Effect of Intercropping Beans with Maize and Botanical Extract on Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda) Infestation

African farmers are currently grappling with potential control measures for the invasive fall armyworm (FAW) (Spodoptera frugiperda), which has recently emerged as an important economic pest that is ravaging maize fields across the continent. We evaluated the efficacy of the West African black pepper extract and beans intercropping systems as viable FAW control measures and the implication on maize yields. The experiment comprised five treatments (control-no input, dwarf beans intercrop, climbing beans intercrop, West African black pepper extract, and insecticide) with three replications each. FAW severity was assessed at three to seven weeks after planting (WAP), while maize infestation was assessed at seven WAP. FAW severity increased significantly (P<0.05) across WAP for the control and dwarf beans intercrop, with the highest at four and six WAP, respectively. FAW severity also differed (P