Arthropods Associated with Stored Maize and Farmers' Management Practices in the Bako Area, Western Ethiopia

Abstract

Surveys conducted to assess arthropods on farm-stored maize revealed 24 species of Coleoptera, three Lepidoptera, oneDiptera, one Thysanura, sixHymenopteraandtwo Pseudoscorpionida to be associated with the crop in the Bako area. Among those, the weevils Sitophitus spp, the Angoumois grain moth Sitotroga cerealella (Olivier), the flour beetles TriboUum spp and the sap beetles Carpophilus spp accounted for about 79, 11, 5 and 1 percent, respectively, of all arthropods counted. Other species that occurred commonly included Cryptolestes spp, the tropical warehouse moth Ephestia cautella (Walker) and the Indian meal moth Plodia interpunctella (Hubner). Average crop loss in storage in the Bako area was estimated at about 16%. Seventy five percent of farmers responded that weevil infestation starts in the field up to more than two months before harvest. Over 45 % of the farmers responded that improved maize varieteis that are with large but poorly covered cobs were most attacked. In the Bako area farmers store maize as shelled, undehusked, dehusked or combinations of these in different traditional storage containers such as gorbo, gotera and gumbi. Jute or hessian sacks, clay jars, gourds, wooden boxes, suspending cobs under the eve of the roof or in trees, or in smoke over fire were also used with small quantity of maize. Fanners reported several traditional insect pest control methods, although most of
those were not actually practiced. They showed a tendency towards depending on pesticides.