FARMER KNOWLEDGE AND INCIDENCE OF TARO LEAF BLIGHT DISEASE IN MAJOR TARO-GROWING REGIONS OF GHANA

Taro (Colocasia esculenta (L.) Schott) is an indispensable staple food crop for millions of citizens in Ghana and in some other developing nations. It is a popular dish in southern Ghana because of its high carbohydrate and protein content. Taro Leaf Blight, caused by the fungus Phytophthora Colocasia, is a devastating disease of taro in many parts of Ghana where the crop is grown. A survey was conducted using a participatory rural appraisal to evaluate farmers' perspectives on management measures for controlling Taro Leaf Blight disease in four major taro-growing regions of Ghana. To achieve this objective, a questionnaire was designed and administered to guide a structured, self-administered interviews and field observation for data collection on the level of awareness of farmers on P. colocassia diseases that infect the taro crop. Fifty respondents were selected using purposive sampling to assess their perception of the disease and disease management options. The four regions showed varying levels of TLB incidence, with the Eastern region having the highest incidence of 76.4 % while the Greater Accra region recorded the least (65 %). The highest disease severity was observed in Eastern (3.43) and Ashanti (3.4) regions with the least (2.43) in the Central region of Ghana. Majority (78 %) of the respondents were literate while 22.0 % had no formal education. Furthermore, the majority (56.0 %) of the respondents had more than 5 years of farming experience with 64.0 % of the farmers cultivating less than 1 acre of taro crop. Respondents obtained planting materials from different sources including their colleague farmers (62.0 %), research institutions (18 %), the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (16 %), and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) (2.0 %). All the respondents admitted to the presence of TLB in their fields with the majority (42.0 %) indicating that the disease is severe in the major rainy seasons. However, most of the respondents (84.0 %) do not control the disease. Rouging (60.0 %), weed control (30.0 %), and pesticide application (4.0 %) were some of the strategies adopted by taro farmers to manage the disease.