Multidisciplinary approach to pest management and the African farmer

Ecological consideration indicate that traditional agroecosystems involving mixed cropping and genetic diversity among crop species are relatively more stable than modern agroecosystems. Modern food production technologies involving more uniform crops over wide areas, use of more costly inputs and associated pest problems are ecologically less stable. With population pressure, greater pressures on the land and shortening of periods of natural recycling of nutrients reduced yields and loss of soil fertility occur. This calls for introduction of modern, farming techniques of the 'green revolution' type. Yet the experience of developed countries in about three decades of over-reliance on chemical pesticides, the development of resistance in target species, and environmental hazard of pesticides require caution in development of pest management control programs. What is needed is a program of integrated control or effective pest management as part of an overall natural resource management. This necessitates greater cooperation and interaction among scientists in various disciplines in the study of the environment, tropical a9roeGosystems, and development of a range of compatible pest control methods within the means of the farmer, economically and technologically acceptable, and adapted to various agro-ecosystems. All these require (i) changes in biological education and training, (ii) better communication among scientists and the public, and (iii) provision of better advisory services to government policy am regulatory agencies

A Study on Cultivation of Indigenous Mushrooms in South Eastern Nigeria

Studies were carried out to investigate cultivation of some indigenous edible mushrooms in Anambra State. The most suitable substrates for cultivation of Pleurotus tuberregium and Volvariella volvacea were also investigated. Spawn of V. volvacea was obtained from the Department of Life Science, University of Benin, Edo State and sclerotia of P. Tuberregium purchased from Eke Awka Market, Anambra State were used for this study. Plantain leaves and oil palm bunch wastes were substrates employed for V. volvacea whereas topsoil was used for P. tuberregium cultivation. The methods used were site preparation, substrate preparation, soil preparation, sclerotia preparation, cultivation of sclerotia, irrigation, spawn cultivation and harvesting of mushrooms. Means were analyzed statistically using (ANOVA) to test for significance. Means were separated using Duncan’s Multiple Range Tests (DMRT).The highest number of fruit bodies of V. volvacea, 312.68 was obtained from plantain leaves on day 2 after primordial emergence whereas the least, 21.00 was recorded from oil palm bunch wastes on days 6 and 14, respectively. The highest number of P. tuberregium, 61.58 was recorded on day 12 after primordial emergence while the least, 20.49 was recorded on days 7, 13 and 14, respectively. All the three substrates utilized for cultivation of mushrooms in this study supported their growth and development. Plantain leaves supported fast colonization and produced high yield fruit bodies of V. volvacea. The ability to use agricultural wastes for cultivation of mushrooms will boost food production for ever increasing population