TABLE CONTENTS

SESSION TWENTY-ONE – NEMATODE MANAGEMENT IN
SUBSISTENCE AND SMALLHOLDER AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS
CONVENORS: JULIE NICOL & DANNY COYNE
Farmer Awareness of Plant Parasitic Nematodes on Maize in Uganda: A
Basis for Assessing Nematode Resistance Breeding Needs in African
Smallholder Maize Production
Kagoda, F. (1,2), J. Derera (1), P. Tongoona (1) & D.L. Coyne (2)
(1) African Centre for Crop Improvement, University of KwaZulu-Natal, P. Bag X01, Scottsville 3209,
Pietermaritzburg, South Africa; (2) International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). P.O. Box 7878,
Kampala, Uganda
Farmers in Africa have virtually no understanding of nematode pests, yet they are responsible
for substantial losses, especially with intensified production. The current study first assessed
nematode pest awareness by farmers in maize and also determined preferred traits, in order to
establish the basis for breeding for nematode resistance in maize in Uganda. In two districts
each, 60 farmers ranked pests as the major maize production constraint, both in Masaka
(68.3%) and Iganga (48.3%). Most farmers (81.5%) were unfamiliar with nematodes as a
maize pest, while 42.5% could identify nematode symptoms associated with tomatoes and
48.3% with bananas, compared to 10.8% on maize. Mostfarmers (84.2%) did not know the
effect of nematodes on yield, but reported nematode associated symptoms of leaf chlorosis
(85%), stunted growth (80.8%) and patchy growth (69.2%). However, 15.8% reported maize
yield losses following tomatoes, eggplants, bringals or bananas affected by nematodes.
Pratylenchus zeae and Meloidogyne spp. were recovered from maize roots in higher densities
than other species. Root galling and blackened lesions, associated with Meloidogyne spp. and
Pratylenchus spp. infection respectively, were recorded on some maize cultivars. Although
mean nematode densities ranged between 166.7 to 845.9, and 833 to 21,042 per 100 g root
fresh weight for Meloidogyne spp. and P. zeae respectively, all cultivars had similar levels of
infection. Farmers ranked high yields (46.7%), pests and disease resistance (20.8%), and
palatability (14.2%) as the most preferred traits in maize. Nematode resistant inbred lines
5057, 9450 (P. zeae), Mp712, Mp710, Mp711 and Mp709 (Meloidogyne spp.), and local
susceptibles are therefore being evaluated for use in a combining ability study to develop
high yielding multiple nematode resistant lines. Also, open pollinated cultivars of Longe 1,
Longe 4 and ZM521 are being improved for resistance to nematodes using an S 1 recurrent
selection procedure at Namulonge, Uganda.
5 th International Congress of Nematology, 2008 79