Impact of Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), on maize yield in humid tropical zones of Central Africa.

Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda Smith, became the most important maize pest in Africa in 2016, with management based on chemical pesticides. High yield losses across the continent were predicted based on farmers' perceptions, but existing agroecological differences were not considered. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, experiments were conducted to assess fall armyworm damage and yield losses in maize farms with and without treatment. The study included 2 seasons in the Kipopo wetland in 2020 and 2021, one rainy season in Kanyameshi in 2021, 2 rainy seasons in Mulungu in 2020 and 2021, and one season in a wetland on the Bishibiru site in 2020. In addition, the research was also conducted at 4 sites in Cameroon from September to December 2020 and from March to July 2021. High levels of damage incidences were recorded, but the density of larvae per plant was low, with low to moderate levels of damage severities in different seasons and sites. Treatment significantly reduced the number of fall armyworm larvae and their damage severity. However, the high infestation levels did not significantly reduce yield. Cost-benefit ratios were either negative or, in most cases, less than 1. In the best case, the use of pesticides only allowed the recovery of the amount used for the intervention. We discussed the implications of these findings for fall armyworm management in humid tropical agroecology.

Does youth participation in the farming program impact farm productivity and household welfare? Evidence from Nigeria.

One significant issue in the Global South, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, is youth unemployment. This is a result of the aging and shrinking agriculture industry, increased unemployment rates mixed with a sizable unskilled workforce, and rapid population expansion. Studies have shown that farming programs, when supported by increased investment and regulatory frameworks, provide opportunities for meaningful employment for many young people. This study attempts to estimate the impact of youth participation in farming programs on farm productivity and welfare using rice-growing household data from northern Nigeria. We used propensity score matching (PSM) and endogenous switching regression (ESR) to address biases that may arise from both observed and unobserved factors. Our results show that age, education, household size, farm size, extension, access to credit, and membership of a social group are positive and significantly associated with youth participation in farming programs. The outcome demonstrates that participants fare better than non-participants in terms of farm productivity and welfare status. Furthermore, youth participation in farming programs has implications for heterogeneity within the participant group, which depends on socio-economic characteristics such as access to finance, association membership, and education, emphasizing the need for specific interventions and focusing on particular youth groups. Therefore, access to credit through relevant agencies with low interest rates and flexible payment options, strengthening youth organization could encourage participation in farming programs and job opportunities for the prosperity of the rural economy.

COVID-19 outbreak and rural household food security in the Western Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Although global assessments of the initial impacts of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have focused on income, jobs, and health conditions, this study constitutes one of the first studies that assessed the impact of COVID-19 on food security in DRC and established the short-term implications of the COVID-19 outbreak on rural households' food security in DRC. In addition, the study recommendations contributed to shaping government interventions toward the pandemic in the Country. The study used data from four western provinces of the country on 1339 households. Our results show that 80 % of households experienced an increase in food prices, 61 % a noticeable decrease in the availability of food, and 54 % a decrease in their dietary diversity. Due to changes in food availability, dietary diversity, and food accessibility imposed by the COVID-19 outbreak, >70 % of households experienced either a decrease in the consumption of meat, milk, fish, and cereals or an increase in their consumption of traditional vegetables. In addition, COVID-19 significantly affected food security dimensions in larger households, households with a greater number of members aged 35 years and above, households headed by women, households where members participate in associations or cooperatives, households that depend on crop sales as the major source of income, and in poorer households. These findings highlight the significant implications of the COVID-19 outbreak on household food security in western DRC and underscore the need for emergency interventions to strengthen the resilience of rural people and accelerate their recovery and other long-term measures toward sustainable and inclusive development.