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This study evaluates the unique and combined effects of three complementary ICT-based extension methods - interactive radio, mobile SMS messages and village-based video screenings - on farmers' knowledge and management of fall armyworm (FAW), an invasive pest of maize that is threatening food security in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Building on a survey of maize farmers in western Uganda and using various selection-on-observables estimators, we find consistent evidence that participation in the ICT-based extension campaigns significantly increases farmers' knowledge about FAW and stimulates the adoption of agricultural technologies and practices for the management of the pest. We also show that exposure to multiple campaign channels yields significantly higher outcomes than exposure to a single channel, with some evidence of additive effects. These results are robust to alternative estimators and also to hidden bias. Results further suggest that among the three ICT channels, radio has greater reach, video exerts a stronger impact on the outcome measures, and greater gains are achieved when video is complemented by radio. Our findings imply that complementary ICT-based extension campaigns (particularly those that allow both verbal and visual communication) hold great potential to improve farmers' knowledge and trigger behavioural changes in the identification, monitoring and sustainable management of a new invasive pest, such as FAW.

Background Fall armyworm ( Spodoptera frugiperda ; FAW), a native pest of the Americas, invaded West Africa about 7 years ago and spread rapidly across the rest of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and several countries in Asia and Oceania. Early cross-sectional studies reported that the pest causes severe damage to maize, stimulating widespread use of synthetic pesticides in smallholder farming systems. Using panel data from Ghana, this paper assessed the impact of FAW on maize productivity and the changes in the strategies adopted by smallholder farmers for the management of the pest. Methods Household data collected in two rounds (2018 and 2020) from 370 smallholder maize-growing households in Ghana were used. The dynamics of FAW infestation and the management practices applied by farmers were analysed descriptively, while panel data regression methods, such as fixed effects and correlated random effects models, were used to estimate the effect of FAW on maize productivity. Results We found evidence of reduced intensity of pesticide use, increased use of protective equipment when spraying pesticides, increased adoption of biopesticides and cultural practices for FAW management, in line with recommended integrated pest management solutions. Results from panel data regression analysis showed that after controlling for other determinants of maize productivity and unobserved heterogeneity, the negative effect of FAW infestation on maize productivity is not statistically significant. Conclusions Our findings suggest that with better knowledge of FAW and the use of more sustainable and environmentally-friendly solutions, the yield losses due to FAW are not as severe as initially reported.

In recent years, fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda, has emerged as one of the most serious invasive species in many countries across Africa, Asia and Oceania. The pest is causing extensive damage to maize production and the intensification of pesticide use. In this paper, we examined the effectiveness of three mass‐extension channels (plant health rallies, radio drama and SMS) in enhancing farmers' knowledge and management of FAW and in increasing maize productivity. Applying matching techniques to data from 720 smallholder farmers and 1077 maize plots in Eastern Rwanda, we found that exposure to the information channels is significantly associated with increased knowledge outcomes, including knowledge of the correct identification of FAW and the use of cultural practices as the first resort to pest management. Moreover, the information channels showed positive effects on the adoption of environmentally friendly management practices. Generally, the treatment effects are larger for households exposed to multiple (especially all) channels, indicating complementary effects of the channels. We also found suggestive evidence that the information channels are associated with maize yield increases ranging from 10% to 34%, depending on the channel. Overall, the results imply that multi‐channel information campaigns can be effective in enhancing farmers' knowledge on how to identify and sustainably manage the FAW pest. Our findings also suggest that while there is a growing popularity in the use of digital extension approaches to deliver timely information to farmers in a cost‐effective manner, much greater gains can be achieved if they are combined with other low‐cost face‐to‐face extension methods, such as plant health rallies. The effects of three mass‐information channels on sustainable management of fall armyworm (FAW) are studied. We find complementary effects of radio drama, SMS and plant health rallies. Information channels boost the adoption of environmentally‐friendly management practices and maize yield

Since 2016, the invasive fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda, has been one of the most rapidly spreading and highly devastating maize pests across Africa and Asia. Although several studies have estimated the effect of FAW on maize yield, little is known about its impact on broader welfare outcomes. Using data from smallholder maize‐growing households in Zimbabwe, this article aimed to measure the impact of FAW on household income and food security, as well as the extent to which the adoption of a control strategy can help mitigate the negative welfare impacts due to FAW invasion. Regression results showed that households affected by FAW were 12% more likely to experience hunger, as measured by the household hunger scale. A disaggregated analysis indicated that minor FAW infestation did not exert significant impacts on incomes and food security, but severe level of infestation reduced per capita household income by 44% and increased a household's likelihood of experiencing hunger by 17%. We also found that compared to unaffected households, the FAW‐affected households who failed to implement a control strategy had a 50% lower per capita household income, while their counterparts that implemented a control strategy did not suffer a significant income loss. These findings point to the need to promote strategies to prevent high infestation levels of FAW so as to mitigate its detrimental welfare effects. The impact of fall armyworm invasion on smallholder welfare is estimated. Farm households affected by fall armyworm are 12% more likely to experience hunger. Sustainable and safe fall armyworm control strategies are required.

Background The Fall Army Worm (FAW) radio campaign was implemented between November 2018 and April 2019 in key maize growing areas and locations with reported high severity of fall armyworm as identified by national stakeholders. We evaluated the effectiveness of radio mass extension campaign in achieving scale, and effect on farmers’ knowledge and uptake of management practices for fall armyworm (FAW). We also assessed the factors determining farmers’ participation in radio campaign, to inform future and similar campaigns. Methods Data were gathered through a household survey targeting locations where the campaign was implemented; and 250 male and 215 female farmers were surveyed. The study was conducted in four of the seven provinces where the campaign took place—Eastern, Luapula, Copperbelt and Southern provinces. Selection of the sample provinces was based on reported rainfall distribution during the season and severity of FAW infestation, radio coverage areas and maize growing intensities. Results The radio campaign reached an estimated 1.4 million farmers. Survey results show that both male and female radio listeners were significantly more aware of fall armyworm, and more likely to adopt management practices than non-radio listeners, in particular preventive measures such as frequent monitoring, intercropping and crop rotation. This means that participation in the radio-based extension campaign significantly increased farmers’ knowledge and stimulated uptake of management practices for FAW. However, the survey showed that only 49% of the respondents listened to at least one FAW radio episode. Predictors of farmer participation in radio campaign were; gender, education level, and maize farm size. Conclusions The results imply that deliberate promotion of such programs would enhance listenership and improve interactivity while at the same time integrating other extension approaches. The integration also provides opportunities for equally reaching women as men, given the observed digital divide.

Though climate events pose increasing challenges for crop and animal production in Africa, most climate adaptation studies focus on staple food crops. Few studies have examined climate adaptation for livestock with even fewer looking at small animals such as poultry. Heat stress associated with climate change is a severe challenge to poultry farmers due to its negative effect on chicken growth and productivity. As poultry plays an important food security role across Africa (being a source of livelihood and an important source of animal protein), understanding how farmers deal with the realities of poultry production due to climate change is critical. This study explores the level and determinants of the adoption of climate change adaptation strategies among poultry farmers in Nigeria. A multivariate probit analysis (which allows for the possibility that the decision to adopt various practices are jointly made) reveals that while poultry farmers are adapting to climate change, there is a clear heterogeneity of adaptation strategies at different production scales. Small farms tend to invest in traditional strategies such as the stocking of local breeds while medium and large farms adopt modern technologies such as air and water ventilation as well as the use of low energy bulbs that emit less heat. Our study finds that farmers who have experienced heat-related losses are more likely to adopt modern practices and more likely to adopt multiple adaptation strategies concurrently.

Innovation is essential for agricultural and economic development, especially in today's rapidly changing global environment. While farmers have been recognized as innovation generators, many innovation studies continue to consider them as recipients or adopters of externally promoted innovations only. Based on household data from Ghana, this study, in contrast, investigates the innovation-generating behavior among rural farmers. Inspired by two innovation theories—induced innovation and innovation systems—we specifically focus on how to build the capacity of farmers to generate innovations. Controlling for selection bias, we show that participation in farmer field fora (FFF), a participatory extension approach, can play a positive role in strengthening farmers' innovation-generating capacity. Specifically, we show that FFF participants have about 27% higher probability of generating innovations than non-participants, and FFF participation appears to increase the number of innovation-generating practices implemented by a farm household by about 49%. However, we do not find significant spillover effects of FFF on the innovation-generating capacity of non-participants, which has implications for the cost-effectiveness of the FFF program. The results also indicate that education and risk preference are important drivers of farmers' innovations. We conclude that policies for the generation of innovations among farmers should focus on building innovation capacity through institutional arrangements that permit interactions and learning between stakeholders.

In this paper, we contribute to recent attempts to operationalize the measurement of climate resilience by measuring household resilience to climate shocks and by assessing the role of farmer innovations in enhancing climate resilience. Adapting the Food and Agriculture Organization’s resilience tool, we develop a household resilience index using survey data from rural farm households in northern Ghana. The index consists of six components and 23 indicators and was constructed using two indicator-weighting approaches. The proposed resilience index is a simple tool that can be used to quantitatively assess the resilience of households to the incidence of climate shocks and to monitor interventions aimed at building rural household resilience to unpredictable shocks. The results indicate that farm households in the study region are weakly resilient to climate shocks. We also show that farmers go beyond adoption of externally driven technologies to develop their very own innovations, and these innovations contribute significantly to enhancing household resilience to climate shocks. Using propensity score matching method, we found that farmer innovators are about 6% more resilient to climate shocks than non-innovators. This result is robust to alternative weighting approaches and matching algorithms, and also to hidden bias. The paper concludes that policy efforts aiming at enhancing farm households’ resilience to climate shocks should consider providing support for farmers’ innovations.

This article investigates the short-term effects of an information intervention that provided early warning pest alerts and integrated pest management (IPM)-based advice to smallholder farmers. Specifically, this study focuses on fall armyworm ( Spodoptera frugiperda ) of maize in Ghana. We particularly examine the relationships between access to pest risk information and a number of outcomes, ranging from farmer’s knowledge to household food security. This study is based on survey data collected between December 2021 and January 2022 from 888 farm households operating 1305 maize fields. Results from doubly robust and switching regression models indicated that exposure to the pest risk information campaign was significantly ( ρ  <  0.05) associated with increases in the likelihood of optimal timing of fall armyworm control action and the adoption of multiple IPM practices, but it had no significant effect on pesticide use. Households who received the pest risk information obtained an average of 4% or 54 kg/ha (ρ < 0.01) gain in maize yield and were about 38% less likely (ρ < 0.01) than their non-recipient counterparts to report experiencing hunger, as measured by the household hunger scale. However, the pest risk information campaign was not associated with greater household dietary diversity. Further results indicated that households where the pest risk information was received by women, alone or together with their spouses, were more likely ( ρ  <  0.05) to achieve positive outcomes than if the recipient of information were male member of households. Overall, our findings imply that the dissemination of early warning pest alerts in combination with actionable IPM information to smallholder farmers can contribute to the adoption of sustainable crop protection technologies, and ultimately improve the standard of living of farm households.