This study quantified crop losses and economic impacts associated with papaya mealybug (Paracoccus marginatus) infestation in Kenya and identified the most important predictors of papaya tree (Carica papaya L.) yield losses through a household survey of 404 farmers. At least 95% male and 88% female ...

Parthenium, Parthenium hysterophorus L. poses a serious environmental and socioeconomic threat in Pakistan. It was identified as a priority for control in Pakistan and an integrated control programme has been launched against this invasive weed. In 2009 the biological control agent, Zygogramma...

Background: Invasive species affect the social, economic and health aspects of many farmers and are known to cause major losses with considerable costs spent on management. Several international agreements recognise the threat caused by invasive species which signatories have an obligation to...

Background: The Fall Army Worm (FAW) radio campaign was implemented between November 2018 and April 2019 in key maize growing areas and locations with reported high severity of fall armyworm as identified by national stakeholders. We evaluated the effectiveness of radio mass extension campaign in...

The invasive pest, fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda J.E. Smith), was confirmed as being present in Ghana in 2016. By 2017, research studies estimated that maize yield losses in Africa due to fall armyworm would range between 8.3 and 20.6 million tonnes per year if management measures were not...

Background: Although Kenya has a relatively high number of registered biopesticide products, little is known about biopesticide use by smallholders. This paper documents farmers' current use and perception of chemical pesticides and biopesticides, their willingness to pay for biopesticides, and the ...

Since its emergence in Africa in 2016, fall armyworm (FAW) has spread rapidly and poses a severe threat to the food security and livelihood of millions of smallholder farmers in the continent. Using survey data from Ghana and Zambia, we examined FAW prevention and control methods implemented by...

Fall armyworm (FAW) is a new invasive pest that is causing devastating effects on maize production and threatening the livelihoods of millions of poor smallholders across sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Using unique survey data from 2356 maize-growing households in Ghana, Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia and...

The rapid spread of the invasive crop pest, the fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), across Africa in recent years has attracted considerable interest, especially the effect on maize farmers. The purpose of this study is to understand and assess the economic costs of the fall armyworm invasion in ...