideration when farmers choose a cultivar. However, they required yield to be complemented by earliness, low cyanide content, branching type and white flour. This was reflected in the growing of local landraces, even though they were susceptible to insect pests and diseases.
A few farmers preferred late bulking cultivars as a way of ensuring food security for their households. One of the attributes of local cultivars is long underground storability which allows the farmers to harvest when convenient. The improved cultivars which are early bulking (16 MAP) were not readily available in the farmers’ communities.
Farmers in all the three districts understood the constraints affecting cassava production and marketing. Some of the constraints included weeds, labour, capital, distance to market and lack of transport. Shortage of labour, lack of working capital and distance to market, were the most commonly mentioned constraints.
Farmers grew a number of cultivars in their fields, most of them low yielding and susceptible to pests and diseases. Though the cultivars were susceptible, farmers often unknowingly, protected the crop against diseases and pests with very little outside technical assistance.
However, the crop protection methods applied were based on “trial and error” with little impact on addressing the CMD problem.
The local economies of the three districts surveyed were largely driven by agricultural activities.
Growing of more than one crop and at different times of the year assured the farmers of food security. This is the underlying reason why intercropping was practised in the three districts.
Most of the farmers intercropped cassava with annual crops e.g. bean, maize, groundnut, sweet potato and bambara nut.
None of the farmers applied fertiliser although some of them acknowledged the low fertility levels of the cassava fields. Most of the farmers weeded their fields three times in a growing season. It is, therefore, imperative for breeders to consider developing cultivars that have high competitive ability over weeds. Although, most of the farmers acknowledged the presence of insect pests, not a single farmer used pesticides. The high cost of pesticides in Zambia and technical know-how, probably restricted smallholder cassava farmers from using the chemicals.
Farmers indicated that cassava production was labour intensive which is perhaps why most farmers had fields of not more than 1 ha. These issues highlight the need to encourage farmers to adopt efficient farming methods and use high yielding cultivars.
In final conclusion: the study established that the farmers have little knowledge of CMD if any.
High yield and early bulking were some of the traits preferred by the farmers. Most of the farmers prefer growing local cultivars because they have the desired attributes. Farmers’
preferred traits need to be integrated into the objectives of a cassava breeding programmes to meet the farmers’ needs and expectations. The farmers pointed out a number of constraints with regard to cassava production, namely capital, labour and drought. Therefore, farmers’
preferences, such as high yielding and early bulking traits which were widely mentioned by the farmers have to be given attention in the breeding process. The participation of farmers in the breeding programme, from early to advanced stages, will facilitate the adoption of new cultivars.
References
Agwu, A.E., and C.L. Anyaeche. 2007. Adoption of improved cassava varieties in six rural communities in Anambra State, Nigeria. African Journal of Biotechnology 6:89-98.
Akano, A.O., A.G.O. Dixon, C. Mba, and E. Barrera. 2002. Genetic mapping of dominant gene conferring resistance to cassava mosaic disease. Theoretical and Applied Genetics 105:521-525.
Chitundu, M., K. Droppelmann, and S. Haggblade. 2006. A value chain task force approach for managing private-public partnerships: Zambia’s task force on acceleration of cassava utilisation. Working paper no. 21, Food security research project.
FAO. 2006. Towards a common market in Africa: Two Italian-financed projects to improve food security through a regional approach. FAO newsroom.
FAOSTAT. 2009. Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, Roma, Italy, http://faostat.fao.org/site/567/default.aspx (Accessed 23 October 2010).
Hahn, S.K., E.R. Terry, and K. Leuschner. 1980. Breeding cassava for resistance to cassava mosaic disease. Euphytica 29:673-683.
Joy, P. 1993. The Crisis of Farming Systems in Luapula Province, Zambia. Nordic Journal of African Studies 2: 118–140
MACO. 1991. Exploratory soil map of Zambia. Soil Survey section, Zambia Agriculture Research Institute, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MACO).
MACO. 2008. Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MACO), 2003-2007 crop performance.
Ridgeway, Lusaka.
Manu-Aduening, J.A., R.I. Lamboll, G.A. Mensah, J.N. Lamptey, E. Moses, A.A. Dankyi, and R.W. Gibson. 2006. Development of superior cassava cultivars in Ghana by farmers and scientists: The process adopted, outcomes and contributions and changed roles of different stakeholders. Euphytica 150:47-61.
Muimba-Kankolongo, A., A. Chalwe, P. Sisupo, and M.S. Kang. 1997. Distribution, prevalence and outlook for control of cassava mosaic disease in Zambia. Roots 4:2-7.
Poubom, C.F.N., E.T. Awah, M. Tchuanyo, and F. Tengoua. 2005. Farmers' perceptions of cassava pests and indigenous control methods in Cameroon. International Journal of Pest Management 51:157-164
SPSS. 2006. Statistical Programme for Social Sciences. SPSS for Windows. Release 2006.
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Thresh, J.M., D. Fargette, and G.W. Otim-Nape. 1994. Effects of African cassava mosaic geminivirus on the yield of cassava. Tropical Science 34:26-42.
Appendix
Participatory rural appraisal questionnaire used for the 2008 to 2009 survey
District:……… Name of farmer:……….. Date:…………
Village:……… Field size:………. GPS:………….
Cropping system
What crops do you grow apart from cassava?...
………...
Why do you grow cassava?...
………...
Name the cultivars that are grown in your area...
………...
Where do you get planting material?...
Fellow farmers Ministry of Agriculture NGOs
Other ………...
Give the reasons why you grow or prefer the mentioned cultivars………...
Low cyanide………...
Insect pest resistance………...
Disease resistance………...
Early maturity………...
Late maturity………...
High yield………...
Ability to suppress weeds………...
Resistant to drought………...
Easy of harvest………...
Colour of storage roots...………...
Palatability of storage roots………...
High starch content………...
Other………...
Do you like erect or branching plants?...
Why?...
How do you grow cassava and why?
Sole crop………...
Intercropping………...
Sole crop and intercrop………...
Production marketing and constraints
What are the production and marketing constraints you face in growing cassava?...
Production constraints
………..………...
Marketing constraints
………...
Farmer preferred characteristics
Do you grow improved or local cultivars?………...
Why?………...…
What are the characteristics you like for the cultivars you grow?...
Improved ………...………
Local………...
Farmers’ perception of insect pests and diseases
Are pests and diseases important in your cassava crop?...
………...
What are the insect pests that affect your cassava crop?...
………...
………...
What are the diseases that affect your cassava crop?...
………...
………...
………...
How are your cultivars affected by the diseases you have mentioned?...
………...
How are insects and diseases transmitted?...
Insect pests………..………...
………...
………...
Diseases………...
………...
………...
Are there any cultivars grown in your area resistant to the pests and diseases you mentioned?
………...
………...
Do you grow resistant cultivars?...
How do you control the insect pests, diseases and weeds you have mentioned?...
Insect pests………...
………...
………...
Diseases………...
………...
………...
Weeds………...
………...
Do you apply fertiliser?………...