Level of Awareness of Traditional and Orthodox Methods of Pests Control Among Vegetable Farmers in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Pest control poses a considerable challenge for vegetable producers in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, highlighting the necessity for an assessment of awareness regarding both traditional and orthodox pest management strategies. This research undertook a comparative analysis of these methods, collecting survey data from 120 vegetable farmers—60 practicing traditional methods and 60 employing orthodox techniques. The findings indicate a significant gender imbalance, with 65.00% of those using traditional methods being female, as opposed to 61.67% of those implementing orthodox methods. The average farming experience was recorded as 14.40 years for traditional farmers and 14.25 years for their orthodox counterparts, indicating a reliance on accumulated knowledge in making pest management decisions. The study demonstrated that vegetable farmers exhibited considerable awareness of certain orthodox techniques, particularly pesticides (x̅ = 1.87), biological control (x̅ = 1.87), fungicides (x̅ = 1.80), and rodenticides (x̅ = 1.80). In contrast, the most frequently employed traditional pest control methods among vegetable farmers in the region included hand-picking (x̅ = 1.97), wood ash (x̅ = 1.88), scarecrows (x̅ = 1.80), neem extracts (x̅ = 1.75), crop rotation (x̅ = 1.53), and companion planting (x̅ = 1.52). The study recommends the adoption of integrated pest management (IPM) strategies and enhanced access to extension services to foster sustainable agricultural practices.