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Phytochemical activity and role of botanical pesticides in pest management for sustainable agricultural crop production
Get PDFThis research article was published by Elsevier in 2020Increased demand for food to feed the ever-growing population led to development and
adoption of synthetic chemicals as a quick and effective strategy of managing crop pests
and diseases. However, overreliance on synthetic pesticides is discouraged due to their
detrimental effects on human health, the environment, and development of resistant pest
and pathogen strains. This, coupled with increasing demand for organically produced
foods, stimulated search for alternative approaches and botanical pesticides are particularly gaining importance. Botanical pesticides are efficacious in managing different crop
pests, inexpensive, easily biodegraded, have varied modes of action, their sources are easily available and have low toxicity to non-target organisms. Their varied modes of action
are attributed to the phytochemical composition in different plants. Therefore, they can
be incorporated into integrated pest management systems and contribute to sustainable
agricultural production. Nevertheless, botanical pesticides have not been fully adopted due
to challenges in formulation and commercialization which are attributed to lack of chemical data and positive controls. Many publications have featured botanical pesticides with
skewed interest towards management of insect pests. This review brings together information regarding botanical pesticides, their phytochemical composition and mechanisms
of action against pests of importance in agricultural production. The paper also presents
chemistry data of selected botanical pesticides, their biodegradation, role in integrated pest
management and the challenges facing their adoption and utilization for sustainable crop
pest management
Performance Evaluation LoRa-GPRS Integrated Electricity usage Monitoring System for Decentralized Mini-Grids
Get PDFA research article was submitted to (IJACSA) International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications, Vol. 11, No. 2, 2020The emerging Internet of Things (IoT) technologiesNsuch as Long-Range (LoRa), combined with traditional cellular
communications technologies such as General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) offers decentralized mini-grid companies the opportunity to have cost-effective monitoring systems for the mini-grid resources. Nevertheless, most of the existing decentralized mini-grid companies still rely on traditional cellular networks to fully monitor electricity consumption information, which is not a feasible solution especially for the resource-constrained mini-grid systems. This paper presents the performance evaluation of the proposed LoRa-GPRS integrated power consumption monitoring system for decentralized mini-
grid centers. Each mini-grid center consists of a network of custom designed smart meters equipped with LoRa modules for
local data collection, while the GPRS gateway is used to transmit collected data from the local monitoring centre to the cloud server. Performance testing was conducted by using five electrical appliances whose power consumption data form the cloud server was compared to the same data collected by using a reference digital meter. The correlation between the two data sets
was used as a key performance metric of the proposed system. The performance results show that the proposed system has a
good accuracy hence providing a cost-effective framework for monitoring and managing of power resources in decentralized
mini-grid centers
Susceptibility of different species of ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) to an entomopathogenic fungus in Tanzania
Get PDFThis research article was published by Sci Forschen, Volume 4 - Issue 2, 2020Ticks and tick-borne disease cause severe skin damage on livestock as well as wildlife mortifying animal health and byproduct for processing and
tourism industries. Management of ticks by conventional acaricidal is environmentally and economically unaffordable in Tanzania. This study
evaluated the effectiveness of a novel entomopathogenic fungi Aspergillus oryzae (TZ/P/2018/000035) against three species of ticks (Acari:
Ioxididae); Rhipicephalus appendiculatus, Hyalomma anatolicum and Amblyomma gemma by spraying 0.2 mL/tick of 1 × 106, 1 × 107, 1 × 108 conidia/
mL of A. oryzae and control (water and 0.5% triton x-100) in 35.5°C and 85% RH repeated at 20.5°C and 70% RH in the laboratory conditions at
Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology, Arusha. Results showed that at 1 × 108 conidial/mL, A. oryzae caused high mortality
rate averaging 88.2%, 72.5% and 67.9% within 6.25 ± 0.75 days, 7.55 ± 0.59 days and 11.9 ± 0.65 days in H. anatolicum R. appendiculatus and A.
gemma respectively, whereas in control the highest mortality rate reached 12.5%, 11.0% and 6.5% after 22.50 ± 1.2, 24.6 ± 0.9 and 28 ± 2.9 days
in R. appendiculatus, H. anatolicum and A. gemma respectively at 20.5°C and 70% RH. It was also revealed that at 1 × 108 conidial/mL of A. oryzae
reduced oviposition rate in A. gemma whereby 94.8 ± 10.74 eggs/female were laid compared to control that laid 354.15 ± 42.65 egg/female. Again,
eggs averaging 166.20 ± 7.5 eggs/female were laid in H. anatolicum treated with A. oryzae at 1.0 × 108 conidia/mL compared to control that laid eggs
averaging 416.25 ± 21.71/female in cold. This study revealed that A. oryzae was effective for control of ticks could be applied in agricultural fields to
protect animal from tick’s damage consequently improving animal products in processing industry in Tanzani
Immune response following Newcastle disease immunization and growth performance of kuroiler, broiler and local Tanzanian chickens
Get PDFThis research article was published by Academic Journals in 2020Chicken is a major livestock species raised by smallholder households in rural areas in developing countries of Sub-Saharan Africa as a chief source of meat protein and income generation. However, Newcastle disease largely compromises the production of this precious bird under backyard production settings. The purpose of the study was to assess antibody responses and growth performance following Newcastle disease vaccination in kuroiler, broiler, and local Tanzanian chickens raised under the same tropical environmental condition. In the experiment, a total of 358 chickens comprised of 127 kuroilers, 121 broilers, and 110 local Tanzanian chickens were raised for seven weeks, and body weights were recorded weekly. Birds were vaccinated at four weeks, and blood samples were collected at days 10, and 21 post-vaccination for antibody titres quantification by ELISA test. Results demonstrated higher (P < 0.05) antibody titres in kuroilers (3.81 ± 0.06) as compared to local chicken (3.73 ± 0.07) and broilers (3.53±0.06) at day 10 post-vaccination. The growth performance of local Tanzanian chickens was comparable to that of kuroilers. The present findings contribute to on-going work in understanding chicken immune responses against NDV and inform breeding programs designed for developing chickens with increased resistance to NDV
Predictors of Program Participation in a Nutrition-Sensitive Agroecological Intervention in Singida, Tanzania
Get PDFThis research article was published in the Current Developments in Nutrition Volume 4, SUPPLEMENT 2, June 2020Objectives
Nutrition-sensitive agricultural interventions are theorized to improve child’s diet through asset provision and program participation. Although some programs measure participation, predictors of participation are understudied. We therefore investigated predictors of men’s and women’s program participation in Singida Nutrition and Agroecology Project (SNAP-Tz; NCT02761876).
Methods
In SNAP-Tz, ‘mentor farmers’ led their peers (smallholder farmers with children < 1 year at baseline) in learning about agroecology, nutrition, and gender equity through meetings and household visits. At baseline, we collected data on demographics, Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (0–27), men’s involvement in 7 household tasks (0–7), and Abbreviated Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (AWEAI). Participating men (n = 262) and women (n = 283) were asked to recall their program participation biannually. Predictors of high participation, defined as attendance in ≥60% participant meetings and household visits, were identified using multiple logistic regressions, controlling for clustering at the village level.
Results
Only 59% and 37% of women and men, respectively, had high participation. Women’s high participation was associated with their spouse’s participation (OR = 4.23, P < 0.01), greater food insecurity (OR = 1.03, P = 0.03), years of education (OR = 1.13, P = 0.02), and being empowered (OR = 5.88, P < 0.01). Men’s high participation was associated with their spouse’s participation (OR = 4.22, P < 0.01), greater food insecurity (OR = 2.23, P = 0.01), involvement in household tasks (OR = 1.25, P = 0.04), and age (OR = 1.03, P < 0.01).
Conclusions
Associations between an individual’s and their spouse’s participation indicate the importance of spousal dynamics. The association between participation and baseline gender equity (i.e., women’s empowerment, men’s involvement in household tasks) highlights the challenges of gender programming in nutrition-sensitive interventions. Analysis of program participation was simple and revealed valuable lessons for program implementation and design; more programs should therefore analyze participation
Biochar as a feed additive for improving the performance of farm animals
Get PDFThis research article was published by Malaysian Journal of Sustainable Agriculture (MJSA) in 2020Biochar, also known as biomass-derived char or charcoal is a dark/black carbonaceous material generated
from the pyrolysis process under temperature averagely 700 0C and low oxygen levels. Depending on the
intended objectives and conditions of the pyrolysis, the biochar, syngas and bio-oils are the three primary
products generated. The quality of biochar is a function of its primary biomass source, residence time and
temperature during pyrolysis which in turn results in variations of its physicochemical characteristics such
as porosity, carbon content, elemental composition, surface area, retention capacity, and overall applications.
The physical and chemical activation techniques to produce the activated charcoal is often done to improve
the effectiveness of these carbonaceous materials. The biochar has broadly been used globally in agro-
environmental management including in livestock production. Its inclusion at 1 - 3 % of DM of animal feed
rations have been studied to improve health conditions and performance of farm animals such as weight gain,
immunity response, feed intake, feed conversion rates, carcass characteristics and overall quality of animal
products. The mechanisms associated with the beneficial impacts rely on adsorption ability of these materials
in detoxifying the mycotoxins in feed, regulating plant-produced toxins, having a high affinity to pollutants as
well as improvement of the beneficial microbial populations in animals' gastrointestinal tract. However, the
current literature indicates there is still a need for more investigation on the effectiveness of biochar in animal
production due to either limited knowledge or contrasting findings reported. Also, there are imperative
challenges which need to be addressed such as safety standards, specificity, potential contamination,
affordability, and level of awareness by farmers who are end-users of biochar and its products
Conservation and Management Challenges Facing a Medicinal Plant Zanthoxylum chalybeum in Simanjiro Area, Northern Tanzania
Get PDFThis research article was submitted in Sustainability 2020, volume 12The information on the medicinal use, availability, challenges, and future conservation strategies for the medicinal plant Zanthoxylum chalybeum were gathered by using a semi-structured questionnaire, focused group discussions, and field observations in Simanjiro Area, Tanzania. Data were collected from local village members who were familiar with the tree and the key informants. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The extent of use was found to be very high, with more than three-quarters of harvested parts used for treating women’s health system (86.4%). The most used plant parts for medicinal purposes were reported to be the roots and the stem bark (90.3% and 81.6%, respectively), possibly suggesting mortality caused by heavy harvesting. In addition to unsustainable harvesting methods, minimal and unpredictable propagation methods were the key factors affecting the recruitment rate, with perhaps an addition of continued climate and land-use change (93.2%), indicative of low precipitation and high agriculture and settlement expansions. Given these challenges, the future conservation and persistence of Z. chalybeum looks uncertain, which requires such measures as the provision of education and awareness and ensuring proper land-use plans that encompass active recruitment of the species in these areas
Integrating land-water-people connectivity concepts across disciplines for co-design of soil erosion solutions
Get PDFThis research article was published in the Land Degradation & Development Volume 32, Issue 12, 2020Soil resources in East Africa are being rapidly depleted by erosion, threatening food, water and livelihood security in the region. Here we demonstrate how the integration of evidence from natural and social sciences has supported a community-led change in land management in an agro-pastoral community in northern Tanzania. Geospatial analysis of erosion risk and extent (based on a drone survey across a 3.6 km2 sub-catchment) revealed that recently converted land had ca 12-times greater rill density than established slow-forming terraced plots (987 ± 840 m2 ha−1 vs. 79 ± 110 m2 ha−1). Slope length and connectivity between plots were key factors in the development of rill networks rather than slope per se wherein slope length was augmented by weak boundaries between newly formed plots. Erosion evidence, supported by communication of 'process' and 'structural' hydrological connectivity, was integrated with local environmental knowledge within participatory community workshops. Demonstration of the critical time window of hillslope-scale rill erosion risk during early phases of slow-forming terrace development catalysed a community-led tree planting and grass seed sowing programme to mitigate soil erosion by water. This was grounded in an implicit farmer understanding of the need for effective governance mechanisms at both community and District levels, to enable community-led actions to be implemented effectively. The study demonstrates the wide-reaching impact of integrated and interdisciplinary 'upslope-downslope' thinking to tackle global soil erosion challenges
The Effect of Agricultural Training on Youth Farm Entrepreneurial Attitudes: Evidence from Folk Development Colleges in Tanzania
Get PDFThis research article published by African Research Review, Vol. 14 No. 1, 2020Given the paucity of youth employment opportunities in the non-agricultural formal sector in developing countries much more needs to be done to attract youth into the agricultural sector. The main objective of this paper was to assess the influence of the agricultural training on youth farm entrepreneurial attitudes. A cross-sectional design was employed and 300 respondents were randomly selected from three Folk Development Colleges (FDCs). The data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings show that youth have favourable attitudes towards farm entrepreneurship. Furthermore, a significant difference was found in terms of farm entrepreneurial attitude across sex, age groups, college and programme studied. It is concluded that training in colleges where agricultural courses are blended with an entrepreneurship course have positive influence on youth attitude towards farm entrepreneurship. It is generally recommended that more theoretical components on the socio-economic benefits of farm entrepreneurship need to be added to the existing curriculum
Virulence pattern of circulating aeromonads isolated from farmed Nile tilapia in Tanzania and novel antibiotic free attenuation of Aeromonas hydrophila strain TZR7-2018
Get PDFThis research article published by Elsevier B.V., 2020Aeromonads are gram-negative, rod-shaped, facultative anaerobes bacteria known to cause motile aeromonads septicemia diseases (MAS) in warm freshwater farmed fish. Outbreaks are associated with pathogenicity of aeromonads in fish which is partly contributed by virulence characteristics of the etiological agent. The objective of this study was to assess the virulence characteristics of the previously isolated and identified aeromonads, and attenuate potential Aeromonas hydrophila strain TZR7-2018 to serve as local vaccine candidate. Six virulence genes and other virulence characteristics were molecularly and phenotypically assessed both using in-vitro and in-vivo approaches. Attenuation of A. hydrophila parent strain TZR7-2018+ was performed by passaging through thermal continuous sub-culturing 40 times in Tryptic soy agar (TSA). Bacterin was prepared by formalin inactivation from the same parent strain. Humoral responses were assayed using quantitative serological agglutination test (qSAT) while protective efficacy was measured through relative percent survival (RPS). A total 240 Nile tilapia fingerlings with an average weight of 8.1 ± 0.4 g were used in all in-vivo studies. The presence of aerolysin (aer), cytotoxic enterotoxin (act), elastase (ahy), haemolysin (hly), serine (ser) and polar flagella (fla) genes were determined using PCR. Out of 201 isolates, 75.1 % (151/201) of the aeromonads possessed virulence genes (120=A. hydrophila and 31=Aeromonas veronii). The virulence gene pattern of aer/hly/fla was the most prominent with the prevalence of 12.6 %. The attenuated strain TZR7-2018− showed reduced: colon size, multiplication rate, cell size and loss in; haemolysis, motility and capsule. Humoral responses increased gradually and reached maximum at day 28 in both attenuated and bacterin formulation given through intraperitoneal (IP) injection and immersion (IM). A RPS of 82.3 %, 71.4 % and 85.1 %, were recorded to the attenuated vaccine given through IP and IM and bacterin provided through IP respectively.
Therefore the attenuated strain TZR7-2018− obtained through thermal continuous subculture technique and the bacterin proved to be efficacious and can serve as vaccine candidate