Tanzanian smallholder farmers typically sell maize soon after harvest to avoid storage losses, but emerging pests threaten post-harvest systems and food security. The bark beetle Pagiocerus frontalis (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), a pest of maize and avocado seeds, is reported here for the first time in Africa. First detected in December 2018 on stored provitamin-A maize (CP201) in Arusha, Tanzania, its identity was confirmed through morphological characteristics, feeding behavior, and COI sequence analysis, which revealed close similarity to populations from Mexico and Panama. Pagiocerus frontalis caused severe damage to stored maize grain and to avocado seeds in our preliminary rearing trials. The species also demonstrated the ability to infest multiple maize varieties. Its impacts resemble those of the Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae), which caused severe grain losses following its introduction to Africa. Early detection and identification of P. frontalis are therefore critical to mitigate this emerging threat to African food security.

Lablab serves a multifunctional role, contributing to both human food and livestock feed. It contributes significantly to the conservation agriculture practices, food security sustainability, and livelihood enhancement, especially under persistent drought conditions. Although it has many advantages, Lablab remains an underutilized crop in many countries. These countries continue to lack access to improved varieties that possess both high yield potential and drought tolerance. This study aimed to screen different Lablab accessions for drought tolerance at the seedling stage, based on their physiological responses to drought stress. The study was carried out in the screen house at Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) - Selian in Arusha, Tanzania through two repeated experiments. The experiments involved 302 test accessions and 3 checks, each assigned Dolichos (D) accession number, and arranged in the Augmented Complete Block Design (ACBD). Thirty-two blocks were established through repeated randomization of the accessions at each experiment. Ten seeds per accession were sown in each block and different watering regimes were applied in phases during each experiment to manage the screening process. Data collection involved different seedling traits at each phase. These traits were then subjected to various statistical analyses. Descriptive statistics were created from the qualitative responses to explain the accessions' performance, while the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and a range of means for the quantitative responses were performed to determine variations among the accessions. The drought-tolerant (DT) and drought-susceptible (DS) accessions were selected based on their performance in qualitative traits and a range of means for each quantitative trait across the experimental phases. The findings revealed a great variation among the accessions for their qualitative and quantitative (p < 0.05 & lowast;, 0.001 & lowast;& lowast;, and 0.0001 & lowast;& lowast;& lowast;) responses to drought stress across the experimental phases. Based on the qualitative and quantitative responses of the accessions to drought stress, D349, D147, HA4, D363, D352, D359, D348, D311, D55, and D250 were selected as the DT accessions while D271, D66, D106, D6, D26, D255, D28, D186, D95, and D258 were identified as the DS accessions. These accessions were recommended for the biochemical and molecular analysis to determine the basis of their drought tolerance under stressed and non-stressed conditions. Finally, they were recommended for seedling-stage and yield-performance evaluation in arid and semi-arid environments to contribute to the development of high-yield, and drought-tolerant varieties prior to their commercialization.

Interactions among co-occurring stored-product pests can influence population dynamics and postharvest losses, yet multi-species infestations involving invasive pests remain poorly understood in tropical maize storage systems. This study investigated competitive interactions among the invasive bark beetle Pagiocerus frontalis (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) and established pests Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and Prostephanus truncatus (Horn) (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae). Six single- and mixed-species infestation treatments were evaluated under controlled laboratory conditions using equal initial insect densities in a completely randomized design. Progeny production, grain damage, and weight loss were assessed to determine the effects of interspecific interactions. All species developed successfully under both single- and mixed-species infestation conditions, but reproductive performance and grain deterioration varied significantly among treatments. Mixed infestations involving P. frontalis caused higher grain damage (95.83–97.50%) and weight loss (47.91–68.75%) than single-species infestations. S. zeamais produced the highest progeny numbers in mixed-species treatments (129 adults), indicating superior competitive performance under the tested conditions. Effect size analysis demonstrated strong treatment effects (partial η2 > 0.92), while relative crowding coefficient (RCC) analysis revealed asymmetric competition, with S. zeamais outperforming P. frontalis (RCC = 0.70) and P. truncatus (RCC = 0.72); competition between P. frontalis and P. truncatus was comparatively balanced (RCC = 1.00). These findings highlight the importance of considering interspecific interactions in stored-maize pest ecology and management, as pest communities rather than individual species may determine infestation severity and postharvest losses.

Worldwide, there is increasing recognition in the application of nature-based solutions (NbS) that can be generated among others from nature-based approaches (NbA) to restore degraded natural habitats. This paper reports systematic evidence established from performing a series of laboratory, screen house (ex situ) and field (in situ) experiments for over a decade to collate and communicate the effectiveness of NbA for managing ecosystems degraded by invasive plants. We first tested ex situ (2015-2017); the effect of Desmodium uncinatum leaf extracts and re-seeding of a native grass Cynodon dactylon on the growth and development of selected species of the family Asteracea following a completely randomized design (CRD). We then tested in situ (2018-2020) by targeting invasive plants of the same family in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA) by setting 12 pilot blocks of 28 & times; 28 m, following a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD). The in situ trials were conducted to assess the effectiveness of C. dactylon re-seeding, spraying of D. uncinatum leaf extract and D. uncinatum seeding on invasive plant species ground cover, native plant species diversity and invasive and native plants' seedling density. The in situ trials were then followed by a validation workshop (2020-2021) and later on (2022 onwards) the approach was up-scaled. Compared to control plots, in situ we found that our NbA were able to reduce invasion by over 60%. The highest level of invasive plant suppression was observed when 6.65 g/m2 of Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers) and 100% Silver leaf Desmodium (Desmodium uncinatum (Jacq.) DC.) leaf extract were reseeded and sprayed, respectively. This improved forage species diversity by four species and reduced the number of germinated invasive plant seeds by over 85%. These two treatments further improved the soil seedbank of forage species by over 55%. Practical implication: Taken together with the ex situ evidence, the in situ evidence suggests that invasive plants, often dominated by the family Asteraceae, can be effectively controlled in sub-Saharan Africa landscapes by our novel NbA while simultaneously restoring them. Our results inform wider landscape level restoration actions to prevent and mitigate further invasive plants' encroachment and associated negative effects.

In Tanzania, smallholder farmers often sell maize immediately after harvest to avoid post-harvest losses caused by storage pests, a practice that exacerbates food insecurity. The invasive bark beetle Pagiocerus frontalis (Fabricius, 1801) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), which infests maize and avocado seeds, was first detected in Tanzania in December 2018 in stored provitamin A yellow maize (CP 201). Host plant resistance represents a safe and sustainable strategy for managing storage insect pests. In this study, we evaluated the susceptibility of 27 maize varieties commonly cultivated in Tanzania. The varieties were assessed for grain damage, weight loss, progeny production, time to progeny emergence, and adult insect mortality. Significant differences were observed in grain damage and adult mortality, whereas no significant differences were detected in grain weight loss, progeny number, or time to progeny emergence. These findings demonstrate that P. frontalis can inflict substantial damage across all major maize varieties in Tanzania. This study provides the first evidence of varietal susceptibility to this invasive pest and establishes a foundation for developing integrated pest management strategies aimed at safeguarding maize production and enhancing food security in Tanzania and across Africa.

Stored grains are highly vulnerable to insect pests, which can cause significant post-harvest losses worldwide. The invasive bark beetle Pagiocerus frontalis (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) poses a major threat to maize and avocado seeds, yet the influence of temperature on its biology and damage potential is poorly understood. Here, we examined the effects of six constant temperatures (13, 17, 21, 25, 29, 33 °C) on survival, development, reproduction, and grain damage. Beetles thrived under moderately warm conditions (21, 25 and 29 °C), with the highest progeny, grain damage, and weight loss at 25 °C, while extreme temperatures (13 or 33 °C) suppressed activity and reproduction. These findings clarify the species' thermal preferences and suggest that controlling storage temperature, either by cooling or heat treatment, could reduce pest-induced losses, providing a sustainable, non-chemical strategy for protecting stored grains. This information can also be incorporated into climate-based predictive models to forecast pest survival, establishment, and potential damage.

Global efforts to end hunger are about more than producing enough food; they are also about producing food that is nutritious enough. Micronutrient deficiencies—the “hidden hunger” affecting billions—persist in part because the domestication bottleneck quietly eroded mineral and lipid diversity from the very crops the world relies on most. Wild relatives of domesticated legumes still carry much of that diversity, and genetic biofortification offers a sustainable route to put it back to work. Wild Vigna germplasm remains poorly characterized for traits that could support nutritional biofortification and neo-domestication. With that in mind, we characterized the seed mineral and fatty acid composition of 86 accessions from four wild Vigna species (V. vexillata, V. ambacensis, V. reticulata and V. racemosa), benchmarked against three domesticated (cultivars) and semi-domesticated checks (V. unguiculata, V. umbellata and V. vexillata landrace). Copper, manganese, zinc and iron were quantified by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry after dry-ash digestion, and fatty acids were profiled as methyl esters by GC-MS. The species differed systematically in their mineral profiles. V. reticulata stood out as the most promising donor for copper-focused breeding, V. vexillata carried the highest median Zn, Mn and Fe values and is attractive for multi-micronutrient improvement, V. ambacensis showed a more stable but less extreme profile, and V. racemosa combined a relatively high Fe concentration with the most nutritionally favorable lipid profile of all—dominated by the essential polyunsaturated linoleic (C18:2n 6) and α-linolenic (C18:3n 3) acids. The other three wild species, by contrast, were dominated by saturated palmitic (C16:0) and stearic (C18:0) acids, which gives their oils greater oxidative stability and different food-industry applications. Principal component analysis supported these patterns for both datasets—minerals (PC1 = 60.39%, PC2 = 20.21%; cumulative 80.61%) and fatty acids (PC1 = 81.6%, PC2 = 14.0%; cumulative 95.6%)—and cleanly separated V. racemosa and the checks from the remaining wild species on lipid composition. Together, these results identify concrete targets for marker-assisted biofortification and de novo domestication of four African Vigna taxa.

Lablab is a multipurpose and the most drought-tolerant (DT) crop compared with its relatives. Despite its potential, Lablab is still an underutilized crop with a lack of improved varieties in many countries. The DT (D349, D147, HA4, D363, D352, D359, D348, D311, D55 and D250) and drought-susceptible (DS) (D271, D66, D106, D6, D26, D255, D28, D186, D95, and D258) accessions were earlier identified according to their morphological and biochemical responses to moisture stress at the seedling stage. These accessions were used to establish genetic polymorphism among the accessions contrasting for drought stress based on the Expressed Sequence Tag-Simple Sequence Repeats (EST-SSR) markers. The CTAB protocol was employed for the genomic DNA extraction. After DNA quality and quantity verification, the PCR was conducted using 16 EST-SSR primer pairs specific to the Lablab. The products were separated through the horizontal polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (hPAGE). Discriminating ability of the markers and primers' efficiency were evaluated based on various genetic parameters. Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCoA) was performed to estimate the distance matrix among the population and among the accessions. While cluster analysis was processed to trace the genetic relationship among the accessions, dendrogram was constructed to decipher their genetic relationship. Analysis of Molecular Variance (AMOVA) was finally computed to quantify the diversity level and genetic relationship among the population, and among the accessions. A low polymorphism (GD = 0.19) was observed between the DT and DS accessions, likely due to limited discriminatory power of the EST-SSR markers. However, the PCoA, cluster analysis and AMOVA identified DT (D147, HA4, and D349) and DS (D106, D95, and D271) accessions as strongly contrasting populations under drought stress, with D147, HA4, D349, D363, D359, D352, and D348 further recommended as DT accessions. Given the low polymorphism observed, further validation using more informative molecular markers and advanced genomic approaches is recommended to improve the identification of drought-tolerance genes and related QTLs to support Lablab breeding programs.

Many agricultural fields are no longer sustainable due to inadequate replenishment of soil nutrients through organic and inorganic inputs, particularly in smallholder farming systems. As a result, achieving potential crop yields in these systems has proven to be difficult. Field trials were conducted in two long rainy growing seasons in 2021 and 2023 to assess the effects of urea fertilizer and cattle manure as sources of nitrogen (N) on (i) maize crop yields and (ii) soil chemical properties at two sites (Kwa Sadala and Mungushi) located in Hai district, northern Tanzania. The trials employed a randomized complete block design with three replicates, including eight treatments. The treatments were: 0 fertilizer (control), 25, 50, 75 kg N ha−1 (sole urea), 12.5 kg N (urea) + 12.5 kg N (cattle manure), 25 kg N (urea) + 25 kg N (cattle manure), and 50 and 75 kg N (sole cattle manure). Results show that the highest application rate of urea (75 kg N ha−1) produced the highest grain yields of 4.21 and 4.09 t ha−1 in the 2021 season and 4.32 and 4.04 t ha−1 in the 2023 season at Kwa Sadala and Mungushi, respectively. The application of cattle manure at the highest rates increased the soil pH by 3.15 and 2.26% at Kwa Sadala and Mungushi, respectively. Similarly, soil total N, OC, available/extractable P, and exchangeable K increased by 100%, 56.3%, 52.36%, and 19.67%, respectively, at Kwa Sadala and by 16.67%, 18.13%, 20.95%, and 6.76%, respectively, at Mungushi. The use of urea alone at the higher rates or in combination with cattle manure at 50% each resulted in the highest net benefit (NB) in all sites. The findings from this study suggest that a comprehensive approach to managing soil nutrients, such as combining inorganic and organic inputs, may improve crop yields while maintaining soil health.

Biopesticides (BPs) are gaining popularity worldwide as a means of managing crop pests. This is largely driven by the negative effects associated with synthetic pesticide use on human health, the environment, and the growing concerns regarding chemical residues in food. This review explored the magnitude of BPs use in managing T. leucotreta in different fruit host plants from the year 2014–2024. SCOPUS journal papers were retrieved through Google Scholar and categorized by pesticide type, including nematodes, botanicals, fungi, and viruses. The information searching was done using related terms and synonyms of the major keywords of interest (“False codling moth”, “Thaumatotibia leucotreta”, “Biopesticides” and “Management”) together with other terms used in previous studies concerning the formulated study question. A total of 136 articles were identified in the Scopus database of which only 13 (10 %) articles specifically lay strong evidence that BPs can effectively manage T. leucotreta thereby significantly reducing fruits infestation. The findings revealed that among the studied interventions, entomopathogenic nematodes were the most extensively researched biopesticide agent, particularly in citrus. Mean while research on entomopathogenic fungi and viruses received some attention. Drawing on published datasets no study has been documented on the use of plant-derived pesticides (botanical pesticides) against T. leucotreta on fruits. Therefore, further research is needed to generate information on use and promote the popularity of the BPs in managing the T. leucotreta, particularly in fruit production in Africa.

Soil resources in East African agro-pastoral lands are being rapidly depleted by erosion, threatening food, water and livelihood security. Here we explore the utility of innovation in portable gamma sensors to rapidly assess soil health via proxy measurement of soil organic matter (SOM) providing visual information that enables local communities to take action to mitigate land degradation before it reaches a critical tipping point.This study is grounded in the outcomes of an integrated, interdisciplinary approach to support co-design of land management policy tailored to the needs of specific communities and places. The work has shown that limitations to delivering socially acceptable and environmentally desirable solutions can be addressed by (1) closing fundamental gaps between the evidence bases of different disciplines and indigenous knowledge and (2) addressing, through participatory action, the implementation gap between science-based recommendations, policy makers and practitioners. Key adaptations implemented in the study region include new bylaws to enforce altered grazing regimes, grassland recovery and tree planting.Against this context, we report a first trial of a portable gamma spectrometer to rapidly assess spatial variability in soil health using total and radionuclide-specific gamma emissions from naturally occurring radioisotopes as a proxy for soil organic matter. A Medusa MS-700 portable gamma spectrometer was deployed on foot across a landscape of known variability in soil health status encompassing a spectrum of impact from severely gullied soil/subsoil, heavily grazed surface soil, recovered grazed soil (ca 3 years exclusion of livestock) and conservation agriculture plots. In-situ field results showed a clear gradient in raw total gamma count rate with sample areas in each zone at 1200 ± 100, 980 ± 70, 814 ± 60 and 720 ± 60 counts per second across the above four areas respectively. Correlations between radioisotope-specific gamma spectrometer data and organic matter (range 15 ± 2 to 30 ± 3 g kg-1 from degraded land to conservation agriculture) were evaluated to explore the dominant control on sensor response. Further comparisons are made to major and minor element geochemistry. Feedback from local Maasai community members who participated in the research further underpins the value of the sensor as a qualitative assessment tool e.g. using visual colour coding in the live data feed in the field. Quantitative comparison of sensor and laboratory data will permit development of protocols for airborne (drone) gamma spectrometry that offers community scale evaluation of grazing pressure on soil health to inform livestock future exclusion policy in common land prone to soil erosion.

Production and consumption of vegetable crops has seen a sharp increase in the recent past owing to an increasing recognition of their nutraceutical benefits. In tandem, there has been unwarranted application of agrochemicals such as insecticides to enhance productivity and vegetable quality, at the cost of human health, and fundamental environmental and ecosystem functions and services. This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of neem and gliricidia botanical extracts in managing harmful insect pest populations in leaf mustard. Our results report that neem and gliricidia plant extracts enhance the yield and quality of leaf mustard by reducing the prevalence and feeding activity of harmful insect pests in a manner similar to synthetic insecticides. Some of the key insect pests reduced were Lipaphis erysimi, Pieris oleracea, Phyllotreta Cruciferae, Melanoplus sanguinipes, and Murgantia histrionica. However, compared to synthetic insecticides, neem and gliricidia plant extracts were able to preserve beneficial insects such as the Coccinellidae spp., Trichogramma minutum, Araneae spp., Lepidoptera spp., and Blattodea spp. Furthermore, plant extracts did not significantly alter sensory attributes, especially taste and odor, whereas the visual appearance of leaf mustard was greater in plants sprayed with neem and synthetic insecticides. Physiologically, plant extracts were also able to significantly lower leaf membrane damage as shown through the electrolyte leakage assay. Therefore, these plant extracts represent promising pesticidal plant materials and botanically active substances that can be leveraged to develop environmentally friendly commercial pest management products.

Thaumatotibia leucotreta (Meyrick) is a Lepidopteran pest that feeds on more than 70 plant species, both wild and cultivated. A study was carried out in Tanzania to assess farmer’s knowledge regarding the invasion of pests in avocado fruit production in Tanzania. The study interviewed 588 small-scale avocado farmers to gather their knowledge on the presence of the pest, the extent of infestation on fruits, and the impact on fruit production and marketing. A total of 45 orchards were inspected to determine the infestation level of T. leucotreta in 225 randomly selected avocado trees. The findings revealed that 56.1% (n = 330) of the farmers had no idea about any insect pests infesting avocado fruits, while 77.6% (n = 456) of farmers were unaware of T. leucotreta, presence; however, only 22.4% (n = 132) confirmed to have seen damage symptoms caused by the pest on avocado fruits. It was further observed that 51.6% (n = 1158) of the 2250 sampled fruits exhibited T. leucotreta damaging signs (white exudes or frass on fruit surface), thereby confirming the presence of T. leucotreta in farmers’ fields. Furthermore, farmers reported that diseases, poor marketing environment and premature fruit dropping were the main challenges faced in avocado production. These findings highlight farmer’s limited knowledge on T. leucotreta right from its presence, damage level to the potential impact on avocado production in Tanzania. Hence, the study recommends the need to provide such knowledge to farmers and propose management strategies through collaborative research with farmers for increased production.

Jute mallow is a nutritious leafy vegetable. The leaves are rich in proteins, vitamins and essential amino acids. Molecular characterization of Jute mallow with focus on improvement of leaf yield is scarcely reported. In the present study, inter sequence simple repeats (ISSR) molecular markers were employed to assess genetic diversity and relationships of 83 accessions of Jute mallow from different parts of Africa and Asia conserved at the World Vegetable Center East and Southern Africa. A total of 89 bands were amplified by 8 ISSR primers. Number of polymorphic bands per primer ranged from 2 to 6 with an average of 2.75 bands per primer. Polymorphic information content (PIC) values ranged from 0.390 to 0.760 with average of 0.53. Average Nei's gene diversity (h) and Shannon's information index (I) were 0.335 and 0.494 respectively. The highest pairwise genetic distance was 0.431 observed in a population from East Africa accessions. PC1 and PC2 axis explained 21.69% and 11.66% of the total variation respectively. UPGMA cluster analysis grouped the accessions into six main clusters at genetic similarity coefficient of 0.53 as standard value for classification. These results have important implications for jute mallow breeding and conservation.

Soybean (Glycine max) is among the legumes that are highly prone to soil-borne pathogens that causes root-rot diseases limiting growth and development and resulting in low yields of plants. This study was conducted to test the ability of three rhizobia strains, Rhizobium sp. TZSR12C, Rhizobium sp. TZSR25B and Bradyrhizobium sp. TZSR41A, in comparison with the commercial biocontrol (Trichoderma harzianum in suppressing the growth of root rot fungal pathogens (Fusarium solani, Rhizoctonia solani, Fusarium oxyporum, and Macrophominaphaseolina) in vitro and greenhouse conditions. The rhizobium cell filtrates were used in testing their activities against fungal pathogens under in vitro while the solid biofertilizer formulations containing the respective rhizobia inoculants were used to inoculate the soybean seeds sown in pathogen-contaminated soil under greenhouse conditions. Results showed that all rhizobia isolates and T. harzianum were capable of suppressing the fungal pathogens both under in vitro and greenhouse conditions with the highest inhibition zone (8.3 mm) and colony diameter (25.0 mm) being in Rhizobium sp. TZSR25B against F. oxyporum under in vitro conditions. In greenhouse experiments, Rhizobium sp. TZSR12C had the highest performance in inhibiting the infection of plant up to 27.78% with severity of 5.56% in roots and 0.00% infection in foliage against the combination of F. solani, R. solani, F. oxyporum, and M. phaseolina. It was found that, on their performance, the tested rhizobia strains can potentially be utilized as biocontrol agents against the fungal pathogens in the rhizosphere of soybean plants.

East African diploid cooking bananas, commonly called Mchare, are a staple crop for millions of subsistence farmers in Tanzania, particularly in the Pangani region in northern Tanzania. Several pathogens constrain Mchare production significantly and threaten food security. Sources of resistance to these pathogens have been identified; however, partial male and female sterility impedes successful resistance introgression, complicating the breeding process. Mchare cultivars are also the only known surviving representatives of a diploid banana subgroup that contributed unreduced gametes to many of the most widely grown and successful triploid dessert bananas (‘Cavendish’, ‘Gros-Michel’, ‘Silk’, and ‘Prata’). As such, they represent an essential intermediate step in the conventional improvement of bananas worldwide. We assess the amount and viability of pollen among Mchare and wild genotypes to identify the most fertile Mchare cultivars that can be used in conventional banana improvement. Pollen was collected from 14 banana genotypes for quantification and viability testing over 7 months, and the optimal time for pollen collection was determined to be 0800 HR. Significant variation among banana genotypes in terms of both overall pollen production and percentage of pollen viability was observed. The wild-type bananas ‘Calcutta 4’ (International Musa Germplasm Transit Center (ITC) 0249] and ‘Borneo’ (ITC0253) had the greatest overall pollen production (> 31,000 pollen grains/anther) and viability (∼74%), whereas ‘Ijihu Inkundu’ (ITC1460; Mchare genotype) was the least productive (almost completely sterile), with an average pollen production of a few hundred grains per anther and a viability of 7%. There were significant differences among months in terms of pollen viability, with the greatest average viability observed in May, April, and February (> 51%), and the lowest average pollen viability in July (41%). Significant differences were observed among the Mchare genotypes, with ‘Huti-White’, ‘Huti green bell’ (ITC1559), and ‘Mchare Laini’ consistently producing more substantial amounts of total pollen and an overall more significant proportion of viable pollen. This information is vital to improve Mchare bananas and the global breeding of dessert bananas. The choice of Mchare banana used in improvement programs could affect fertility and the likelihood of breeding success.

Projected increases in human population suggest that 70% more food will be needed in the near future, this makes it imperative to search for alternative food and feed sources for human and animal nutrition to feed the exponentially growing human population. According to the FAO 2019 report, the immense challenge of achieving the Zero Hunger target by 2030 is persistent. Exploring the unexplored, refining unrefined traits, cultivating the uncultivated, and popularizing the unpopular remain the most adequate steps proposed by researchers to achieve the domestication of the undomesticated for food and nutrition security. In that line of thought, this study explored the proximate composition of 87 accessions of four wild unexplored Vigna species ( V. racemosa , V. ambacensis , V. reticulata , V. vexillata ) in order to reveal information leading to their future domestication and utilization. Standard procedures and methods approved by the Association of Official Analytical Chemists were used in carrying out the proximate composition (%protein, %lipid, %fibre, %ash and % moisture and % carbohydrate) of the wild Vigna legumes. The study revealed that the wild Vigna species possess a large variation range of nutrient characteristics which could be exploited in the improvement of domesticated species or guide their domestication. It was also found that some individual wild accessions have higher nutrient, content as compared with domesticated ones which could be advantageous for bio-fortification or domestication. Indications relating to the candidate accessions favourable for domestication, based on the nutrient characteristics were revealed.

High-resolution remote sensing platforms are crucial to map land use/cover (LULC) types. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology has been widely used in the northern hemisphere, addressing the challenges facing low- to medium-resolution satellite platforms. This study establishes the scalability of Sentinel-2 LULC classification with ground-linked UAV orthoimages to large African ecosystems, particularly the Burunge Wildlife Management Area in Tanzania. It involved UAV flights in 19 ground-surveyed plots followed by upscaling orthoimages to a 10 m × 10 m resolution to guide Sentinel-2 LULC classification. The results were compared with unguided Sentinel-2 using the best classifier (random forest, RFC) compared to support vector machines (SVMs) and maximum likelihood classification (MLC). The guided classification approach, with an overall accuracy (OA) of 94% and a kappa coefficient (k) of 0.92, outperformed the unguided classification approach (OA = 90%; k = 0.87). It registered grasslands (55.2%) as a major vegetated class, followed by woodlands (7.6%) and shrublands (4.7%). The unguided approach registered grasslands (43.3%), followed by shrublands (27.4%) and woodlands (1.7%). Powerful ground-linked UAV-based training samples and RFC improved the performance. The area size, heterogeneity, pre-UAV flight ground data, and UAV-based woody plant encroachment detection contribute to the study’s novelty. The findings are useful in conservation planning and rangelands management. Thus, they are recommended for similar conservation areas.

In the northern part of Tanzania, the slopes of Mount (Mt.) Kilimanjaro are the most important areas, both in terms of socio-economic development and ecological succession. The main agricultural systems in the area are banana-based (in the highlands) and maize-based (in the lowlands), with strong interlinkage between them via residual transfer from the lowlands to the mountains. This study assessed the soil fertility status between the two contrasting farming areas of highland and lowland farms in Hai district along the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro. To achieve this, smallholder farmers along the slope [from above 1000 meters above sea level (m.a.s.l) banana-based down to maize-based, i.e., less than 1000 m.a.s.l] who practice crop residual transfer from maize-based to banana-based farming systems were selected. Qualitative information regarding the demographics, farming practices, and soil fertility management in the two areas were gathered using a semi-structured questionnaire. Soils from both areas (highland and lowland farms) were collected and analyzed in the laboratory for the key soil properties. The demographic results show that agriculture is mostly done by adults and elders (>40 years old). Manure was most commonly reported to be used in the highlands, while inorganic fertilizers were mainly used in lowland areas. The major challenges for soil fertility management are a shortage of manure and high cost of inorganic fertilizers. The results of soil nutrients revealed that lowland zones (>1000 m.a.s.l) had significantly (p< 0.01) lower levels of nitrogen (0.14%) and organic carbon (OC) (1.22%) compared with highland zones. Extractable phosphorus (P) was significantly lower in both the highland and lowland zones, at 9.3 mg kg-1 and 8.2 mg kg-1, respectively, compared with other nutrients. However, potassium (K+) was significantly (p<0.01) lower [0.34 cmol (+) kg-1] in the highland zone compared to lowland areas. The data show that there is a severe depletion of soil nutrients in the lowland area of Hai district. Notwithstanding the efforts of the small-holder farmers; the study comes to the conclusion that increasing agricultural yield and the sustainability of farming systems require replenishing the nutrients in the soil along the slope of Mount Kilimanjaro.

Common bean production is constrained by a multitude of biotic constraints including bean flies and Fusarium wilt in tropical and subtropical farming systems globally. As these pests and diseases attack the crop beneath the soil, excessive applications of synthetic pesticides are frequently used for their control. The use of plant-based pesticides could be a more sustainable management approach; however, few studies have investigated their application for controlling soil-borne pests and diseases. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of pesticidal plants and soil fertility management for controlling bean fly (Ophiomyia spp.) and Fusarium wilt (Fusarium spp.) using extracts and pastes of Azadirachta indica, Tephrosia vogelii, Tagetes minuta, Lippia javanica, Cymbopogon citratus and Ocimum gratissimum. To protect against Fusarium wilt and bean fly, pesticidal plants were applied as a seed coating and/or foliar spray, and demonstrated that common bean seeds coated with T. vogelii resulted in higher yields than other pesticidal plants and the synthetic pesticide control treatment. Treatments to target bean fly damage showed no significant difference between application methods on the oviposition rate of bean fly. An integrated treatment of T. minuta with 2 g Diammonium phosphate fertilizer and high compost led to higher yields than other treatments. Our results indicate that key soil-borne pests and pathogens of common bean can be effectively managed without synthetic pesticide inputs, while seed ball pastes of pesticidal plants combined with soil fertility management can increase crop yields using cost-beneficial agroecological farming systems.