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S1 Text: Interview transcript excerpts
CZ 01
Which pests do you encounter on your farm? We first encounter aphids when it is hot. These days the pesticides are so different. Dimethoate, or Rogor is no longer effective in killing pests. It no longer has power. In the past we used Shahsa , you see! 'Onkoll' and it was very effective in killing aphids. What other pests do you encounter? Worms; The red ones, and the other ones! They eat our cotton. Are there any other pests? I would say these are the ones, when it comes to those pests that eat our cotton. But, you know, cotton also needs fertiliser. What is the name of the weed that is most problematic for you? There is 'chinzungu' , that one is very difficult. Even when we spray it with pesticides, it does not die easily. Is there a particular pest which you would say has been most problematic pest in the past 30 years? It's the Redboll worm because it can easily multiply; it lays plenty of eggs. If it enters the boll, the moment it leaves be assured that it has laid its eggs within that boll. Would you say there have been any changes in the past three decades in terms of the population of pests? In the past we used to grow a lot of cotton. Well, i would say our harvest has dramatically been reduced. What is causing that reduction in your harvest? I believe it is because they are giving us pesticides which do not have power. I might be able to grow cotton on a very big piece of land spraying very well, but the problem is that the worms are not dying. Have there been any changes in pest types in the past thirty years? There are certain flying insects that have a very foul smell. They are also found in tomatoes sometimes. What colour are they? They are blue. They fly. If they pee on your white cotton you will not get a good grade. So, are you saying these pests were not seen in the past, but you now see them often these days? Yes, in the past this type was not there. Are there any other concerns as far as pests are concerned? Yes, the issue is only about spraying these pests, because our cotton will have already turned white, so our task will be to spray them so that they do not affect the grade of our cotton. And the weed that you referred to, chinzungu , did you have problems with it in the past? No, we didn't have any serious problems with it; it's really just a recent problem. How do you control the weeds? The only way to deal with it is to weed it using hoes. Do you not use any pesticides against it? No, even if you use any herbicides against chinzungu , it will not die. It's very difficult to control. Are there any other crops which you grow other than cotton? Yes, I also grow maize, mhunga and mashava. Do you use any pesticides on these crops? No! We only use fertilisers. But, in mhunga we do not use any fertiliser. Has the acreage of cotton changed over the years relative that of the other crops? In the past we used to dedicate much of the land and resources to cotton. But, nowadays we are growing less cotton and expanding the acreage of the other crops, maize, mhunga, mashava and even ground nuts. Which pesticides do you use in cotton?
I use Fernkill, Dimethoate, also known as Rogor, and then Carbaryl-85, Thiodan is no longer being used these days. We used to use that powdered Thiodan in the past. Why is Thiodan no longer in use? I really do not know. And, what do you use against weeds? There is a new type of herbicide, whose name i do not recall. Do you often change pesticides in different seasons, or you use the same pesticides season after season? Well, cotton pesticides never change, no matter what. If they decide to change the type of pesticides where we buy them, we will just know that this type is Gukurahundi , and then that one is Carbaryl - 85, and this is the one to use first, and so forth and so forth. So, they normally do not change your pesticides, is that what you are saying? Yes, they just continue to give the same pesticide, for example Thiodan is no longer being sold, so we now know that there is the Fernkill. What do you do with left-over pesticides at the end of the season? I always examine the expiry date of the pesticides. If it has expired, i always throw away. But if it's not yet expired i keep it for use the next season, knowing that it's not yet expired. Would you say these recent years you are now using more or less pesticides compared to three decades ago? No, we are using plenty of pesticides. What might be the reasons for using such a lot of pesticides? It’s the fault of us farmers. There are some things that we are not doing right. For example, some grow cotton, say this season, and after harvesting they do not destroy the cotton stalks. Others leave the stalks standing in the fields and they say they are keeping them to re-grow. The problem with these re-growths is that those farmers with these start their season with applying gukurahundi, while I, in my adjacent farm start with dimethoate. So, the problem is that i may end up having to use plenty of pesticides because the adjacent farmer did not destroy the stalks and then i will start to encounter a lot of pests. That's a serious problem that we are having in farming. Farmers are not destroying their cotton stalks. Are you finding the pesticides which you are currently using sufficient to kill the pests which you encounter on your farm? Well, they tell us to use a single bottle of pesticides on one hectare. They give us very little pesticides. We are not getting enough pesticides from the cotton companies where we have contracts. So, we end up buying extra bottles of pesticides. If i just relax and rely on the pesticides that i receive from the cotton companies i will lose everything. Other than pesticides, do you use any other methods of integrated pest management? No, i solely rely on pesticides and nothing else. Have you ever had any training on IPM? No, never Thank You for your participation CZ 02 Q: Which pesticides are commonly found on your farm? R: There are moths, red bollworms, American bollworms, aphids and the ladybird beetle. Q: Since around 1982, which, among these pests, has given you the most problems? R: Worms are the most problematic. Whenever we grow cotton we have to be prepared to deal with these. Q: Is there a type, among these pests that has changed in its population size? R: Yes, the lady bird has increased its population. During the 1980s we didn’t encounter a lot of these.
CZ 03
Which pests are commonly found on farm? I normally come across worms. These are of two types; the American Bollworm and the Red bollworm. There are also aphids, but they are not in large population. Which pest would you say has given you the most problems over the past years? Red bollworms are the most problematic. Have there been any changes in the red bollworm population over the past two to three decades? There seems to be an increase in the population of the red boll worm because some of the pesticides seem to have lost their power. In addition, the number of farmers who are now growing cotton seems to have increased. What effect does that have? This is causing the population of the pests to increase. Therefore, if they made the pesticides a bit stronger, i thing we would, at least, be able to control the pests. Are there any new pest sightings? Yes, i would say, there might be new pests because in the past the pests were much fewer. There might actually now be new worms that we just do not know. But, have you made any sightings of a new pest? I wouldn't want to lie, i have never come across any new pests that are different from those that we have always known. So, you said the population is the main change? Yes, it’s the pest population. No matter how much you spray, they never go. Are there any other concerns regarding pests on your farm? No. Which other crops do you grow? I also grow maize, ground nuts and mashava Looking at the acreage of cotton relative that of these other crops, have there been any changes in the recent years? Yes, my cotton acreage has dwindled relative to the other crops. I am cutting down on cotton because there is no water. Water shortage is the main cause. Cotton must be planted early. If you do late planting you will lose all of it to livestock. The rains are no longer reliable. Whan it rains the rainfall is sporadic. What are the names of the pesticides that you have used on your farm? There is Fenvalerate, karate, lambda, Acetamark, then Dimethoate, and others that i do not recall at this moment. Which of these do you use on the worms? I normally use lambda, Fenvalerate, Dimethoate, Acetamark, and i have also mentioned those that are also used on aphids. Why do you use so many pesticides? Well, some of the pesticides that we used in the past are no longer available; we do not see them anymore. Has the amount of pesticides used on your farm changed from the time you started back in 1986? The amount has increased What might be the cause of this increase? It's the increase in the population of worms. They never get completely destroyed, so we tend to continue spraying. Now that your amount of pesticides has increased, has there been a corresponding increase in pesticide effectiveness? Well, its relatively effective, but at a very low rate. What do you mean by the 'rate'?
I am referring to the power of the pesticides. The pesticides have low power. The pests die, but the ones that die are the ones that are sprayed while outside the cotton bolls. Thos that manage to enter the cotton bolls are not easily killed. So, if you say you should be spraying every week, does that mean you do not scout? No, we scout. But, the problem is that these pesticides do not have power any longer. That is why we now know that we should spray, nearly every week. Do you use other methods of pest control? No, there are no other methods that can be done. And weeds? With the weeds i often do manually, but the past two seasons i have been using herbicides because i have just been able to afford them. Have you ever had training on IPM? We are taught how to use our pesticides. There are different measurements that come with different cups. We use different cups for different sizes of the cotton. We start with smaller cups and then use the largest cups when the cotton has grown big and when there are also a lot of pests. The cups are put in 15 litres of water. Is this something that you were taught, or it’s by experience? This is what our agricultural extension officers teach us. Thank You for your Participation CZ 04 Which pests are commonly found on your farm? The main ones are red spider mite, the American bollworm and the red bollworm. With which of these have you had most problems over the past years of your cotton growing? It's the red spider mite because the pesticides to use against it are not readily available. We no longer find the pesticides to use against it. Once it have entered your field you are done. Oh, so the main issue is that the pesticides are no longer found? No. They are there, we can find them, but the problem is that they are no longer powerful enough to kill. In the past we would use three bottle of liquid pesticides and one bag in powdered form. Once spotted, we would just carry our knapsack and bomb it. Nowadays, it seems the population is increasing. It’s a real problem. Have there been any changes in the amount of pests on your farm in the past 30 years? Pests’ populations are increasing because people are no longer cutting their cotton stalks. Therefore, the pests are developing resistance because they stay there. They do not die because these stalks will not have been cut and burned. The worms will have stayed in the stalk such that when you attempt to kill it using pesticides it will not die. Are there any changes in the types of pests? Yes, there are also new pests. It's only that i do not know some of the names. But, the ones that are known are the likes of red spider mite, red bollworm, and the American bollworm. Some of the newer pests, i don’t know their names. There is one that is green-like with yellow stripes. One of the worms is called kambasha after the colours of the bus that used to ply our Rushinga route many years ago. There are also new types of aphids that are now colonising our fields whose specific names we are not sure of. Then there are other pests that are striped that cut the cotton, but the names are the problem for me. What might be the cause of these changes? Why pest types are increasing is that people are not taking care of their stalks. in the past we used to cut and burn our cotton stalks soon after harvest, and by September everyone would have burned their stalks. Nowadays, you find these stalks still standing in the fields. Therefore the pests are just there. When we spray them these pests would be very resistant. To say you have killed them, what sort of pesticide would you have used? The pesticides that we have these days we always say they
Which pests do you commonly come across on your farm? There are aphids, then some round boll worms that get into the bolls, and then there are the American bollworms. Which is the most problematic? I think all of them are very problematic. But i think the aphids are very problematic. But, including the worms as well. Since 1984, have you noticed any changes in pest populations? Yes, there are changes. There are now many pests? What do you think is causing an increase in these pests? I think it’s all got to do with the pesticides that we are now using. I think the pesticides are no longer as powerful as the pests which we used in the past. In the past the pesticides were so strong, even the smell was so powerful such that after spraying, one could not get into the field to weed because the smell would be so prohibitively strong. Nowadays it’s so different; if you spray today, you may return tomorrow to weed the same field. Are there any changes in the types of pests? Uhmm, there is one green moth. That one cuts the terminal bud of the cotton plant. Is this the same moth that’s got a nasty smell? No, it’s not. This particular one is only found during the rainy season. Have you communicated to the agricultural extension officers about this moth? No, i never informed about it since it’s a moth that's found everywhere; i just assume that it might just have been missed by the pesticides. It does not always cut the terminal buds, but it just happens that when it gets to a plant it may cut. This is not a fulltime cotton pest, if i may say. Now, with regards to the population, would you say that the population of pests is changing? The worms are increasing in their population, particularly the red and the green ones. What do you think is the reason for the increase in the population of these worms? I think it’s because the pesticides are no longer as powerful as they were in the past. Which types of weeds do you come across in your fields? We normally have problems with chenamoyo , chaguduma, and chinzungu , and chenamoyo which prick when you touch or walk on it. Do you use any herbicides for weeds? We never afford to buy the herbicides, so we always weed manually. Which other crop do you grow? We also grow ground nuts, maize, cow peas, mashava , and mhunga. Do you use any pesticides on the rest of the crops? No, we do not use any pesticides on the other crops, except on cow peas which is usually attached by aphids. We spray Acetamark on cow peas before and after they have developed pods. Is it the same one that you use in cotton? So, when you use it on your cow peas, is it because your agricultural extension officers recommend it, or it’s simply because you know that it works against aphids? Laughter ... we use it because we know that it works against aphids. In cotton, which other pesticides do you use? There is Fenvalerate, Carbaryl 85, Fernkill, Thiamex, Thiodan, Is the amount of pesticides used on a hectare the same as that used in the past? There are changes now. These days we are now using more pesticides per hectare than we used in the past. Why are you using more nowadays? Because the pesticides are no longer powerful, as powerful as they used to be. Under normal circumstances, if i spray today i should return for another round in two weeks time. However, these days it’s taking only one week. If i go back to inspect my cotton next week i will find pests, so i will have to spray.
So, you now use more pesticides. But, are these pesticides that you are now using more of, effective enough to kill and control the targeted pests? Yes, it is effective if you are not hesitant to use as much as you can. If you are hesitant and less generous with it you will lose your crop to the pests. You have to spray every week. If you skip just one week when you return the following week you will find all your crop destroyed. So, are you telling me that you just spray even when you have not scouted and found any pests? You actually see the pests. Usually, when you see those moths flying in your field, it means that they are laying their eggs. So you should immediately spray. Have you ever farmed on contract, getting input loans from cotton companies? I did that a couple of years ago. Nowadays I’m doing it on my own Alright, when you used to do contract farming, did you ever receive any protective clothing from the companies? That is the farmer's own business. What concerns those companies is that the farmer has received the inputs that he needs to grow cotton. Finding protection is the farmer's own business. Even the companies themselves, never entertained the discussions regarding protective clothing for farmers. But, do you realise that is is your right to receive protection if you are getting into a contract to produce them their cotton? Yes, its our right, but our enemy is our ignorance. We never ask for protection even though we know that we are potentially putting ourselves on the path to the hospital. Do you get any information on alternative pesticides or on how to use pesticides effectively and protecting your health? Yes, we get this kind of education from our agricultural extension officers when we go for our meetings. Thank You for your time CZ 06 Which pests do you come across on your farm? We normally deal with red bollworms, American bollworms, aphids, and moths. After these we then face a problem of red spider mite. This results in a disease that affects mainly the colour of the leaves and they start to fall off. Which of these is the most problematic? The American bollworm is the most problematic. A single worm can destroy several bolls in a very short space of time. Over the past two to three decades, are there any noticeable changes in as far as the population of pests is concerned on your farm? Right. There are significant changes. Pests are growing in their numbers. The pesticides that we are currently using are not powerful. Maybe it’s because the worms are now used to the pesticides, i don’t know? Therefore they are not dying and are simply multiplying. Is there a new pest that you have started sighting in the recent years, but was rare in the past? Uhhm, i haven’t seen any new pests. I only see the difference in the stubbornness of the worms to die. Is there another pest that seems to have disappeared or that seems to be growing smaller in numbers compared to twenty or thirty years ago? No, there isn't. If anything, the pests are only increasing in numbers, rather than disappearing. Which other crops do you grow? I also grow beans, and maize, and sun flowers and mhunga. Has your cotton acreage changed in the past years relative that of the other crops? Yes, the cotton acreage has declined mainly because of the crop's market price. I really loved and enjoyed my cotton, but i am now finding a crop that is selling for a better price on the market. A
have not increased or decreased. I only notice that if there is a delay on my part i tend to encounter more of the pests. Are there any new pest sightings? There is one whose name i do not know. It has spikes, it eats on the cotton plant. Its colour is brown. It was there in the past, but it was not common in the cotton. With this one, even if you put pesticides, it won’t die. Do you have any other concerns with pests on your farm? Scouting in the field is important. If you see the America bollworm, then be assured there are eggs on the undersides of the leaves. Which other crops do you grow? I also grow maize, mashava , and mhunga. Have there been any changes in the relative acreage of cotton over the past years? Well, in my case there are always changes. Which pesticides do you use on your farm? I use Fenvalerate, cabryl-85, then Acetamark for aphids. Are there any changes in the amount of pesticides used? If you start late you use a lot of pesticides. But if you grow your cotton at the beginning of the season you tend to use less because you will have started before the pests have arrived. But, i also realise that in the past in this field here i would need only two bottles, but nowadays i need up to 8 bottles. The amount of pesticides that i need now to control pests on the same farm has more than doubled. So, you are now using more, but do you find that the pesticides are enough? It’s actually not enough because i can not completely destroy the pests. Do you use any other methods of pest control? There are other methods, but i always use pesticides. For weeds, i normally weed manually. Have you ever had training on other methods of pest control? I do scouting, and if there are no moths i do not spray. The agricultural extension officers are the ones who teach us the techniques of scouting Thank You for your time CZ 08 What are the names of all pests found on your farm? These are several pests that are found, such as some worms that when sprayed on we need to find the type of pesticides that kill them What are the manes of these worms? There is one that is called round worm, but the extension officers are the ones who know best. Which is the most problematic? I can’t remember the real name right now Have you noticed any changes in pest population since your first involvement in cotton farming? They are increasing What might be the cause? I think its because of resistance that we are giving to these pests, because of the many types of pesticides that we use. You hear one farmer say i use this pesticide and another one saying they use that, and so on. But, we are not able to completely kill them. Which other crops do you grow? I grow maize, mhunga and mashava. Have there been any significant changes in the relative proportions of all the crops which you grow over the past years? Yes. The land used for cotton is getting smaller, because when we sell our cotton we are not getting good satisfactory returns. In the past if i sold a bale of cotton i would buy a cow, but now i cannot
buy even a bar of soap. I they say i should get 50or 60 dollars for the bale, it means i am getting absolutely nothing for my crop and labour. Which pesticides do you use? We normally buy from Agricura, and this company supplies us with a lot of pesticides that we use. Fernkill, usually, is the one that kills most of the worms. And for the weed, what do you do? Our disadvantage is that for the weeds we do not use any herbicides, we just weed manually. So, we weed three times in the season. Are there any changes in pesticide uses? Yes, there are now many types, we hear there is this type and that type. But, from my experience Fernkill is the only one that is very helpful. The other ones do not help us in any way. Are these pesticides enough? Well, we are now growing on a smaller portion. There are some who are now just doing regrows, which need a lot of pesticides. It’s because they are attacked by pests early. It’s not allowed, but sometimes people are tempted to just steal also. Have you ever done regrowths yourself, no i haven’t, but i am hoping that this season, uhhm .. uhmm, those who are doing regrowths are the ones who are actually having good harvests. Do you use other methods of pest control? We use pesticides only. There is no other way of dealing with the pests. But, for the weeds, i sometimes weed manually. Have you ever received any training on the management of pests? Yes, the extension officers come and teach us. Thank You for your time CZ 09 Can you please name all the pesticides which you come across on your farm? Mainly the red bollworm is the one that i see the most. Then there are also aphids that i see. These feed on the leaves. The red boll worm is the most problematic pest in cotton Over the past 35 years, have there been any changes in pest populations? If we compare pests in the past with pests now there is a difference. I see that the way we live now is making it different. The pesticides that we use now are different. In the past, we would receive two buckets of cabaryl-85, and one bottle of Thiodan. During that time, i think we were getting more pesticides. Nowadays it seems the amount of pesticides are being reduced. They are now being overpowered by the pests. People nowadays are buying extra pesticides on top of what used to be the standard and what they receive from the cotton companies. Its different from in the past when they were just throwing pesticides at us for use. They didn’t have much knowledge. Would you say in the past there were more pests? No, there is no difference, its only that in the past there were more pesticides made available to the farmers. Nowadays, if you want to get more pesticides the cost of them is rather prohibitively high. So, the pests are now getting their chance. And the types of pests are there any changes? I do not see any changes. The same pests that were there in the past are the same that are there now. Which weeds do you have to deal with in your cotton fields? We now have certain types weed that we are now finding in our fields. Not knowing whether its the result of crops that we receive that come from other places. There is the weed called chinzungu which we didn’t know in the past which is now a problematic pest in the area. Which other crops do you grow? I also grow maize and ground nuts How does the size of cotton acreage compare with the acreage of other crops over the past years?
I only use pesticides to kill insect pests. There is no other way. But, when it comes to weed, i always use a hoe to weed manually. How do you know that it’s now time to spray, Is it by following the calendar, or you use other methods? I scout for insects. When there are no insects i do not spray. Thank You CZ 10 Since when have you been involved in cotton farming? We started just after independence. We started growing cotton in 1982. When we started i harvested 16 bales, and then i became the chairman of Kuwirirana cotton farming group. What is the size of your cotton field? In the beginning we had 2 acres. We were getting inputs on loan. We would be loaned equipment and chemicals. They would give us 4 containers of chemicals. Which type of agro-chemicals were you receiving? We were receiving different types, including Rogor, carbaryl 85, Thiodan and gukurahundi. Has your acreage ever changed from the initial 2 acres? We have been surpassing that, reaching 5 to 6 acres. We were now enjoying it, and the family has been growing; we needed money to pay for school fees. We used to grow different types of cotton varieties on demo-plots, including FQ, SZ, and others. 6:46,6 - 9:41, What are the names of cotton pests that are commonly found on your farm? We first encounter Aphids. When your cotton has grown 15 centimetres, you first spray with rogor. Against which pests will you be spraying it? Against aphids Do you spray with rogor only because the plant has reached 15 cm, or are there other factors that you consider? We scout for aphids first. We also used the same scouting technique to identify red spider, and against red spider we used mospran, which was very effective against red spider. Other than Aphids and the Red Spider, which other pests are found? There is the Red Boll worm, once the cotton has developed bolls. We scout for it. Red boll worm comes first, followed by the American boll worm. If you scout and see there are boll worms, you start spraying the affected area, and then you spray the rest of the field as preventive. Are there still other pests? There are other ground pests that are killed using a pesticide that is applied on the cotton seed. What are the names of these pests found in the ground? These include certain worms and millipedes. 9:41,2 - 11:16, With which of these pests would you say you have had the most problems over the past 30 years?
With the red boll worm we have the advantage that it often comes out of the boll, and when it does so that is when it encounters the pesticides outside. The American boll worm, on the other hand, only comes out of the boll after it has finished eating the whole boll and has laid its eggs inside the boll. So, is that the reason why farmers are encouraged to? To slash and burn their cotton stalks. Precisely! And, when you are spraying your cotton, it is encouraged also to spray on the edges of the field as a preventive measure against the movement o moths. Oh, so moths are another of the pests to add to the ones which you mentioned earlier on? Yes, these moths lay their eggs on the cotton bolls which later turn into worms. 11:16,6 - 12:19, From around 1982 when you started growing cotton, have you been noting any changes in the amount of pests found on your far? Aphids are the ones which seem to have been growing in terms of their amount. For your crop to be a good crop, you must first win the initial battle against aphids. However, we do not always get the pesticides against these aphids in time. If you manage to get your pesticides against aphids in time, you know that you are growing your cotton very well, because carbaryl 85 will make your cotton look healthy with very good leaves, but `you will have sprayed for aphids. 12:19,6 - 12:58, Have there been any changes in the types of pests on your farm since you started growing cotton back in the early 1980s? There are beetles, called ladybird that come at the end when you are about to harvest. They fly. Were these not found during the early days in the 1980s? No, they were not there. 12:58,6 - 13:46, Which other crops have you been growing along with cotton over the past 30 or so years? We also grow maize for food. We can not only grow cotton while we have nowhere to get food, that is why the acreage of cotton sometimes tend to get reduced when we grow more maize for food. 13:46,4 - 14:39, You said earlier on, before we started recording, that your cotton acreage has dropped significantly and you no longer prioritise cotton as much as you used to in the past. Which crops are you now growing in the fields that were once dedicated to cotton? We now grow maize, sorghum, and rapoko. What made you to scale down on your cotton production? We scaled down on cotton because of the market price; cotton is a very labour intensive crop and the market price has been going down. So we see it better to concentrate on food crops. 14:39,8 - 16:01, What are the names of pesticides that you have used on your farm in the past 30 years? The first pesticide that we use is rogor, followed by carbaryl 85. After carbaryl 85 when you start noticing worms you introduce Thiodan, then you use gukurahundi at the end. Which pesticide is gukurahundi?
CZ 11
Which pests do you encounter on your farm? We first encounter leaf eaters, and then we find aphids Which leaf eaters are these? These include grasshoppers, the gaggers, and the spodoptera. Then we also encounter aphids, these aphids can be put in the same group as termites that stay underneath the plant in the ground. Then there are some spines, Redboll worms, the American which we call the heliothis. These are the main pests that are found in cotton. But, this season there has been spotted a new pest which we have dubbed madzibaba. We have never had serious pests with such moth in the past. In the past we could only spot it after the cotton was already white and due for harvest. That’s when we would spot it on cotton. It's brownish, it does not fly away if you approach it, and you can easily catch it. It's like an egg, and it just develops like that. Why do you call in madzibaba? Because it is white in colour It looks like an envelope. Its main effect is that it affects the colour of the cotton. Cotton is white or goldish, but when this pest lands on the cotton it shed the colour leaving it brownish in colour. Then, among the leaf eaters, there is another one called anomis, this is one among those that feed on the leaves. There are also good insects that are our ''helpers'' that we see eating some of the insects. For example, there are twukamba which feed on eggs (of the worms), and there are also syrphids which also feed on eggs and smaller moths.. But, the problem with the syrphids is that when it feed it feeds its excreta resemble that of the spine. Therefore, farmers may not recognise the difference and start spraying thinking that there is spine. With which pest have you had most problems over the years? Yes, as far as I have observed, the American is the most dangerous and not the red bollworm as many people often believe. The American can destroy up to 60 bolls in one day because it just feeds on a bit of the flowers, and then without finishing that particular flower, it abandons it and moves on to the next one, but damage will have already been affected. It can potentially destroy 30 to 60 flowers in a single day. Over the years, have you noticed any changes in the population of pests you encounter? Yes, in the past they were fewer, and now they seem to have slightly increased in their population. In the past, the American was green, and now it is coming in two colours, a mixture of green and brown colours. But, this stripped one is still an American, its feeding mechanism is the same. But, it is not difficult to control because this American does not get inside the boll. So, as soon as you finish spraying, if it gets exposed to the pesticides it can easily die. And in terms of pest types, are there any changes? No, all the pest that were there in the past are the ones which we see now. However, the manner in which we are controlling them is the one that is disturbing. You see, what happens is, some pests are very fast to get destroyed. That is why you see that others are not being very clear when they talk. Farmers are not getting the pesticides on time, they get them late that is why there end up appearing a lot of pesticides in the fields. The pesticides are not available in time. The issue is, farmers do not have the money to buy pesticides, and they wait for the pesticides which they get on credit from the cotton companies. But, the distribution of these pesticides is not efficient, they arrive late. Therefore pests end up multiplying in the fields. In the past, when farmers signed for input loans with one company which was operating in the area then, they would receive all their inputs at once, before they started planting. When farmers received their pesticides before they even planted, they would control the pests once they appeared, and this managed pests to low levels. This time, farmers receive pesticides when the pests are already appearing and normally they would have already lost several bolls to the pests.
So, are you, effectively, saying that the problem is the management of the pests, and not the pests themselves? Yes, that is the problem. Are there any other concerns with regards to pests on your farm? What happens is that if pesticides are used correctly, they control pests effectively. The problem is that we, the farmers do not have enough knowledge and have not received enough education about proper usage of pesticides. Personally, i lay my blame on our agricultural extension officers. There is not enough knowledge and education in those people. I see! They do not have enough knowledge about this crop, cotton! I wish they had also gone to Kadoma cotton research institute where i went to do my cotton training. I have often gone around my ward, ward 13, just to assist farmers and impart them with knowledge about this crop and the proper usage of pesticides. There are still people who are using wrong pesticide to water proportion mixtures. They have the belief that if they put more pesticides and make a stronger concentrate that will easily kill the pests. So, there is really need for educating all the farmers. Do you also grow other crops apart from cotton? In fact, there is also the issue that farmers ignore extension officers' advice. The extension worker may call for a meeting with farmers and educate them on certain issues, but then the farmers always have the attitude that they know better than the extension workers because they have many years of farming experience while the extension officer is often young and inexperienced in as far as farming is concerned. But, the farmers tend to overlook the fact that the extension workers will have come from agricultural colleges. Others say that they have been growing cotton for a very long time, so they know everything that needs to be known about it, yet they do not know that there are many changes that are happening due to changes in climate. You see? So, the agricultural extension officers are to blame and yet they are also sometimes not to blame because some farmers say they have been growing cotton for a very long time. Okay, i see. Which other crops do you grow, in addition to cotton? I also grow maize, mhunga, mashava , and sometimes i grow mhunga enough to supply the whole of ward 13. There was one season in which i harvested 60 bags of mhunga, and i gave to people in need in the area. Is mashava in Shona the same as millet in English? No, mhunga is millet. Mashava is sorghum. Okay. Maize! Each year i harvest 2 and half tonnes. I was lucky at one point that a local ngo working in the area wanted to build me a small domestic sile for the storage of my harvests, but the elders of the village became jealous; you know, if the king does not have it, you can’t have it. So the money was diverted and the domestic sile was built at the chief's homestead instead. So, at the moment i am storing my harvest in the house. Despite the fact that my silo was diverted, that does not deter me from growing and producing. Each year i do dry planting of maize and harvest 2 and half bales. I never under achieve. I do not know what hunger is. Do you use any pesticides on the other crops which you also grow? For spraying? Yes No, i do not use any pesticides on other crops, except only in cotton. Are there any changes in the acreage of cotton relative the acreage of the other crops? Well, according with the tonnage that i harvest in cotton or maize, if i realise that it's better to increase my cotton acreage because i have a certain target, i just increase the cotton acreage. But the maize acreage remains the same because at times we harvest a lot of maize, much more than we can consume such that when we harvest we will still have plenty of maize from the previous season's harvest. Which pesticides have you used since you started growing cotton?
simply stay in one place. That is the method that i often use by using our own indigenous way of pest control. How do you use the acaricides? (Question asked by research assistant who interjected) The pesticides? Yes I can use acaricides, remember i was saying there is red spider mite; oh, yes i have now remembered that pest which i was failing to recall earlier on. Oh, okay, the red spider mite! Yes, the red spider mite. Red spider mite, also known as kafuwe in Shona, is often found invading the cotton fields. These are aphids which, once they invade a cotton field, they ''bomb'' till the cotton wilts and eventually just dries. These suck a lot of plant sap. So, against the red spider mite i use ''what is called acaricides''. It is mainly killed by using rogor. I first do spot spray, if i see that; okay, it's here and there and there and there. I leave markers where i spot them, and return with the acaricides and do ''spot spray''. If i spot it at more than five points in the field, i then do ''blanket spray'' whereby i just spray the whole field. So, for the control of acaricides, here in Rushinga we may be using Fernkill, while in another part of the country, say Gokwe, they may be using Fenvalerate Then, in Chiredzi they may use monochrotophos. Next year, in Chiredzi they may receive Fenvalerate, and then monochrotophos should be sent to Rushinga and Fernkill to Gokwe. Okay! That is what is called acaricides! Oh yes; rotation! So that by so doing this rotation the pests may not get resistant to the pesticides. For example, here its year after year Fernkill, Fernkill, Fernkill. Okay, so here there is no defined rotation that is happening, is that what you are saying? Yes, there is no proper acaricides here! But, what is causing that? That there is no rotation? Is it because you just buy what is available? What is causing this is that these cotton companies are going to request that in Rushinga the farmers are mainly interested in gukurahundi pesticides which are Fernkill and Fenvalerate. They do not have knowledge that there must be acaricides (rotation). Have you ever received any training on integrated pest management? No, i have never done a course on the management of pests alone. However, when i did my cotton growing course in Kadoma, the course covered issues about pest management. But, i have the desire to do such a course, if, in my ward there were to be chosen an individual to do such a course. What was the name of the course which you attended in Kadoma? (Research assistant) It was called Cotton Management and Selling. Thank You for your Time CZ 12 Since when have you been involved in cotton farming? I have been growing cotton since 1994 when i completed my secondary education; but i actually started to be actively involved in activities such as spraying since 1989 when i was only fifteen years old. What is the size of your farm? The size of my farm, at the moment is if 5 hectares On these 5 hectares, do you mix cotton with other crops? Yes, i mix with other crops. So, what percentage is taken up by cotton, on average? Two hectares And which other crops do you grow on the remaining 3 hectares? I grow ground nuts on 1 hectare and maize on the remaining 2 hectares.
Do you use any chemical pesticides in growing maize and ground nuts? Yes, i use herbicides in maize. I use Roundup and Gramaxon. Alright, now, let’s talk about cotton. Which pests do you encounter in your cotton farming? The first thing when growing cotton, the pests that we encounter at the beginning of the season that attack our crop are aphids. After aphids, there come jassids. These are small flying insects that suck the sap out of the leaves. This results in leaves wilting and drying u. Then, again in cotton there is the red spider which is also found feeding on the plant. So, red spider comes after these two? Yes, the way it enters the cotton field is usually through being brought from the tomato fields when its present there. It sticks on the clothes and when you enter the cotton field it then moves onto the cotton plant. Where it is present you find the portion of the crop that is affected appears to have leaves that are burnt in appearance. The leaves will just be falling off, and the cotton will not grow. Then there is a worm that we call the American bollworm. This appears when the cotton is at the flowering stage. This worm attacks the flower, it feeds on the flowers. It’s inside at the centre of the flower. Then when the cotton has developed bolls, there is the red bollworm. So, just clarify this to me. The American bollworm appears when... It appears when the plant has flowered, towards the stage of developing the bolls. That's when it appears and destroys. And the red bollworm comes afterwards? Yes, the red bollworm follows to enter inside the bolls and feed from within the bolls. Oh, okay, that's the difference. I see. Yes. These are the main worms found here in Rushinga. Of these pests, with which one have you had the most problems over the past years since your initial involvement in cotton farming? The most problematic are the aphids. Aphids interfere with the growth of cotton. When they are present, the cotton will not grow well. It will not grow at all. The leaves will appear dirty as if there is molasses. Aphids are mainly promoted by lack of rainfall. If there is a lengthy dry spell, for example three weeks, there will appear aphids. But, there are certain cotton varieties that are less susceptible to aphid attack because these have fewer leaves, for example the seed variety called Alba FQ 904. This variety has few leaves, so plant cannot harbour a lot of aphids. Okay. I see. Yes, because the leaves are fewer. So, are they trying to come up with varieties with fewer leaves? From when you were first involved in cotton farming till now, are there any changes in the pest population in cotton? Yes. There are a lot of pests population. Compared with the population in the past, are there any changes? Yes, there are changes. The pest population has significantly increased because nowadays people are increasingly lacking money for buying seeds and are therefore resorting to ''regrowths'' of the old plants from the previous season. We are supposed to but slashing and burning these cotton stalks which others are now growing as their new plants in a new season. Others only destroy their crops too late after the deadline for destroying and burning the cotton stalks. Therefore, these pests are harboured for a long time and they do not completely die. Therefore they increase their population. When farmers favour regrowths, there is no longer crop rotation in the fields as they continue with the same crops in the same fields. It's now different from what the situation was like in the past when the agricultural extension officers would do inspections, encourage farmers to destroy cotton stalks and even fine those who flouted the regulations. Still on pests, are there any changes that have happened in terms of pest types over the years? Yes, there is a certain type of worm. I do not recall its name. It's rare, but it somehow resembles the American bollworm in some way. It attacks crops by destroying the shooting stem of the plant. When this worm has attacked, you just notice the plant by its wilting appearance. When you dig under the plant you also notice that it also attacks the root core of the plant as well. But, this worm
