Efficacy of insect nets for cabbage production and pest management depending on the net removal frequency and microclimate

Publication Type

Journal Article

Journal Name

International Journal of Pest Management

Publication Date

1-1-1993

Abstract

Intercropping studies conducted at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) for 10 years identified sorghum and cowpea as the best crop combination in terms of minimizing crop borer population, stabilizing productivity and reducing yield loss due to crop borers. The maize and cowpea dicrop and the sorghum, cowpea and maize intercrop were also found to be effective. The worst crop combination was found to be an intercrop between maize and sorghum. It was also indicated that incorporation of resistant and tolerant cultivars in an intercropping system offers an added advantage (by reducing the pest attack) to farmers who for some very good reasons had to plant the maize and sorghum dicrop (the worst combination). The use of resistant and tolerant cultivars therefore offers an alternative. In the study further observations were noted from three combinations, viz. resistant/resistant; resistant/susceptible; and susceptible/susceptible. Results showed that there were no significant differences between resistant and resistant/susceptible combinations, suggesting the possibility of intercropping resistant and susceptible plants within a monoculture of multi-line intercropping. This finding opened up a new chapter in cropping systems in the sense that intercropping was seen as a practice that would also benefit large-scale farmers. © 1993 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Keywords

Cowpea, Crop borers, Intercropping, Kenya, Maize, Resistant cultivars, Sorghum

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