Abstract:
To reduce insect incidence on maize crops and increase farmers' yields and returns, "an integrated pest management (IPM)" method emphasizes the use of non-chemical inputs and the judicious use of chemical inputs in production. Pest management strategies have been studied, but there is little research on implantation strategies for pest management in maize crops in Uganda. There is a general lack of understanding of how technologies are implemented and used in farming systems. The major goal of this study is to evaluate the implementation strategies for integrated pest management in maize crops in Uganda. This study was guided by the specific objectives, namely; examining the philosophy of integrated pest management, assessing the strategies for integrated pest management among maize farmers in Uganda and identifying the pest management practices for lepidopteran maize stemborers in maize fields. Chemical, biological, host plant resistance, semiochemicals, and cultural control approaches such as crop rotation, intercropping, and planting date manipulation are the most frequently employed management options. The study concluded that there is a need for long-term stemborer management, especially given that the vast majority of Ugandan farmers are smallholders with limited resources. The study recommends that systematic destruction of maize residues must be avoided, mostly in areas with reduced wild habitat in order to preserve natural enemies for biological control.
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