Incidence of arthropod pests and diseases of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) in northern Ghana
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Citation
Paul Tanzubil. (30/11/2016). Incidence of arthropod pests and diseases of groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L. ) in northern Ghana. Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies, 4 (4), pp. 29-32.
Abstract
Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is the most popular grain legume crop in Ghana in terms of cultivated
area and utilization. Though the bulk of the crop is produced in the Northern Guinea and Sudan savanna
zones of the Country yields are marginally low, owing to a variety of abiotic and biotic constraints.
Systematic studies on the pest and disease profile of the crop in the area remain scanty, even though
preliminary observations suggest that these probably cause appreciable damage to the crop annually. The
studies described in this paper were therefore conducted to identify the key pests and diseases associated
with the crop, damage caused as well as control measures usually adopted by farmers. Combinations of
farmer interviews and direct field sampling were carried out between 2014 and 2015 in five districts viz;
Tolon, Savelugu, West Mamprusi in the Guinea savannah as well as in Bongo and Builsa North in the
Sudan Savannah. Most farmers (80%) were able to mention and/or describe the key field pests and
diseases often associated with groundnuts in Ghana, with termites, millipedes, white grubs and virus
diseases being most frequently mentioned. Inspite of this knowledge, as many as 64% of farmers took no
measures to control pests and diseases on their farms. Sampling of farms in the areas largely confirmed
the farmer perceptions and responses in terms of the key members of the pest complex. Though many of
the observed pests and diseases (especially the foliar ones) proliferated in most farms sampled, the
relative abundance scores (RAS) showed that their incidence and damage were generally low or
moderate. Termites, millipedes and rosette were the exception with RAS of over 3.0 on the 1 – 5 scale
used, suggesting that these could be of economic importance. These preliminary findings call for more
detailed studies to determine the relative importance of the various pests and diseases in groundnut
production and to develop and/or disseminate innovations for controlling the economically-damaging
ones.
