ABSTRACT Indigenous chicken are mainly kept in subsistence systems and constitute about 80% of Africa’s poultry flock. Currently, there are no well-defined breeding goals and genetic improvement programmes for the indigenous chicken are rare. The overall aim of this study was to develop breeding goals for use in production systems utilising the indigenous chicken. The specific objectives were to construct a deterministic bio-economic model for the economic evaluation of production systems ...
ABSTRACT Exports are a vital component of a nation’s balance of payments as they are source of foreign exchange and economic growth. Much of the economic growth in Zambia has been driven by copper exports, which have suffered from external shocks such as plummeting prices on the world market. It is against this background that the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) has devised a number of measures to promote export diversification to non-traditional exports with a view to reducing h...
ABSTRACT As population continues to increase especially in African and Asian countries, demand for more food is equally increasing. There have been challenges in meeting the food security needs in most countries especially those depending on rain-fed agriculture. Although a number of countries are addressing the shortfall by investing heavily on irrigated agriculture, the availability of irrigation water still remains one of the major challenges. Irrigation has been ranked as one of the activ...
ABSTRACT The contribution of common bean to nutrition and income has not been fully felt by smallholder farmers in western Kenya due to low yields. Good quality seed, if used with complementary practices can increase bean productivity. This study was conducted in Bondo sub-County to determine the methods used by farmers in seed quality control; factors affecting the choice preferences for informal bean seed sources; the structure and contribution of social networks in seed quality control. Pr...
ABSTRACT Fish diseases and parasitic infections have been recognized as detrimental and limiting factors in the development of capture fisheries and aquaculture. Research on monogeneans parasitizing fish from Lake Naivasha, Kenya is scanty. This study aimed to identify the species of monogenean parasites of some cichlid and cyprinid fish in Lake Naivasha, Kenya. Fifty specimens of each fish species comprising: Oreochromis niloticus, O. leucostictus, Tilapia zillii and Barbus paludinosus were ...
ABSTRACT Sewage treatment plants (WTPs) use a combination of physical, chemical and biological processes to reduce the pollutant loads in wastewater. The treated wastewater is then either discharged to surface water or is reused. Successive stages in wastewater treatment plants reduce the quantity of suspended solids, biological contaminants, organic matter content and nutrient constituents in sewage. Changes in the properties of the effluents can occur along the treatment process leading to ...
ABSTRACT Russian wheat aphid (Diuraphis noxia Kurdjumov) (RWA) and the emergence of stem rust (Puccinia graminis Pers. f.sp. tritici ) race TTKSK (‘Ug99’) in Kenya are currently some of the most binding constraints to wheat production in Kenya. Severe infestation by RWA may result in yield losses of up to 90% in commercial wheat cultivars while ‘Ug99’ infected plants may suffer up to 100% loss. The two pests combined have seriously affected wheat farmers forcing them to heavily rely o...
ABSTRACT Legumes are important food and cash crops in developing countries. In Tanzania, more than half the farmers grow several species of grain legumes which include common bean, groundnut, pigeon pea, cowpea, chickpea, peas and soybean. However, productivity of all grain legumes is still low and far below potential and this has impacted on profitability. The aim of this study was to contribute to common bean improved profitability facts for income and food security in Tanzania. The specifi...
The subject of occupational health hazards, accidents and injuries is becoming a major problem. Although they are on the rise, they are poorly documented in many parts of Zambia and thus inadequate information accessible to several stakeholders. Consequently, the socio-economic effects of workplace injuries are visibly on the increase too. Therefore, this study aimed to assess and determine the socio- economic impact of occupational health hazards and injuries on livelihoods of affected worke...
ABSTRACT Land conflicts among smallholder communities are becoming common in Tanzania. Mvomero District in Morogoro Region is one of the areas where such conflicts have been occurring frequently. This study was conducted in four villages of Mvomero District, namely Mkindo, Bungoma, Kambala and Misufini and involved about 50 respondents from each village. The main objective was to assess the relationship between land tenure systems and occurrence of land conflicts in smallholder communities i...
ABSTRACT Despite the potential of improved sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) varieties in both root and fodder production, farmers are persistently cultivating local types without considering proper intensity and frequency of leaf removal to optimize both quality and quantity of roots. A study was carried out to determine growth responses of improved sweet potato varieties (Simama, Kiegea and Mataya) following leaf harvests; determine the effect of leaf harvest intensity on sweet potato root...
ABSTRACT The fact that evaluating economic performance of irrigation schemes are important and therefore needed at regular intervals is actually the motivation behind this study. Major objective of the study is to provide information that can be used to improve performance of the Farmer Managed Irrigation Schemes in Tanzania in terms of; economic returns to farmers, water use efficiency and productivity, operation and maintenance and sustainability of the schemes. The study area covered thre...
ABSTRACT Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is a nutritious vegetable consumed worldwide. Open field production faces a number of constraints including biotic and abiotic stresses. The general objective of the study was to enhance tomato productivity through provision of an alternative pest control and protected cropping system that is relatively affordable to small scale farmers. The study entailed a field production and laboratory postharvest experiment at the Horticulture Research Field, Ege...
ABSTRACT The potential of the traditional beef cattle sector in Mwanza region and Tanzania at large have only been utilized marginally. The sector still suffers from limited access and linkages to premium markets, lack of entrepreneurial dynamisms by actors, as well as, use of poor production and processing technology. Based on this ground this study was carried out under the VicRes funding to evaluate the performance of the beef cattle value chain in Ilemela and Magu districts. The study a...
ABSTRACT Forests and water are important Common Pool Resources (CPRs) in the Uluguru Mountains (UMs). Water connects socio-economic groups of different altitudinal zonation namely upstream and downstream with multiple uses and conflicting interests. Researches have been done on ecosystem value, CPRs depletions and the role of socioeconomic incentives in biodiversity conservation but little is known about power relations underlying upstream and downstream CPRs users. This study therefore, was...