By Felix Akech

Joseph Okuku had almost given up growing sweet basil, despite its popularity with buyers, beaten by thrips, until he developed a low-cost triple defence that included intercropping with onions, which has beaten the pest.

Until recently, farmers in Migori were hardly growing the herb, known as otonglo, despite its high demand by traders, because it was too risky, due to the level of destruction by thrips. The tiny insects suck the sap from basil leaves, leaving them yellow, curled, and unsellable.

“I started growing sweet basil (otonglo) in early 2023 after hearing that it sells well in Migori and Kisii towns,” said Joseph, a small-scale farmer from Odienya village in Rongo sub county,

 “At first, everything looked good. The plants were green and healthy. But after three weeks, the leaves started wrinkling, turning pale, and losing their shine. Buyers rejected most of it.”

In his first harvest, Joseph made heavy losses. Of four buckets he expected to sell each week, only one was making it to the market. “I was discouraged,” he said. “The rest went to waste, and I almost decided never to grow basil again.”

Joseph turned to chemical pesticides, but the thrips always came back, and the cost of sprays ate into his profits. Things only began to change after he attended a local farmers’ meeting in Rongo, where a fellow grower shared a few simple, affordable tricks for keeping thrips away without relying on expensive chemicals.

Armed with new ideas, Joseph decided to give basil one more chance.

He introduced three major changes on his quarter-acre plot:

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“I bought a few yellow sheets and hung them across the farm,” he said. “Thrips are attracted to yellow, so they stick there before reaching the plants.”

He buys the sheets, commonly known as “kete” in Luo and made by Dudutech, from his local agrovets in Migori town, usually for around Sh50 to Sh70 each, depending on the size. He hangs them above the crop canopy, about one card for every 10–15 square meters, to trap whiteflies and aphids.

He also began preparing a natural pesticide at home using neem leaves and water. “It’s cheap and safe,” he said. “I spray once a week, and it keeps most of the insects away.”

To make the spray, he collects fresh neem leaves and crushes about 1 kg of leaves in 5 litres of water. He lets the mixture soak overnight, then strains it and adds a small amount of liquid soap (about 10 ml per litre) before spraying. He applies it early in the morning or late in the evening, once a week, to control pests naturally.

To further confuse pests and reduce infestation, Joseph started intercropping basil with onions. “The smell of onions helps repel thrips, and I also earn something extra from selling the onions,” he said.

Within one season, the otonglo was healthier, the leaves broader and greener, and the yield more consistent.

“Nowadays, I harvest four buckets of basil every week, each going for about Sh500,” he said. “That’s Sh2,000 a week enough to pay my children’s school fees and buy farm inputs. I no longer fear thrips.”

His success has drawn others back into basil as well, with local farmers now visiting Joseph’s farm to see how he is protecting the crop. “We had given up on otonglo, thinking it’s too delicate,” said Joseph. “But now we see that with the right management, it’s a profitable crop.”

 “I’ve learned that you don’t need expensive chemicals to win, just knowledge and consistency, and otongio has changed my life, now helping me educate my children.”