Impact of adoption of Integrated Pest Management practices on the control of fruit fly infestation among smallholder mango farmers in Kenya

Publication Type

Journal Article

Journal Name

International Journal of Pest Management

Publication Date

1-1-2025

Abstract

The impact of adopting Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices on the control of fruit fly infestation was assessed among smallholder mango farmers in Embu County, Kenya. A difference-in-difference (DiD) model fitted on a sample of 149 mango farmers was used to estimate the impact of the technology on three intermediate outcomes (mango net income, expenditure on pesticides, and post-harvest losses) while a fixed effects model was used to test model robustness. Four experimental groups i.e. the conventional mango fruit fly IPM, the auto-dissemination technique (ADT) strategy where insects are used as smart conveyors of biopesticides, a combination of IPM+ADT, and a control (pesticides) were designed to test the differences among the adoption groups. Farmers who adopted the improved IPM (IPM+ADT) recorded a net increase of 42,960 Kenyan Shillings per acre in mango income, a reduction of 7226 Kenyan Shillings per acre in pesticide costs, and a 30% decrease in post-harvest losses compared to the control group. Group membership lowered the households’ mango post-harvest losses, while access to extension increased household’s mango net income. Integration of ADT into the conventional mango fruit fly IPM technology package to enhance the control of fruit flies is recommended. Moreover, development initiatives that promote information dissemination through group approaches are encouraged.

Keywords

difference-in-difference model, fruit fly, impact, Integrated pest management, Kenya

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