ABSTRACT Lack of simple storage facilities in tomato supply chain contributes to high postharvest losses of tomato in Tanzania. In the field, harvested tomatoes are left in an open area and occasionally covered with grasses or sometimes under shade trees. Refrigerated storage structures are relatively expensive to build and operate; and most people living in rural areas cannot afford. This study was conducted to determine the effect of on farm storage technology (zero energy cool chamber) wit...
ABSTRACT Sweet sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) has been recognised widely as a potential alternative source of biofuel because of its high fermentable sugar content in the stalk. With international focus on alternative fuel sources, investors are looking at sweet sorghum as a feedstock source for bioethanol production without compromising sorghum’s primary use for food, fodder, and animal feed. However, for researchers to maximize its feedstock potential and to be used in future there is a nee...
ABSTRACT Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) is an important export crop in a number of tropical countries and is the main cash crop and the leading source of income for over 300,000 households in Southern and Eastern Tanzania. Farmers still, however use unimproved varieties, which account for low yields. Thirty cashew genotypes were evaluated to assess genetic variability for higher yield and its components at two locations (Nachingwea and Chambezi) in the Southern and Eastern zones of Tanzan...
ABSTRACT Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is one of the important crops in the world for food and income security. Cassava production is challenged by weeds as they reduce yield to 100%. Effective weed management in cassava production depend determination of weed species diversity and determination of Critical Period for Weed Removal (CPWR). A study was conducted in Zambia, to document weed species diversity in cassava growing areas of Chongwe and Kaoma districts in Zambia, determine the cr...
ABSTRACT The experiment was conducted at Agricultural Research Institute (ARI)–Ukiriguru Mwanza, Tanzania from November 2011 to May 2012, aiming at improving upland rice performance through enhanced soil fertility and water conservation methods. A split–split plot experiment in randomized complete block design with three replications and three factors that were (a) upland rice cultivars (WAB 450, NERICA1 and NERICA4) (b) fertilizer types, (urea 80kg N/ha, farm yard manure 5 t/ha and contr...
ABSTRACT Rodents often damage crops throughout the growing season, from germination to harvest, thus making it difficult to understand its cumulative effects for crops such as rice that are able to partially compensate. This study examines response of rice yield to rat damage in farmer’s fields and simulated rat damage in irrigated and rain-fed rice (Oryza sativum L.) in Morogoro, one of Tanzania’s granary areas. The study was conducted at Hembeti village in Mvomero district from Septembe...
ABSTRACT Field experiments were conducted simultaneously from April to July 2012 at agro-ecologies; Bambi (Latitude 06o09’S, Longitude 039o16’E; and Altitude 20m above sea level) Central District and Kizimbani (Latitude 05o54’S, Longitude 039o16’E; and Altitude 20 m above sea level) Western Unguja district. The aim was to investigate the effectiveness of selected cultural practices (weeding and hilling-up once, twice and thrice), vine portions (apical, middle and basal) and variety (M...
ABSTRACT A field experiment was conducted during 2014/15 growing season at Tumbi, Tabora to study response of sweet potato to organic and inorganic fertilizers. The experiment was split plot laid in a Randomized Complete Block Design with four fertilizer types and different rates; 0, 50, 100, 150 (DAP), 100, 200, 300 kg ha-1 (Minjingu Mazao), 150, 250, 350 kg ha-1 (NPK) and 2.5,5.0,7.5 ton ha-1 (FYM) as main plots and three varieties (Kasinia, Simama and Ukerewe) as subplot in three replicati...
ABSTRACT An experiment was conducted in the Northern Zone of Tanzania during the growing season 2014/2015. The aim of the study was to characterize the maize landraces collected at farm level and establish the diversity that exists in Northern Tanzania for landraces maize growers. The experiment with fifteen maize landraces was laid out in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Data were collected on vegetative and reproductive variables. Data were subjected to Analy...
ABSTRACT Laboratory and field experiments were carried out in Morogoro Region from August 2008 to June 2009 to evaluate effectiveness of locally formulated baits in managing the melon fly, Bactrocera cucurbitae (Cocquillett) (Diptera:Tephritidae). An assay was design to determine the quantity of D. elliptica that could kill more than 50% of B. cucurbitae populations, where by roots of D. elliptica were sun dried and prepare a crude extracts then were mixed with brewer’s yeast and the other ...
ABSTRACT The aim of this research was to assess for levels of drought tolerance among common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) lines developed for drought tolerance; grown under non-stress (NS) and drought-stress (DS) water conditions. The research was conducted at Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) located at 605’ latitude south, 3703’ longitude east and 525 m.a.s.l. It was done in a screen house. The experimental design was Completely Randomized Design (CRD), two water regimes and twelv...
ABSTRACT Studies were carried out to establish the role and significance of rice stem borers as pests in rice crop in Kahama District from November, 2013 to May, 2014. Twenty rice fields in four wards of Kahama District were surveyed to assess the presence of larvae and adult moths. Each field was divided into four strata within which four quadrats were established in each. In each quadrat, the damaged rice tillers (dead heart), damaged panicles (white head) and total number of tillers and pa...
ABSTRACT Field experiments were carried out in 2006 and 2007 cropping seasons at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Department of Crop Science, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, to study the inheritance pattern of days to flowering and quantitative traits in cowpea. The experimental materials comprised 10 cowpea accessions sourced from Plateau and Enugu States of Nigeria. Reciprocal crosses were generated and the parents, F1, F2 and BC populations were evaluated for days to flowering under lo...
ABSTRACT Studies were conducted on nine (9) bambara groundnut (Voandzeia subterranea) accessions representative of cultivars cultivated in Ghana, Swaziland and Zimbabwe at the University Farms, Legon, on two planting dates.
ABSTRACT The performance of 16 cultivers of common wheat was studied at Kpong in 8 monthly plantings to