Studies on farmers᾽ indigenous technical knowledge and bio-ecology of mango stone weevil - Sternochetus mangiferae Fab. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Ghana
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Date
2014-07-20
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Abstract
Studies were conducted on mango farmers‟ indigenous technical knowledge about
the mango stone weevil (Sternochetus mangiferae L.) and the impact this knowledge
have on the management of the weevil. Laboratory studies were also carried out on
the bio-ecology of the weevil. For farmers' indigenous technical knowledge, the
country was divided into three zones (Southern, Middle and Northern Zones) and
structural questionnaire was administered to a total of 125 farmers chosen at rand om.
Fruits were also collected from each zone and dissected to ascertain the levels of
infestation. The results showed that awareness about pests among mango farmers
was high (96.0%). About 34.4% and 35.2% of the respondents indicated the mango
stone weevil and fruit flies, respectively , were the most important insect pests of the
crop in Ghana. Only 40.8% of the respondents have adopted the use of garlic extract,
pepper, neem seed extract, local soap (alata samina), wood ash and cow dung as part
of the indigenous, non-synthetic materials for the management of insect pests on the
crop. On the infestation of the mango fruits by the weevils, 15.6% , 38.1% and
46.1%, were recorded on mango collected from the Northern, Middle and Southern
zones respectively. From bio-ecological studies, it was found that fresh mango
flowers are the most attractive part to mango stone weevils ( S. mangiferae). The
study also revealed that black colour significantly (P < 0.05) attracts more weevils
than the other colours. This has shown that visual stimuli such as shape and colour
have an effect on the habitat behaviour of the weevil
Description
A thesis submitted to the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, Faculty of
Agriculture, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Techno logy, Kumasi, in
partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Philosophy
in
Crop Protection (Entomology), 2014