Small scale farmers’ knowledge and perceptions of maize insect pests and their management in highveld and middleveld regions of Swaziland

Farmers’ perception of insect pests and effectiveness of their management tactics are crucial in improving yields of maize. Surveys were conducted in the small scale maize farmers in Highveld and Middleveld regions of Swaziland to gain insights into farmers’ perceptions of maize pests and pest management practices. Interviews administered to 61 small scale farmers revealed households’ age, educational background and years of experience in maize farming affects farmer’s perception and pest management practices. The size of the farm owned by a household, household head’s gender and family size had negligible and uneven effect on perception and on adoption of insect pest management practices. Importance of information on farmers’ perceptions and the need for agricultural extension services to develop control strategies that meet farmers aspirations is discussed and priority areas for future research are identified.