ABSTRACT Various plant diseases (Fusarium ear rots, bean anthracnose and damping off of seedlings) caused by phytopathogenic agents are known to cause considerable crop losses to agricultural yield all over the world. The use of antagonistic microorganisms in controlling maize and bean pathogens is an area of great potential in order to increase yield, thereof mitigate food insecurity. The aim of this study was to characterize and screen selected tropical fungi and bacteria for antimicrobial ...
ABSTRACT Mosquitoes transmit serious human diseases, resulting into millions of deaths globally every year. The use of synthetic insecticides to control vector mosquitoes has caused physiological resistance and adverse environmental effects in addition to high operational costs. Mosquito larvicidal compounds from certain plant and fungal species have been reported. Basidiomycetes fungi are known to synthesize a wide range of bioactive secondary metabolites. The objective of this work was to ...
EXTENDED ABSTRACT Rice leaf blast is a rice disease caused by fungus Pyricularia oryzae Cavara. The disease is widely spread in all rice ecological systems in Zanzibar viz; rainfed upland, rainfed lowland and irrigated. In Zanzibar rice is a staple food crop that serves 3.1 millions people but the crop is highly infected with rice leaf blast disease a major producton constraint. A comprehensive survey was conducted in six districts of Zanzibar islands covering three districts in Unguja viz: ...
ABSTRACT The success of entomopathogenic fungi as microbial control agents ultimately depends on the use of the right propagule, formulated in an optimum fashion and applied at the right time to a susceptible host. In this study, the pathogenicity of six isolates of Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuill. and 14 isolates of Metarhizium anisopliae (Metsch.) Sorok to Metopolophium dirhodum (Walker) and Rhopalosiphum padi (Linneaus) was for the first time determined in the laboratory. The differential...
Abstract Bioremediation has been proven to be the most effective method of cleaning up oil contaminated soils through the application of nutrients and microorganism to contaminated soils. Hence, this research was aimed at investigating the effects of particle sizes on bioremediation of crude oil polluted sandy soils. Six different soil samples were sieved using the B.S sieve sizes. The sieve sizes were classified into X and Y such that X is fine to coarse sand while Y is very fine to coarse ...
ABSTRACT An assessment of quality parameters of farmer saved pigeon pea seeds was conducted in Babati and Karatu Districts in northern Tanzania. Pigeon pea seed samples were collected from 80 households (farmers), 40 from each district; for testing of their physical and health quality status with respect to three post-harvest handling practices (storage, pre storage seed treatment and seed sorting) following ISTA procedures. Results were then compared with national standards of pigeon peas s...
ABSTRACT Participatory Action Research approach was used in this study involving organic spice farmers from Tawa Ward within Morogoro region, researchers from Sokoine University of Agriculture and Sustainable Agriculture Tanzania organization. Harvesting and postharvest handling practices by clove and black pepper organic farmers in Tawa Ward were assessed. Five villages were visited, 107 organic farmers were interviewed, 34 among them inspected and provided samples for analysis. Fungal qua...
ABSTRACT The study was conducted in Songea rural district in Ruvuma region to investigate the environmental impact of dark fire tobacco. Community level data collection was carried out using structured questionnaires, focus group discussions, checklist guides and field survey in four villages selected purposively. A total of 120 tobacco growing households were interviewed. Analysis of both primary and secondary data was done using Ms Excel and SPSS. Results indicated that cultivation of toba...
ABSTRACT Studies show there is less ear damage by insect pests and increased soil fertility from maize/legume intercropping system. These are two main benefits with pre-harvest potential on ear rots incidence and severity which result into mycotoxins reduction. Therefore, in a two season study, impact of push-pull technology (PP), maize desmodium intercrop edged by Brachiaria or Napier grass, was assessed on incidence and severity of four common ear rots: Fusarium, Gibberella, Diplodia and As...
ABSTRACT Ganoderma polypore species are hard, leathery poroid mushrooms that lack the distinct stipe. They are a unique group of fungi usually ignored by most fungi enthusiasts because of their typical inedibility, unfamiliar habitat and general opacity. In addition to their traditional use, contemporary research has suggested many applications for cancer treatment and boosting of the immune system. Due to increase in bacterial resistance to existing antibiotics infectious diseases have ...
ABSTRACT A study was conducted to assess the quality of Tanzanian honey based on antioxidant properties and antimicrobial activities on bacteria and fungi in relation to its physicochemical properties. Two types of honey samples (stinging and stingless bees’ honey) were collected from central zone (Singida and Dodoma) and western zone (Tabora and Shinyanga). Honey samples were analysed for anti-microbial activities, anti-oxidant properties (total phenols, vitamin C) and physico-chemical pr...
This study was conducted in both laboratories of plant pathology and tissue culture in College of Agricultural Studies, Sudan University Science and Technology Nine cultivars of Sorghum bicolor collected from Gadarif area were tested for the presence of seed borne fungi. The cultivars were Mugudahmer, Wadahmed, Wadakar. Arfaagadamac, Hageen, Tetron, Dabar, Fatarita and Tabet. Seed health testing included dry inspection in which the seeds were divided into healthy, broken and infected....
ABSTRACT Compliance by street fruit salad and juice vendors with national food safety and quality requirements was evaluated. Evaluation was based on good manufacturing practices (GMP), good hygienic practices (GHP), selected heavy metals, physicochemical properties and microbiological quality parameters. Compliance by street vendors was also compared to vendors in university cafeterias and town restaurants. Among the fruit salad and fruit juice vendors, 71.4% and 54.3%, respectively, had no ...
ABSTRACT The East African Camphor (Ocotea), a canopy tree species and an important component of Chome Nature Reserve (CNR)which used to occupy more than 50% of the forest canopy is seriously declining in density. Although the species is illegally logged for timber, the main concern of ecologists is the declining regeneration and death of individuals in all age classes. Increasing selective logging and tree cutting for fuel wood are implicated to impair recovery of Camphor forests by changing ...
ABSTRACT Seed health testing to detect seed-borne pathogens is an important step in the management of crop diseases. Laboratory and screen house experiments were carried out at Selian Agriculture Research Institute Arusha, to investigate the extent of seed-borne fungal pathogen problems from farmers saved seeds in Northern wheat growing Zone. A total of 45 untreated seed samples of wheat were collected from farmers saved seeds in Karatu, Hanang and Siha Districts. Each sample was physically i...