Proceedings of the Eighth International Workshop on Biological Control and Management of Chromolaena odorata and other Eupatorieae, Nairobi, Kenya, 1-2 November 2010. Zachariades C, Strathie LW, Day MD, Muniappan R (eds) ARC-PPRI, Pretoria (2013) pp 29-34 Abundance of Chromolaena odorata, its influence on entomofauna and implications for farmers’ activities in south-western Nigeria R.A. Adebayo Department of Crop, Soil and Pest Management, School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology, Federal University of Technology Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria
[email protected] Chromolaena odorata (L.) King & Robinson (Asteraceae), an invasive alien plant of terrestrial habitat in many tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world, was investigated in the South-West Ecological Zone of Nigeria. Investigations, including field observations on C. odorata and a survey of farmers’ knowledge and opinions of it and knowledge of its biological control, were conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) and at Ipogun, a farmers’ community at Ifedore Local Government Area of Ondo State, respectively. Field observations revealed that about 50% of undeveloped FUTA land was infested to varying degrees with C. odorata. More plant species were found on observed C. odorata–free land compared with land infested with C. odorata. The insect species collected on C. odorata were in the orders Orthoptera, Lepidoptera, Homoptera and Hymenoptera. Mottled, discoloured and distorted leaves characterized C. odorata infested with aphids. Results of the survey indicated there awareness of C. odorata by the farmers (70%) although they lack knowledge of biological control of the weed. Infestation of farms by C.