Feb 26, 2015 - sources as compared to those in Busoga region where. Jinja district is located (Thuo et al., 2014). The existence of a known hotspot for rosette ...
Vol. 10(9), pp. 995-1003, 26 February, 2015 DOI: 10.5897/AJAR2014.9171 Article Number: 677BB4451068 ISSN 1991-637X Copyright ©2015 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article http://www.academicjournals.org/AJAR
African Journal of Agricultural Research
Full Length Research Paper
Assessing the effect of farmers’ practices on the severity of groundnut rosette virus disease in Uganda Mugisa I. O.1*, Karungi J.2, Akello B.3, Ochwo-Ssemakula M. K. N.2, Biruma M.3, Okello D. K.3 and Otim G.3 1
Mukono Zonal Agricultural Research and Development Institute, P. O. Box. 164 Mukono, Uganda. College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Makerere University, P. O. Box 7062 Kampala, Uganda. 3 National Semi-Arid Resources Research Institute, P. O. Box Soroti, Uganda.
2
Received 24 September, 2014; Accepted 10 February, 2015
Groundnut rosette virus disease is the most destructive disease of groundnut in Sub-Saharan Africa, Uganda inclusive. Over the past years, a wide range of management options for this disease have been developed and recommended for farmers in Uganda. Relevant efforts have also been made by researchers in disseminating improved technologies to farmers in several parts of the country. However, questions on the extent to which farmers are currently utilizing these technologies and their effectiveness in controlling the disease in their fields remain unanswered. This study aimed at assessing the effect of farmers’ practices on the severity patterns of groundnut rosette virus disease in Uganda. A survey was conducted within five agro-ecological zones in Uganda to obtain information on the various practices farmers employ in the management of the crop and disease in their fields using a structured questionnaire. Disease severity was scored in each farmer’s field. Farmers were found to be employing a range of practices in groundnut production, including: early sowing, intercropping, use of improved groundnut genotypes, crop rotation; and uprooting and burning diseased plants among others. However, only two management practices: early sowing and use of improved varieties were found to significantly (P
