Motorise extension workers: Made
THERE is need to motorise agriculture extension workers across the country to enable them to effectively disseminate agronomic information and help farmers scout and control pests, insects or diseases affecting their crops and livestock.
Agriculture Minister, Dr Joseph Made, this week made the call when he said timeous dissemination of quality agronomic advice was key to farming success.
Dr Made decried the fact that key departments in his ministry were failing to meet or exceed expectations of farmers as their visibility on the ground was being compromised by mobility challenges.
Dr Made argued that if all things were equal all extension workers should be on the ground with farmers on a daily basis.
He also blamed the late detection of the fall armyworm on mobility challenges as it was the duty of extension workers to help farmers scout for pests, insects and diseases in the fields or on livestock.
“What is critical is mobility of extension workers. I am not only referring to the mobility of Agritex officers, but also extension workers from mechanisation, livestock, or anyone providing information to the farmer, be it from Government, Non Governmental Organisations or private companies. That should be our main focus to ensure that they are on the ground with the farmers.
“We are grappling with the fall armyworm and armyworm, and extension workers who should be out in the fields helping farmers to scout their fields are in the offices. We cannot wait for extension workers to have meetings, but they should be with the farmers to help scout for pests or insects at an early stage so that we can spray them when it is still effective. Extension workers must be on the ground and this calls for the pri- oritisation and enhancement of their mobility,” said Dr Made.
Extension workers walk for very long distances as their vehicles and motor cycles are grounded and in some cases rely on transport offered by framers.
This has contributed to the nation’s failure to effectively combat the fall armyworm as the pest is detected at a stage when it would be difficult to control.
Fall armyworm can be eradicated at an early growth stage.
The fall armyworm – little green and brown caterpillars – are notorious for ravaging the maize crop and if left to multiply – can wipe the entire crop before marching to the next available source of food.
Fall armyworms are mistaken for the famous stalk borer.
The fall armyworm is a chronic pest that feeds on a variety of well-fertil- ised crops such as maize, pearl millet, sorghum and pastures and initially farmers applied the wrong chemicals, which failed to combat the worms that continued to multiply and defoliate crops.
The fall armyworm eats from the ground and cause severe leaf damage. Their droppings (nhoko) are muddy. When they attack crops, the leaves are reduced to a lace, and this can lead to deterioration in yields as the leaf surface area of the crop is reduced.
Leaves are the primary way plants interact with the atmosphere and take care of their basic needs. They enable photosynthesis – the process by which leaves absorb light and carbon dioxide to produce carbohydrate (food) for plants to grow – to occur.
The leaf is to absorb light and carbon dioxide to produce carbohydrates and the rate of photosynthesis is higher in plants with larger surface area as it allows for more plant pigments to absorb light energy, enabling a more productive photo-system stage in photosynthesis.
If the leaf surface area is reduced, the plant’s capacity to manufacture food is also reduced, leading to a decline in yield.
The surface area of the leaf determines the final potential yield of a plant and the more the fall armyworm damages the leaves, the more the potential yield is reduced. The other danger posed by the fall armyworm is that if it is not controlled on time, it can also destroy tussles, leaving no pollen grains to pollinate the plant.
Acting Agritex Provincial Officer, Mrs Phillipa Rwambiwa, said control measures had so far failed to tame the pest as farmers are discovering it at a growth stage when it could no longer be controlled.
“Keeping a close eye on one’s crop is the key to early detection. Scouting is very important. If detected early, spot treatment is the management measure recommended to prevent a widespread infestation and reduce injury to the crop,” said Mrs Rwambiwa.
Fall armyworms are green, brown or black, with a distinct white line between the eyes that forms an inverted a Y pattern on the face. They are very small at first, causing little crop damage and as a result infestations often go unnoticed.
Given their immense appetite, great numbers and marching ability, the worms can damage entire fields or pastures in a few days.