Abstract
Production of cereals, the main staple and cash crops for millions of farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is severely constrained by parasitic striga weed Striga hermonthica, stemborers and poor soil fertility. A companion cropping system known as ‘push–pull’ overcomes these constraints while providing additional soil fertility and forage grass benefits to smallholder farmers. To ensure the technology's long-term sustainability in view of the current and further potential aridification as a consequence of climate change, drought-tolerant crops, Brachiaria cv mulato (border crop) and greenleaf desmodium (intercrop), have been identified and incorporated into a ‘climate-adapted push–pull’. The aims of the current study were to evaluate effectiveness of the new system (i) in integrated control of striga and stemborer pests and (ii) in improving maize grain yields, and to evaluate farmers’ perceptions of the technology to assess potential for further adoption. 395 farmers who had adopted the technology in drier areas of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania were randomly selected for the study. Each farmer had a set of two plots, a climate-adapted push–pull and a maize monocrop. Seasonal data were collected in each plot on the number of emerged striga plants, percentage of maize plants damaged by stemborers, plant height and grain yields. Similarly, farmers’ perceptions of the benefits of the technology were assessed using a semi-structured questionnaire. There were highly significant reductions in striga and stemborer damage to maize plants in the climate-adapted push–pull compared to the maize monocrop plots: striga levels were 18 times lower and stemborer levels were 6 times lower. Similarly, maize plant height and grain yields were significantly higher. Mean yields were 2.5 times higher in companion planting plots. Farmers rated the climate-adapted push–pull significantly superior in reducing striga infestation and stemborer damage rates, and in improving soil fertility and maize grain yields. These results demonstrate that the technology is effective in controlling both weeds and pests with concomitant yield increases under farmers’ conditions. It thus provides an opportunity to improve food security, stimulate economic growth, and alleviate poverty in the region while making agriculture more resilient to climate change.
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Claims 6
Claim · model-written summary
Striga levels were 18 times lower in the climate-adapted push-pull than in maize monocrop plots.
- Treatment
- climate-adapted push–pulle2
- Interactor
- Striga hermonthica
Striga hermonthicae4parasite - Outcome
- striga levelse1
- Direction
- lowere1
- Value
- 18 timese1
- Comparator
- maize monocrop plotse2
- Setting
- drier areas of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzaniae3
Zea maysOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“striga levels were 18 times lower”
e2“There were highly significant reductions in striga and stemborer damage to maize plants in the climate-adapted push–pull compared to the maize monocrop plots”
e3“395 farmers who had adopted the technology in drier areas of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania were randomly selected for the study”
e4“parasitic striga weed Striga hermonthica”
Claim · model-written summary
Stemborer levels were 6 times lower in the climate-adapted push-pull than in maize monocrop plots.
- Treatment
- climate-adapted push–pulle2
- Interactor
- stemborere5pest
- Outcome
- stemborer levelse5
- Direction
- lowere5
- Value
- 6 timese5
- Comparator
- maize monocrop plotse2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e5“stemborer levels were 6 times lower”
e2“There were highly significant reductions in striga and stemborer damage to maize plants in the climate-adapted push–pull compared to the maize monocrop plots”
Claim · model-written summary
Maize plant height and grain yields were significantly higher in the climate-adapted push-pull than in maize monocrop plots.
- Treatment
- climate-adapted push–pulle2
- Outcome
- plant height and grain yieldse6
- Direction
- highere6
- Comparator
- maize monocrop plotse2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e2“There were highly significant reductions in striga and stemborer damage to maize plants in the climate-adapted push–pull compared to the maize monocrop plots”
e6“Similarly, maize plant height and grain yields were significantly higher”
Claim · model-written summary
Mean maize yields were 2.5 times higher in companion planting plots than in maize monocrop plots.
- Treatment
- companion planting plotse7
- Outcome
- Mean yieldse7
- Direction
- highere7
- Value
- 2.5 timese7
- Comparator
- maize monocrop plotse2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e2“There were highly significant reductions in striga and stemborer damage to maize plants in the climate-adapted push–pull compared to the maize monocrop plots”
e7“Mean yields were 2.5 times higher in companion planting plots”
Claim · model-written summary
Farmers rated the climate-adapted push-pull significantly superior in reducing striga infestation and stemborer damage rates.
- Treatment
- climate-adapted push–pulle0
- Second interactor
- stemborere0pest
- Outcome
- reducing striga infestation and stemborer damage ratese0
StrigaOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e2“There were highly significant reductions in striga and stemborer damage to maize plants in the climate-adapted push–pull compared to the maize monocrop plots”
e0“Farmers rated the climate-adapted push–pull significantly superior in reducing striga infestation and stemborer damage rates, and in improving soil fertility and maize grain yields”
Claim · model-written summary
Farmers rated the climate-adapted push-pull significantly superior in improving soil fertility and maize grain yields.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e2“There were highly significant reductions in striga and stemborer damage to maize plants in the climate-adapted push–pull compared to the maize monocrop plots”
e0“Farmers rated the climate-adapted push–pull significantly superior in reducing striga infestation and stemborer damage rates, and in improving soil fertility and maize grain yields”
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