Abstract

Deratu C. Senait and Ephraim F. Dinaw

A community based cross-sectional survey was conducted to assess knowledge, attitude and practice of farmers about rodent pest control in two districts: Sekoru (Jimma Zone) and Gechi (Illubabor Zone) of Oromia National Regional State, southwest Ethiopia. Structured questionnaire was used to collect information and 480 randomly selected farmers (240 farmers from each district) were involved in the study. Farmers in the two districts rated rodents as very important pests followed by nematodes. A significant number of farmers reported the regular occurrence of rodent pest outbreak. Among crops grown in the two districts, farmers listed maize (Zea mays) the crop most susceptible to rodent depredation followed by barley (Hordeum vulgare) and wheat (Triticum species). Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) was the crop least susceptible to the rodent attack. Farmers in the two districts perform rodent control activities during ripening stage and after harvest and most of them use only one kind of rodent pest control method. Most farmers believe that rodent pests can be controlled and rodent pest control is important. Majority of the farmers reported that rodent pests can significantly reduce crop yield and rodent pests can be effectively controlled if farmers work together with other farmers. Most of them also believe that rodent pest should be controlled at all stages of crop growth and after harvest. Rodent pest control all growth stages of crops, use of more than one control method, cooperative work in rodent control and further ecological study on the rodent pests were recommended.