Effect of crop sanitation on banana weevil Cosmopolites sordidus (Germar) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) populations and crop damage in farmers’ fields in Uganda

An on-farm study of the effect of crop sanitation on the banana weevil Cosmopolites sordidus (Germar) populations and corm damage was conducted through farmer participatory trials in Ntungamo district, Uganda. Farmers practiced sanitation levels that were broadly defined as low, moderate and high, with most farmers at the lower end. During the study, some farmers were asked to maintain their original level of management, while others were asked to increase sanitation levels. However, farmers did not strictly adhere to prescribed treatments so that an incomplete block design was used in the analysis of data. Increase in sanitation level from low to high significantly reduced C. sordidus adult populations, lowered corm damage, increased plant maturation rates and increased yields. The data suggest that improved sanitation management can contribute to C. sordidus control and improved banana productivity.