Theses & Dissertations Open Access The role of farmer field schools in adoption and adaptation of recommended rice production practices in Mvomero District in Tanzania Nyamonge Kenya Farmer Field Schools (FFS) provide farmers with an opportunity to experiment new technologies which help them to make informed decisions that eventually lead to increased production and income. This study aimed at assessing the role of FFS… RUF-36573 2016 CC BY 4.0 9 Feb 2017
Journal articles Open Access Factors influencing on-farm common bean profitability: the case of smallholder bean farmers in Babati District, Tanzania Eliud A. Birachi · Saimon Venance Karane · P. Mshenga 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, pigeonpea, cowpea, chickpea, peas and soybean. However, … RUF-36569 2016 CC BY 4.0 7 Feb 2017
Theses & Dissertations Open Access Factors influencing on-farm common bean profitability: the case of smallholder bean farmers in Babati District, Tanzania Saimon Venance Karane 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,… RUF-36566 2016 CC BY 4.0 7 Feb 2017
Theses & Dissertations Open Access Evaluating the productivity and economic benefits of cereal-legume intercropping with and without supplementary irrigation in the semi-arid highlands of Tigray, Ethiopia Solomon Etany Farmers in the northern dryland areas of Ethiopia practice a cereal based rainfed crop-livestock mixed farming and are predominantly rainfed. However, low soil fertility and limited water availability are the major hampering factors to cro… RUF-36025 2016 CC BY 4.0 4 Sep 2016
Project reports Open Access Enhancing wheat productivity, end-use quality and value chain through community action research in Northern Ethiopia Dereje Assefa RUF-36001 2016 CC BY 4.0 27 Jul 2016
Theses & Dissertations Open Access Determining quantity of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) leaf yield under different manure application regimes and cropping systems in Western Kenya D.A. Olal The low production of cereals and legumes among small-scale farmers in Kenya attributed to declining soil fertility and poor agronomic practices has led to renewed interest to review existing crop improvement technologies. Such technologie… RUF-35909 2015 CC BY 4.0 29 Feb 2016
Theses & Dissertations Open Access Integrating striga management strategies for improved maize production in Western Kenya W. Sunda Maize is an important crop in Kenya but is adversely affected by Striga hermonthica weed that reduces yields considerably, especially in Western Kenya. Single stand-alone management strategies for the weed have been used, but each has had … RUF-35908 2014 CC BY 4.0 29 Feb 2016
Journal articles Open Access Climate change and agriculture nexus in Sub-Saharan Africa: the agonizing reality for smallholder farmers Ekwamu Adipala · A. Egeru · George Kanyama Phiiri Climate change is one of the potent challenges facing smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa in the recent past owing to the pattern and magnitude with which it presents the extreme events such as floods and drought. This review finds a… RUF-35907 2016 CC BY 4.0 26 Feb 2016
Theses & Dissertations Open Access Seasonal climate prediction for rain-fed crop production planning in the upper Awash basin, Central highland of Ethiopia Abdisa Alemu Tolossa This study was designed to use of local level seasonal climate prediction for rain feed crop production planning by providing valuable support for decision-making strategies in the Upper Awash Basin (UAB). A rainfall data recorded over 24 … RUF-35891 2015 CC BY 4.0 3 Feb 2016
Journal articles Open Access RNAi-mediated resistance to diverse isolates belonging to two virus species involved in Cassava brown streak disease Titus Alicai · Basavaraj Bagewadi · Claude M. Fauquet · J. F. Kreuze +7 more Cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) is emerging as one of the most important viral diseases of cassava (Manihotesculenta) and is considered today as the biggest threat to cassava cultivation in East Africa. The disease is caused by isolate… RUF-35871 2010 CC BY 4.0 3 Feb 2016
Theses & Dissertations Open Access Stability of barley genotypes for earliness, yield and resistance to leaf scald disease in Ethiopia G. Lijalem Scald, caused by Rhynchosporium secalis (Oud) Davis, is the most widely distributed and destructive disease of barley (Hordeum vulgare) in Ethiopia. Developing genetic resistance in early maturing genotypes is a viable long term strategy t… RUF-35852 2014 CC BY 4.0 28 Jan 2016
Theses & Dissertations Open Access Regeneration and transformation systems for improving resistance to weevils in Ugandan sweet potato cultivars A. Sefasi Productivity of sweetpotato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.] in Sub-Saharan Africa is significantly reduced due to damage caused by weevils, Cylas puncticollis Boheman and C. brunneus Fabricius. The improvement of weevil resistance in sweetpota… RUF-35849 2013 CC BY 4.0 28 Jan 2016
Theses & Dissertations Open Access Genetic analysis of sorghum tolerance to aluminium toxicity among Ugandan breeding lines Robert Louis Oluge opio Aluminium (Al) toxicity is a major abiotic constraint that limits grain sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) production on acid soils. It inhibits water and mineral uptake and ultimately, reduces plant vigour and yield. A preliminary study … RUF-35840 2014 CC BY 4.0 28 Jan 2016
Theses & Dissertations Open Access Inheritance of phosphorus use efficiency and resistance to anthracnose in selected sorghum genotypes grown in the acid soils of Western Kenya A. Nyambok The acid soils of western Kenya where most of the sorghum is grown have very low available phosphorus, at 2-5mg P/kg soil compared to the recommended levels of 10-15mg P/ kg soil required for optimal crop productivity. In these soils, sorg… RUF-35837 2014 CC BY 4.0 28 Jan 2016
Theses & Dissertations Open Access Use of morpho-physiological traits to enhance breeding for drought tolerance in tropical maize X. Mhike This thesis contains four mutually reinforcing studies conducted with the aim of identifying the most effective secondary morphological traits and approaches that can be used to efficiently select for high yielding and drought tolerant mai… RUF-35830 2013 CC BY 4.0 28 Jan 2016
Theses & Dissertations Open Access Pyramiding bean anthracnose and root rot resistance genes into susceptible market class common bean varieties using scar markers M. Kiryowa Bean anthracnose, caused by Colletotrichum lindemuthianum (Sacc. et. Magn) Lams.Scrib., is one of the most widespread and economically important fungal diseases of the common bean. It has a high genetic variability which renders single gen… RUF-35828 2015 CC BY 4.0 28 Jan 2016
Theses & Dissertations Open Access Characterizing the genetic diversity of finger millet in Uganda Isaac Onziga Dramadri Finger millet [Eleusine corocana (L) Gaertn.] is a staple cereal, widely cultivated in the eastern, northern, northwestern, and southwestern parts of Uganda and in many other semi-arid regions of Eastern and Southern Africa as well as Sout… RUF-35826 2015 CC BY 4.0 28 Jan 2016
Theses & Dissertations Open Access Breeding for resistance to stem rust in bread wheat F.M. Nzuve Stem rust disease caused by Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici (Eriks and E. Henn) poses the greatest threat to global wheat production due to the emergence of a highly virulent race of the Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici Ug99 race and its … RUF-35820 2015 CC BY 4.0 28 Jan 2016
Theses & Dissertations Open Access Soil, runoff and nutrient losses under maize and banana cropping systems in Lwiro microcatchment, DRC Matabaro Wivine Adidja This study was carried out with the following objectives i) to characterise the cropping systems; ii) to identify existing soil and water conservation practices in the Lake Kivu basin and iii) to determine the magnitude of soil, runoff and… RUF-35815 2014 CC BY 4.0 28 Jan 2016
Theses & Dissertations Open Access Characterization of Pseudocercospora griseola, identification of local sources of resistance and effectiveness of gene pyramiding in controlling angular leaf spot in common bean G. Ddamulira Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is one of the most widely grown legume crops for food and income by small holder farmers in Uganda. Despite its importance, bean production is still constraint by angular leaf spot (ALS), which still cau… RUF-35813 2015 CC BY 4.0 28 Jan 2016
Theses & Dissertations Open Access Impact of land use and cover change on soil quality And pasture productivity in semi-arid rangelands: the Case of Nakasongola district, Uganda E. Zziwa The impact of land use and cover change on soil quality and pasture production was investigated in the rangelands of Nakasongola District, Uganda. Landsat (TM) images of 1986 and 1990 and Landsat (ETM+) of 2000 and 2004 for Nakasongola Dis… RUF-35774 2011 CC BY 4.0 19 Nov 2015
Theses & Dissertations Open Access Influence of soil fertility management on striga reproduction and grain yield of sorghum in semiarid areas of Tanzania A. Kudra Influence of soil fertility management on Striga reproduction and sorghum grain yield in semiarid areas of Tanzania. PhD thesis, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Nairobi. Witchweed (Striga), a root parasite, has become a major biologi… RUF-35773 2011 CC BY 4.0 19 Nov 2015
Theses & Dissertations Open Access Enhancing water use efficiency of cassava and Sorghum based cropping systems in Eastern Uganda R. Mulebeke Water flow and storage within the root zone constrains water availability and use in rain-fed crop production, especially in the dryland cropping systems, where farmers are resource-strained and are not motivated to practice soil and water… RUF-35771 2011 CC BY 4.0 19 Nov 2015
Theses & Dissertations Open Access Utilization of woody plants during times of food scarcity from selected drylands of Iringa district, Tanzania V. E. Tairo Communities inhabiting marginal drylands are the most vulnerable to the impacts of drought and climate change. In order to survive they utilize various woody plants as food sources in times of food scarcity. This study was undertaken to as… RUF-35770 2011 CC BY 4.0 19 Nov 2015
Theses & Dissertations Open Access A comparative analysis of the use and management of wild edible plants on food security among transhumance and settled farmers in semiarid East Shewa, Ethiopia Feyssa Debela Hunde Drylands have a several livelihood problems where food insecurity features as one of the most serious impediments. Food security is among the key problems faced by semiarid people of Ethiopia in general and East Shewa in particular. Wild e… RUF-35767 2011 CC BY 4.0 19 Nov 2015