Farmers’ Perceptions of Rodents’ Damage and Management Practices in Wenchi Highlands, Central Ethiopia
Local perceptions about rodents and the damage they cause and management practices are the first step to design and implement rodent control programs. A study was conducted to obtain information about the perceptions and practices of farmers in Wenchi highlands on rodent damage and their management...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2023-01-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Zoology |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2023/6683791 |
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| author | Kabeta Legese Afework Bekele |
| author_facet | Kabeta Legese Afework Bekele |
| author_sort | Kabeta Legese |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Local perceptions about rodents and the damage they cause and management practices are the first step to design and implement rodent control programs. A study was conducted to obtain information about the perceptions and practices of farmers in Wenchi highlands on rodent damage and their management practices in the late-2020 and early 2021. Farmers (n = 383) from four highland villages of Wenchi district were randomly selected and interviewed using a semistructured questionnaire. Rodents were identified as major pests and perceived negatively among farmers. Arvicanthis abyssinicus (Rüppell), Mastomys natalensis (Smith), Mastomys awashensis (Lavrenchenko, Likhnova & Baskevich), Hystrix cristata L., and Tachyoryctes splendens (Rüppell) were the potential rodent pest species in the study area. There were significant variations in the type of damage (χ2 = 112.698, df = 3, P<0.05) and crop type susceptibility to rodent pest attack (χ2 = 143.26, df = 3, P<0.05). Crop damage (38.7%) and damage to human properties (27.9%) were the two dominant rodent-related problems in the area. Barley was the most susceptible crop to rodent attack (57.5%). The occurrence frequency of rodent pests and crop damage between the cropping stages also varied significantly. Most damage to barley crops (42.5%) occurred during the maturation stage. Farmers assessed rodent damage by observing damaged seeds, damaged stores, and rodent droppings in the storage and stem cuts of standing crops in the crop fields. The farmers stated that managing rodents in barley crop fields is practically impossible. In storage, farmers mainly use cats (53.73%) and trapping (22.64%) to control rodents. Detailed on-field rodent damage assessment and community education for rodent management are recommended. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ca06860d94f64002a02869c618ddf06d |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1687-8485 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
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| series | International Journal of Zoology |
| spelling | doaj-art-ca06860d94f64002a02869c618ddf06d2025-08-20T02:19:37ZengWileyInternational Journal of Zoology1687-84852023-01-01202310.1155/2023/6683791Farmers’ Perceptions of Rodents’ Damage and Management Practices in Wenchi Highlands, Central EthiopiaKabeta Legese0Afework Bekele1Department of BiologyDepartment of Zoological SciencesLocal perceptions about rodents and the damage they cause and management practices are the first step to design and implement rodent control programs. A study was conducted to obtain information about the perceptions and practices of farmers in Wenchi highlands on rodent damage and their management practices in the late-2020 and early 2021. Farmers (n = 383) from four highland villages of Wenchi district were randomly selected and interviewed using a semistructured questionnaire. Rodents were identified as major pests and perceived negatively among farmers. Arvicanthis abyssinicus (Rüppell), Mastomys natalensis (Smith), Mastomys awashensis (Lavrenchenko, Likhnova & Baskevich), Hystrix cristata L., and Tachyoryctes splendens (Rüppell) were the potential rodent pest species in the study area. There were significant variations in the type of damage (χ2 = 112.698, df = 3, P<0.05) and crop type susceptibility to rodent pest attack (χ2 = 143.26, df = 3, P<0.05). Crop damage (38.7%) and damage to human properties (27.9%) were the two dominant rodent-related problems in the area. Barley was the most susceptible crop to rodent attack (57.5%). The occurrence frequency of rodent pests and crop damage between the cropping stages also varied significantly. Most damage to barley crops (42.5%) occurred during the maturation stage. Farmers assessed rodent damage by observing damaged seeds, damaged stores, and rodent droppings in the storage and stem cuts of standing crops in the crop fields. The farmers stated that managing rodents in barley crop fields is practically impossible. In storage, farmers mainly use cats (53.73%) and trapping (22.64%) to control rodents. Detailed on-field rodent damage assessment and community education for rodent management are recommended.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2023/6683791 |
| spellingShingle | Kabeta Legese Afework Bekele Farmers’ Perceptions of Rodents’ Damage and Management Practices in Wenchi Highlands, Central Ethiopia International Journal of Zoology |
| title | Farmers’ Perceptions of Rodents’ Damage and Management Practices in Wenchi Highlands, Central Ethiopia |
| title_full | Farmers’ Perceptions of Rodents’ Damage and Management Practices in Wenchi Highlands, Central Ethiopia |
| title_fullStr | Farmers’ Perceptions of Rodents’ Damage and Management Practices in Wenchi Highlands, Central Ethiopia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Farmers’ Perceptions of Rodents’ Damage and Management Practices in Wenchi Highlands, Central Ethiopia |
| title_short | Farmers’ Perceptions of Rodents’ Damage and Management Practices in Wenchi Highlands, Central Ethiopia |
| title_sort | farmers perceptions of rodents damage and management practices in wenchi highlands central ethiopia |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2023/6683791 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kabetalegese farmersperceptionsofrodentsdamageandmanagementpracticesinwenchihighlandscentralethiopia AT afeworkbekele farmersperceptionsofrodentsdamageandmanagementpracticesinwenchihighlandscentralethiopia |