Napier grass for instance, can protect maize crop against this pest. Napier grass is a repellent crop.
Stem-borers would lay eggs on Napier grass, but they will not develop to larvae. Planting one line of Napier grass also repels moths, a development stage of stem-borer, from the field.
Napier and other desmodium plants also inhibit growth of striga weed, which attacks maize and other crops like rice. A farmer should clear and harrow land to a fine tilt before the onset of rains.
Demarcate the land into plots and plant three rows of Napier grass along the border at a spacing of about 75cm by 75cm.
Desmodium should be alternated with maize in rows. At a spacing of 75cm by 30cm, maize should have a one meter margin away from the inner row of the Napier grass.
Early weeding enables push-pull plot protection-probably when maize is three and five weeks old.
Maize being a heavy nitrogen feeder, the leguminous desmodium would fix the element into the soil. The highly nutritious crop will also be utilized as fodder for animals just like Napier grass.
