Elderly Perceptions Regarding Changes in the Parent-Child Relationship in the Modern Era: A Case of Coast Region, Tanzania

This study aimed at establishing elderly perceptions regarding changes in the parent-child relationship in the Coast region through crossectional design. Both probability and non-probability techniques were used to select the sample. The study managed to collect data from 394 respondents. Data was collected through a questionnaire survey, focus group discussions and key informant interviews. The study findings revealed that older people perceived changes in the parent-children relationship as negative and detrimental. This marks a contrasting difference in the parent-child relationship between the traditional and modern eras. Further, the elderly had a perception that the current generation of adult children has tremendously failed to keep and preserve values, norms, folklore and taboos that used to maintain the parent-child relationship in the past. This has led adult children to lack respect, proper consultation and regular communication with their elderly parents. Modernization and urbanization were perceived as the main causes of changing parent-child relationships in modern days. It is recommended that the government and the community should ensure that traditional norms and values which enforced children’s obedience towards their parents when are old are maintained. Further, the traditional communal parenting system whereby the whole community was responsible for the children's upbringing should be emphasized. Additionally, the community and the government at large should ensure that adult children are taught the importance of the elderly in the community, given their vast wisdom and experience. Moreover, there is a need for the government to collaborate with community leaders to ensure that modernization and urbanization do not alter the norms and values of most Tanzanian societies

Participatory Land-Use Planning: Integrating Expert-Oriented and Community-Based Tools for Sustainable Land Management in Kilimanjaro Region

Tanzania like other countries globally has witnessed a paradigm shift in natural resource planning and management from state-centric to community based approach. The shift was inevitable following the experienced inadequacies of the state capacity in-terms of human and financial resources to manage natural resources in a sustainable way, which in turn exacerbate natural resource degradation. It was consequently envisaged that giving people stake in the planning and management endeavors would help fill the gap. While the manifestation of this shift in the country started since the mid-1990s, little empirical evidence exists on the value of participatory land use planning in ensuring sustainable management of natural resources. This study provides an account on the way participatory land use planning through Sustainable Land Management (SLM) project in Kilimanjaro region has integrated expert-oriented (GIS) and community-based (PRA) tools as a move towards sustainable land management in the region. Keywords: community viz expert oriented tools, participatory land use planning, sustainable management, Kilimanjaro, Tanzani

Sensible Heat Balance Estimates of Transient Soil Ice Contents

Soil ice content is an important component for winter soil hydrology. The sensible heat balance (SHB) method using measurements from heat pulse probes (HPPs) is a possible way to determine transient soil ice content. In a previous study, in situ soil ice content estimates with the SHB method were inaccurate, due to thermal conductivity errors and the use of relatively long time steps for calculations. The objective of this study is to reexamine the SHB method for soil ice content determination. A soil freezing and thawing laboratory experiment was performed with soil columns and heat exchangers. Transient soil ice contents in the soil columns during soil freezing and thawing were determined with the SHB method. The SHB method was able to determine dynamic changes in soil ice contents during initial freezing and final thawing for soil temperatures between −5 and 0°C when latent heat values associated with ice formation or with thawing were relatively large. During an extended freezing period, when soil temperatures were below −5°C, the small associated latent heat fluxes were below the sensitivity of the SHB method, and the SHB method did not provide accurate estimates of ice contents with time. However, the soil ice contents during the extended freezing period could be estimated well from changes in volumetric heat capacity (C) determined with HPP. Thus, combining the SHB method for initial freezing and final thawing, with a change in Cmethod for extended freezing periods, allowed determination of dynamic soil ice contents for the entire range of freezing and thawing soil temperatures investigated. HPPs were able to measure soil ice contents

Evaluation of the performance of CORDEX regional climate models in simulating present climate conditions of Tanzania

Regional climate models (RCMs) are widely used in regional assessment of climate change impacts. However, the reliability of individual models needs to be assessed before using their output for impact assessment. In this study, we evaluate the performance of RCMs from the Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment program (CORDEX) to simulate minimum air temperature (TN), maximum air temperature (TX) and rainfall over Tanzania. Out-put from four RCMs driven by boundary conditions from three General Circulation Models (GCMs) and ERA-Interim data are evaluated against observed data from 22 weather stations. The evaluation is based on determining how well the RCMs reproduce climatological trends, interannual, and annual cycles of TN, TX and rainfall. Statistical measures of model performance that include the bias, root mean square error, correlation and trend analysis are used. It is found that RCMs capture the annual cycle of TN, TX and rainfall well, however underestimate and overestimate the amount of rainfall in March–April–May (MAM) and October–November–December (OND) seasons respectively. Most RCMs reproduce interannual variations of TN, TX and rainfall. The source of uncertainties can be analysed when the same RCM is driven by different GCMs and different RCMs driven by same GCM simulate TN, TX and rainfall differently. It is found that the biases and errors from the RCMs and driving GCMs contribute roughly equally. Overall, the evaluation finds reasonable (although variable) model skill in representing mean climate, interannual variability and temperature trends, suggesting the potential use of CORDEX RCMs in simulating TN, TX and rainfall over Tanzania.http://www.bom.gov.au/jshess/index.shtmlam2017Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorolog

Estimating Conveyance Efficiency and Maize Productivity of Traditional Irrigation Systems in Usa River Catchment, Tanzania

This research article published by Hindawi, 2020Estimating the conveyance efficiency of traditional irrigation schemes systems is very important. It is because of understanding the volume of water lost along with the transportation facility, enhancing water usage and productivity, hence making better decisions about the utilization of water resources. (e objective of the study was to determine water abstraction permit compliances and estimate conveyance efficiency and crop and water productivity of traditional irrigation systems in northern Tanzania. (e task involved measurement of irrigation water flows to determine the amount of water abstraction, inflow (head) and outflow (tail) between the canals to determine the conveyance efficiency of the main, secondary, and tertiary canals of the traditional irrigation systems. Moreover, water and yield obtained at the farm level were determined. Results indicate that approximately 72% of water transported reaches the destined farm which produced maize (Zea mays L) yields of 1054.5 kg/ha, 892.4 kg/ha, and 875.156 kg/ha at downstream, midstream, and upstream which equals 0.41 kg/m3, 0.15 kg/m3, and 0.09 kg/m3, respectively, while about 28% of water is lost along the canals through evaporation, seepage, and deep percolation and overtopping. Consequently, water measured at furrow intakes in total was 3, 500 L/s, equal to 23% more than the permitted amount of 2856.14 L/s at Usa River Catchment. Interventions to minimize water losses starting at the furrow’s intakes are urgently required in the current trend of the increasing demand for water resources for food production and schemes performance. Subsequently, more effective conveyance technologies and water management strategies other than canal lining are required

KEYWORDS Nitrogen Pulling effect N leaching Diffusion Distribution patterns

ABSTRACT Nitrogen (N) plays an important role in the production of maize. In the absence of N in soils plants shows stunted growth and yellowish leaves and result into reduced crop yield. The study was conducted during two irrigation seasons of 2012 at Nkango Irrigation Scheme, Malawi in a Randomised Complete Block Design (RCBD). The factors were water and nitrogen and both were at four levels. The study inferred that movement, direction and distribution patterns of nitrogen concentration is influenced by evaporation of water from the soil surfaces, pulling effects by plant roots, deep percolation through gravitational force, and ability of plant roots to create environment that is conducive to diffusion of nitrogen. To minimize losses of nitrogen through leaching and ensure that nitrogen is deposited within active root zone, plant should not receive water after physiological maturity

Analysis of Intra and Interseasonal Rainfall Variability and Its Effects on Pearl Millet Yield in a Semiarid Agroclimate: Significance of Scattered Fields and Tied Ridges

Establishing food security in sub-Saharan African countries requires a comprehensive and high resolution understanding of the driving factors of crop production. Poor soil and adverse climate conditions are among the major drivers of poor regional crop production. Drought and rainfall variability challenges are not fully being addressed by rainfed producers in semiarid areas. In this study, we analysed the spatiotemporal rainfall variability (STRV) and its effects on pearl millet yield using two seasons of data collected from 38 rain gauge stations scattered randomly in farm plots within a 1500 ha area of semiarid central Tanzania. The STRV effects on pearl millet yield under flat and tied ridge management were analysed. Our results show that seasonal rainfall can vary significantly for neighboring fields at distances of less than 200 m, which impacts yield. The STRV for daily rainfall was found to be more critical than for total seasonal rainfall amounts. Scattering fields can help farmers avoid total harvest loss by obtaining at least some yield from the areas that received adequate rain. The use of tied ridges is recommended to conserve soil moisture and improve yields more than flat cultivation in semiarid areas.Peer Reviewe

Farmer's appropriation of system of rice intensification practices in water-scarce irrigation schemes in Northern Tanzania

This research article published by Springer Nature Switzerland AG.,2021The system of rice intensification (SRI), advocates new ways of rice cultivation which challenges farmers’ knowledge and skills to the extent that they are required to learn, experiment and integrate new principles to suit their specific needs and agro-ecological conditions. This study was conducted to evaluate farmers’ appropriation to SRI; first, a survey was conducted to explore farmers’ adjustments of SRI. Second, yield and water productivity of the integrated system were assessed by setting up an experiment in the farmers’ plots. Whereby four treatments representing farmers’ adaptations of SRI practises were assessed: continuous flooding (F1) with two 21 days old seedlings at 15 × 15 cm spacing. The other three were under intermittent irrigation with two 21 days seedlings at 20 × 20 cm (F2), one 21 days seedling at 20 × 20 (F3) and one 15 days seedling at 25 × 25 cm spacing. Yields obtained were 4.8, 8.5, 8.2 and 9.2 tons/ha for F1, F2, F3 and F4, respectively. Water productivity (WP) of 0.15, 0.39, 0.35 and 0.51 kg/m3 was obtained for F1, F2, F3 and F4, respectively. Water saving under SRI practise was 34.3%, 28.9% and 45.1% for F2, F3 and F4, respectively. Two seedlings 21 days old at 20 × 20 cm with intermittent irrigation are recommended for this area as it ensures a sufficient number of plants, relatively higher yields and a reduced considerable amount of irrigation water. The findings show that the integration of SRI into the local rice farming system has the potential to improve yields and water productivity of irrigation schemes

Combining biochar with low rate of chemical fertiliser boosts maize biomass yield, regardless of tillage system, under humid conditions

Biochar application to soils increases biomass and crop yields, especially with rates higher than 100 t ha−1. Yet, there is limited knowledge on the combined effect of biochar and chemical fertiliser under different tillage systems. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of maize-cob biochar (BC) (rates of 5 and 10 t ha−1) combined with chemical fertiliser micro-dosing (MD) at a rate of 25% of the recommended quantity on total shoot dry matter (DM) and plant height of maize cultivated under flat (F) and tied-ridge (R) practices during a humid season in Tanzania. The results indicate that combining 5 t ha−1 BC with 25% MD increases DM at harvest by 83% (4.16 t ha−1) compared to the control (2.27 t ha−1) and was in the same range as the DM obtained from the treatment with the recommended fertiliser rate (100% FD). The treatments with single applications of 25% MD, 5 t ha−1 BC, and 10 t ha−1 BC only tended to exceed the control of DM yield. Therefore, we recommend that small-scale farmers aiming at DM for livestock or grain yield with limited access to chemical fertilisers to combine biochar with 25% MD, rather than applying biochar or low chemical fertiliser rates alone

IMPACT OF PROJECTED CLIMATE CHANGE ON AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION IN SEMI-ARID AREAS OF TANZANIA: A CASE OF SAME DISTRICT

Sub-Saharan Africa is one of the most vulnerable regions in the World to climate change because of widespread poverty and limited adaptive capacity. The future climate change is likely to present an additional challenge to the agricultural sector. Therefore, the effects of climate change on the current agronomic management practices were investigated using Same District, Tanzania as a case study area. APSIM software was used to investigate the response of maize ( Zea mays ) yield to different agronomic management practices using current and future (2046 - 2065) climate data. The climate change projections data from global climate models were downscaled using self-organising maps technique. Under the conventional practices, results show that during long rainy season (from March to May) there is yield decline of 13% for cultivar Situka, no change for cultivar Kito and increase of 10% and 15% for cultivars Sc401 and TMV1, respectively. Under the recommended practices, cultivars TMV1 and Sc401 are projected to register a 10% yield increase whereas cultivars Situka and Kito are projected to register a decrease of 10% and 45%, respectively. Also, under both conventional and recommended management practices, results showed that during short rainy season (from october to December/January) all cultivars are projected to register between 75% and 146% increase in maize yields. This implies that future climate change is going to have positive effects on current management practices during short rainy seasons and it will have negligible impact during long rainy seasons.L\u2019Afrique subsaharienne est une des r\ue9gions plus vuln\ue9rables au changement climatique au monde suite \ue0 la pauvret\ue9 g\ue9n\ue9ralis\ue9e et la capacit\ue9 d\u2019adaptation limit\ue9e. Dans l\u2019avenir, le changement climatique pr\ue9sentera probablement des d\ue9fis additionnels au secteur agricole. Pour ce faire, les effets du changement climatique sur les pratiques courantes de gestion agronomiques \ue9taient \ue9tudi\ue9s dans le district de Same en Tanzanie. Le logiciel APSIM \ue9tait utilis\ue9 en exploitant les donn\ue9es climatiques actuelles et futures (2046-2065), afin d\u2019\ue9valuer les effets des diff\ue9rentes pratiques agronomiques de gestion sur le rendement du ma\uefs ( Zea mays ). La projection des donn\ue9es de changement climatique \ue0 partir des mod\ue8les climatiques au niveau plan\ue9taire a \ue9t\ue9 r\ue9duite \ue0 l\u2019\ue9chelle \ue0 l\u2019aide de la technique d\u2019auto-organisation des cartes. Sous les pratiques conventionnelles, les r\ue9sultats montrent que durant la longue saison de pluie (du Mars au Mai) il ya eu diminution de 13% du rendement du cultivar Situka, augmentation 10% et 15% du rendement des cultivars Sc401 et TMV1, respectivement. Le cultivar Kito n\u2019a connu aucun changement de rendement. Sous les pratiques recommand\ue9es, les projections montrent que les cultivars TMV1 et Sc401 connaitront une augmentation de 10% de rendement pendant que les cultivars Situka et Kito enregistreront une baisse de rendement de 10% et 45%, respectivement. Aussi, sous les deux pratiques de gestion conventionnelles et recommand\ue9es, les r\ue9sultats de projections montrent que durant la courte saison de pluie (d\u2019octobre \ue0 D\ue9cembre/Janvier) tous les cultivars enregistreront une augmentation de rendements d\u2019entre 75% et 146%. Ceci impliquent des effets positifs du future changement climatique sur les pratiques courantes de gestion durant la courte saison de pluie et un effet n\ue9gligeable pendant la longue saison pluvieuse