ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVE STRIGA HERMONTHICA CONTROL METHODS IN THE NORTHERN GUINEA SAVANNA OF NIGERIA

Witchweed, Striga hermonthica (Del.) Benth is a major threat to the realization of yield potentials of cereal crops especially maize. This study was therefore designed to compare economic performance of five Striga control methods. Data were obtained from an on-farm trial conducted on 12 farmersʹ fields with uniform infestations of Striga hermonthica at Kugu and Dambo villages in the Northern Guinea Savanna of Nigeria, during the 2005 and 2006 cropping seasons. The results revealed that treatment plots involving the cultivation of Striga tolerant maize variety (Acr 97 TZL COMP.1-W) followed by Striga tolerant maize variety in the second year (T1) had a higher cumulative gross margin per hectare (N76, 884.61) followed by the treatment involving the cultivation of an improved soyabean variety (TGX 1448-2E) followed by Striga tolerant maize variety in the second year i.e.T2 (N36, 287.00). The cost-benefit ratio was higher for T1 (2.27) followed by T2 (1.58). The marginal rate of return was also higher for T1 (N885.00) followed by T2 (N8.90). These results and the dominance analysis clearly revealed the economic superiority of T1 and T2 over the other treatments. High costs of fertilizer and scarcity of improved maize and soyabean varieties were identified as the major constraints to the adoption of the Striga control methods by farmers.