Pests and diseases of crops in communal areas of Zimbabwe
This report is the first national survey of pests and diseases in communal areas of Zimbabwe, conducted during the 1984/85 growing season
Abstract
This is a technical report on the first national survey of pests and diseases in communal areas of Zimbabwe. It was conducted by crop protectionists from the Plant Protection Research Institute in the Department of Research and Specialist Services, Harare, during the 1984/85 growing season.
Food and cash crops were sampled in farmers’ fields in 33 different communal areas, selected on the basis of soil type, altitude and crop diversity. The most widespread maize pests were the lesion nematode (Pratylenchus zeae and P. brachyurus) maize streak virus and stalk-borers (Busseola fusca and Chilo partellus), while the most devastating pest was the armoured cricket (Acanthoplus spp,). Other crops sampled included cotton, groundnut, finger millet, pearl millet, sorghum, sunflower, tomato and tobacco. Appropriate chemical and non-chemical control methods are recommended.
This work was supported by Agritex field staff, the Commonwealth Institute of Parasitology (St. Albans, UK) and the British High Commission in Harare and funded by the UK Overseas Development Administration.
Citation
Page, S.L.J., Mguni, CM., and Sithole, S.Z. Pests and diseases of crops in communal areas of Zimbabwe. Overseas Development Administration Technical report (1985) 203p