Evaluating the viability of introducing (metarhizium anisopliae), a fungal biopesticide, into the inventory of agrodealers in Kirinyaga County, Kenya.

Abstract

Trading in chemical pesticides has proved to be inefficient even though agrodealers have heavily invested in them. Apart from their high cost of production, these chemicals pose a significant threat to human health and the environment. Biological control measures such as biopesticides have been recommended as a more sustainable alternative to synthetic chemicals. Thus, the objective of this study was to assess the feasibility of stocking a fungal based biopesticide (ICIPE 20) for the management of Tomato leaf miner (Tuta absoluta) by agrodealers in Kirinyaga County, Kenya. The study was conducted in two sub-counties, namely Mwea East and Mwea West. A census of agrodealers in the two sub-counties was conducted during a preliminary visit with the help of sub-county agricultural officers. The list comprised of 141 agrodealers who were all included in the survey. Primary data was obtained through observations, interviews, and semi-structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, principal component analysis, binary probit model, and cost-benefit accounting techniques were employed to analyze the study's objectives. The results revealed that about 43% of the respondents were aware of the specific non-pesticide practices that could be used to control the tomato-infested insect pest, and 79% of the respondents stated crop rotation with a non-host crop as the primary control measure. Based on the principal component analysis employed to analyze knowledge and perception, the extracted components had the first one contributing the highest percentage (35%) to the variance. The second and third components contributed 15% and 13%, respectively. The components represent effectiveness, general effect on human health and the environment, and the aspect of commercialization, respectively. The survey results further depict that the most used pesticide for managing Tuta. absoluta is Coragen at an average price of Ksh 622 per litre. Eighty-two (82%) of the agrodealers were willing to stock and resell a fungal based biopesticide at the same price as Coragen. On average, the willingness to stock was 64% higher than the cost of Collagen. The regression results indicate that willingness to stock ICIPE 20 was negatively related to the agrodealer’s age but positively influenced by agrodealer’s access to a social network, years of schooling, access to credit facilities, and information. Thus, there is a need to improve agrodealers access to social networks, credit facilities, and information. These institutional factors are likely to enhance their knowledge, perception, and willingness to stock new products such as ICIPE 20. There is also a need to limit synthetic Certification that inhibits the dominance of Biopesticides.