Synthetic pesticides use and Soil Biodiversity Conservation in Budondo Sub County, Jinja District

Abstract

Progressive famers in Budondo continue to use a variety of pesticides to optimize crop production. This has been a key feature in agriculture intensification. However, their continuous application has resulted into soil pollution, threatening processes driven by soil microorganisms and, thereby, affecting soil fertility and quality. A study of 340 households in Budondo Sub-County farming community, Jinja District revealed that pests destroyed their crops and caused significant yield losses. This was manifested in their score of responses viz. strongly agreed (1175) and strongly agreed (1075) respectively. Farmers demonstrated knowledge of soil macro fauna (96.2%), however, they claimed that termites and earthworms were pests (45.6%) because they ate and reduced their crop yield (86.8%) and constructed ant hills which were laborious to dig (60.3%). Farmers therefore sprayed their gardens with inorganic pesticides (81.8%) in order to eliminate pests quickly (86.5%). They also poisoned termites and earthworms with synthetic chemicals (77.9%) disregarding their long term economic benefits of decomposing organic matter and nutrient recycling among others. The researcher therefore recommended the government of Uganda to make and adopt a policy and action plan on pest management for sustainable soil biodiversity conservation. Farmers in Budondo be sensitized and trained about dangers of pesticide use how to mix plant extracts to form organic pesticides if any conservation measures were to be attained.