In the smallholder farming areas located in semi-arid regions of Zimbabwe, low and unreliable rainfall distribution and poor soil fertility are the major factors limiting crop production. The negative effects of these biophysical factors have been wo...

The constant use of pesticides on farmlands is a source of food poison and potential cause of disease to humans in most parts of Africa. The lack of in-depth knowledge on the choices of use of the pesticides and their applications by most farmers in...

Soil acidity and low soil fertility due to nutrient leaching coupled with low inorganic fertilizer usage is a major cause of low crop yields across Southwest Ethiopia. Recently, biochar potential to improve soil fertility has gained significant atten...

In recent years, fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda, has emerged as one of the most serious invasive species in many countries across Africa, Asia and Oceania. The pest is causing extensive damage to maize production and the intensification o...

Farmer perceptions are highly important in influencing on-farm pest management decision-making. Biological control is extremely sustainable in the smallholder production context, but in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) few attempts using this pest control me...

A core activity of the PlantwisePlus programme in Ghana involves working to raise awareness around gender-related inequity and related issues within the country’s agricultural sector. To evaluate the indicators of change that have resulted from w...

The adoption of safe food production standards and the related certification systems by farmers play a crucial role in safeguarding public health, environmental integrity, and meeting regulatory requirements. Production standards consist of a system...

The invasive pest papaya mealybug (PMB) (Paracoccus marginatus) results in high yield losses and increased production costs for smallholder farmers. In Kenya, PMB was first recorded in Mombasa in 2016 and has since spread to become a serious pest...

Input subsidy programmes (ISPs) remain a popular but contentious policy tool to promote agricultural intensification, food security and poverty reduction across Africa. Although previous studies have explored the impact of ISPs on various smallholder...

Spodoptera frugiperda is an exotic Lepidoptera that causes enormous damage to cereal crops worldwide. The study was conducted at a research station in western Burkina Faso during two consecutive rainy seasons in 2020 and 2021. The objective of this w...

The push towards commercialization is driven by the modernization paradigm which argues that traditional subsistence farming is backward and primitive. Despite commercialization having the potential to enhance people’s livelihoods, it can also bring...

Membership in farmers’ group (FGs) is an important social aspect of agricultural development. Little is known about the relative importance and benefits from participation in FGs in Uganda, specifically for pigeon pea smallholders in northern Uganda.