Termite Infestation on Farmlands at Ugoniyekorhionmwon Community, Edo State, Nigeria: A Farmers’ Perception

摘要

Termite infestation is a major feature of the landscape of farmlands in Ugoniyekorhionmwon community of Edo state. This was carried out from January, 2013 to December, 2014 and study is aimed at evaluating the farmers' perception of the effect, extent of damage as well as to the control measures employed by the farmers in the area. Structured questionnaires were administered on farmers, using random sampling technique and the responses were analyzed with descriptive statistical method. The major occupation of the area was agriculture. Cultivation was for both sale and consumption. The farming system was a low input and low output, because individual farmlands were relatively small. Various species of termites were identified in the area, some of which included; Macrotermes bellicosus, Odontermes sp., Coptotermes curvignathus, Nasutetermes arboreum, Amitermes evuncifer, and Microtermes sp. The major constraint caused by termite infestation in the area was the presence of numerous mounds of Macrotermes bellicosus on the farmlands which took up large arable land area which would have been used for cultivation. Termites also affected crops and other materials such as wood, paper and household furniture. The control measures adopted by farmers whose farmlands had large numbers of mounds included chemical (Such as Deildres, Appron plus and Furadam) and non-chemical (such as physical removal of queen, human excreta and smoke) methods.