- More than 200 farmers in Bungoma county have embraced botanical ways of eliminating armyworms
- Roselyne Barasa, a farmer and a beneficiary told the star that the project has empowered her with organic knowledge
Image: TONY WAFULA
Image: TONY WAFULA
Agricultural experts have urged farmers in Bungoma to use botanical methods to fight armyworms ahead of the planting season.
They said 12 per cent of maize destruction is caused by armyworms brought by climate change.
Food and Agriculture Organization programs associate Stanley Kimere attributed the increase of fall armyworm invasion to the rising global temperatures.
Armyworms first existed in South America but in 2016, they crossed over to Africa and were reported in Kenya in March, 2017.
The insects can fly at a speed of 1,000 km in a night hence the reason why they spread so fast.
“When they crossed over to Kenya, we were not very well prepared and so we had to use available pesticides to control them. These pesticides, we realised affected human health and environmental risks,” Kimere said.
He spoke during a site visit of FAO's Armyworm sustainable management project.
The project seeks to fight the fall armyworms and improve their coordination globally.
It also aimed at preventing yield loss since farms affected recorded 100 per cent crop loss.
“A lot of progress has been made since 2017. There is a study that was done last year that showed that the yield loss has drastically reduced in the farms that are implementing botanical technology from 100 per cent to about five per cent,” Kimwere said.
The project was launched in Bungoma and Embu counties, but there are plans to spread to other counties.
Kimere praised Bungoma government for providing eight acres at Mabanga ATC to set up the project.
The establishment has given farmers a chance to visit and learn new approaches to control armyworms.
“We are evaluating and demonstrating a number of options at the centre. These options are helping farmers register great success,” he said.
Kimwere said they also organise field days for farmers to learn new pest control strategies.
More than 200 farmers in Bungoma county have embraced botanical ways of eliminating armyworms.
Roselyne Barasa, a farmer and a beneficiary told the star that the project has empowered her with organic knowledge.
“The project has been of great help because all farmers who have gone through the training are able to fight fall armyworms using organic ways,” she said.
One of the ways involves crashing Tithonia plant, aloe vera and hot pepper together to form a paste. The paste is then fermented for seven days before it is ready for use.
The mixture is then sprayed on crops early in the morning or late in the evening when the pests are actively feeding.
This approach, Barasa said, reduces reliance on harmful chemicals and is cost-effective.
Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka praised FAO and the Chinese government for intervening and helping Bungoma farmers fight the fall armyworms.
“Our economy is based on agriculture specifically maize growing and therefore if maize is affected then the whole economy is affected,” he said.
Lusaka said if the armyworms are not controlled, then all our efforts will be futile.
He urged other devolved governments to recruit more agricultural extension officers to help in share knowledge among the farmers.