Cheap methods to control pests in maize

NAIROBI: Controlling pests in maize at the growing stage is an important measure in reducing damage, which leads to loss in the overall yield at harvest.

Some common pests in maize at early stages of growth include stem borers, aphids, chaffer grubs, bollworms, thrips and beetles.

Instead of buying chemicals to control these pests, farmers can make their own pesticides at home using pepper and ash.

Scientists have discovered that a mixture of ash and pepper is more effective than the costly chemicals.

Farmers can buy pepper powder in the market if they do not grow it in their gardens.

How to make an ash-pepper mixture

• Buy ripe pepper or pick ripe ones from your garden.

• Dry the pepper and make a powder by either grinding or pounding, then remove the big particles.

• Sieve cold wood ash from the fireplace.

• Get one gorogoro (2kg tin) of ash from the fireplace.

• Mix one gorogoro of ash with 5 teaspoonfuls of pepper powder.

• Mix the pepper and ash properly.

• Put the mixture in a used pesticide container that has small holes at the top.

• Apply the mixture from the container by shaking it once into each plant funnel.

If you do not have an insecticide container you can use your hands to apply.

A pinch of the mixture applied to every plant is enough – but remember to wash your hands after application.

When to apply

For good pest control with pepper and ash mixture follow the following guidelines:

• Plant early at least two weeks before onset of the rains.

• Look for pest damage every three days, starting from the second week after plants emerge in the lower drier areas, and three to four weeks in medium and high altitude areas like Trans-Nzoia and Uasin Gishu.

• Apply the mixture after you see a few holes on the leaves.

• If you see more holes later, apply the mixture again.

THE PULL-PUSH TECHNOLOGY

Farmers have another useful method for stalk borer (stem borer) control; it is called the Push- Pull method.

Push- Pull is a simple natural method that uses desmodium and Napier grass to control stalk borer in a maize field.

In this method, desmodium, leguminous herb is planted between maize rows and Napier grass is planted around the maize field.

The stalk borer does not like the smell of desmodium, so when it is planted between maize rows, the stalk borer move from the maize to the Napier grass which has an attractive smell (the pull effect) along the hedges of the maize field.

The stalk borer hatches its eggs (larvae) in the Napier grass stems but the grass produces a sticky glue-like substance, which traps the stalk borer making it difficult for it to move back to the maize — so it dies in this way reducing their numbers and ability to move out and re-infest the maize.

The farmer using this method has the advantage of using desmodium, which is rich in proteins and Napier grass to feed their livestock.

The Pull-Pull method can control pest infestation by 25 to 30 per cent.

The Pull- Pull technology is promoted by International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE).

The writer is the editor of ‘Organic Farmer’ published by International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE)