Insect pests of dried yam (Dioscorea sp.) chips and the perception of processors and marketers on their control

This survey was aimed at understanding the perception of Dried yam chips (DYC) Processors and Marketers on insect pests' infestation of DYC and their damage through the use of structured questionnaires. Data on socio-economic characteristics and technical information were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency distribution, percentages, and means. Data on the perception of insect pests and measures of pest control were placed on a 3-point Likert Rating Scale (LRS). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was done on the population density of the identified insects and significant mean values were compared using Fisher's Least Significant Difference. Seven insect pests; Prostephanus truncatus, Rhyzopertha dominica, Tribolium castaneum, Stegobium paniceum, Heterobostrychus aequalis, Sitophilus zeamais, Areacerus fasciculatus, and one natural enemy; Peregrinator biannulipes were associated with DYC. However, P. truncatus, R. dominica, and A. fasciculatus were the most prevalent insect pests, causing significant damage to DYC. Approximately, 49% of processors reportedly control insect infestation in DYC using conventional insecticides, 23% by re-drying, 14% by botanicals, and the others by removing affected DYC. These findings provide useful information for extension workers involved in community education, and intervention programs by government or non-governmental organizations including public health experts and researchers.