Effect of mulch and different fungicide spray regimes on yield of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) in Tanzania

In many areas in Tanzania, pests management for tomato involves weekly pesticide sprays. The practice poses a threat to the environment and health of consumers. In this study the effect of pesticide spray regimes and use of mulch were evaluated on ‘Tanya VF’ and ‘Tengeru 97’ tomato varieties. Field experiment consisting of a 2×2×4 factorial arrangement in a split-split plot design with three replications was conducted at Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro (6o05’S, 35o37’E and 525m above sea level). Treatment factors comprised two varieties (main plot factor), mulching/number of mulching (subplot factor) and three fungicide spray regimes (sub subplot factor). Results showed that the spray regimes: farmers’ practice (FP), Integrated Pests Management (IPM) based on pests scouting, sprays based on manufacturers’ recommendation (MR); produced significantly more fruits per plant and higher fruit weight compared to the control. There was no significant difference (p < 0.05) between FP, IPM and MR on fruit yield parameters. The results further revealed that use of mulch significantly led to higher fruit number per plant (p = 0.020). Although average fruit weight was similar (p < 0.05), other marketable fruit yield parameters were statistically different between mulched and non-mulched plots (p = 0.007). ‘Tanya VF’ had consistently higher yields compared to ‘Tengeru 97’. Fungicide sprays were statistically different to the control with respect to blossom end rot (p = 0.002), fruit rot (p < 0.001) and percentage of non-marketable yield (p = 0.001). Mulching significantly reduced American bollworm and blossom end rot (p = 0.012, p = 0.003, respectively). The major contributor to tomato fruit loss was Blossom End Rot (BER) and Fruit Rot for ‘Tengeru 97’ and ‘Tanya VF’, respectively. It is evident, therefore, that: a proper combination of tomato cultural management practices can significantly reduce the use of pesticides, and improve tomato fruit quality and marketable yield which would increase profit margin accrued by farmers.Key words: IPM, marketable yield, mulch, tomato

EFFECT OF MULCH AND DIFFERENT FUNGICIDE SPRAY REGIMES ON YIELD OF TOMATO (SOLANUM LYCOPERSICUM L.) IN TANZANIA

ABSTRACT In many areas in Tanzania, pests management for tomato involves weekly pesticide sprays. The practice poses a threat to the environment and health of consumers. In this study the effect of pesticide spray regimes and use of mulch were evaluated on 'Tanya VF' and 'Tengeru 97' tomato varieties. Field experiment consisting of a 2×2×4 factorial arrangement in a split-split plot design with three replications was conducted at Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro (6 o 05'S, 35 o 37'E and 525m above sea level). Treatment factors comprised two varieties (main plot factor), mulching/number of mulching (subplot factor) and three fungicide spray regimes (sub subplot factor). Results showed that the spray regimes: farmers' practice (FP), Integrated Pests Management (IPM) based on pests scouting, sprays based on manufacturers' recommendation (MR); produced significantly more fruits per plant and higher fruit weight compared to the control. There was no significant difference (p < 0.05) between FP, IPM and MR on fruit yield parameters. The results further revealed that use of mulch significantly led to higher fruit number per plant (p = 0.020). Although average fruit weight was similar (p < 0.05), other marketable fruit yield parameters were statistically different between mulched and non-mulched plots (p = 0.007). 'Tanya VF' had consistently higher yields compared to 'Tengeru 97'. Fungicide sprays were statistically different to the control with respect to blossom end rot (p = 0.002), fruit rot (p < 0.001) and percentage of non-marketable yield (p = 0.001). Mulching significantly reduced American bollworm and blossom end rot (p = 0.012, p = 0.003, respectively). The major contributor to tomato fruit loss was Blossom End Rot (BER) and Fruit Rot for 'Tengeru 97' and 'Tanya VF', respectively. It is evident, therefore, that: a proper combination of tomato cultural management practices can significantly reduce the use of pesticides, and improve tomato fruit quality and marketable yield which would increase profit margin accrued by farmers

Supressing populations of tomato leaf miner (tuta absoluta) in the agro-ecological zones of Morogoro

Masters ThesisTomato leaf miner Tuta absoluta is a destructive and highly invasive insect pest of tomato and other solanaceous plants including plants in the family Fabaceae like beans. The range of host for the moth is extensive requiring in-depth surveys on both solanaceous and Fabaceae crops along with weeds to fully understand it. This study was aimed at understanding the spatiotemporal distribution of the moth along the Uluguru Mountains in Morogoro. The moth preference to alternative hosts and also efficacy of selected bio and synthetic insecticides in the management of the moth was also evaluated. From the results it was revealed that T. absoluta was present in all locations of the study in varying numbers. Weather factors such as rainfall and temperature had influence in the population of the moth. Population of the moth was determined by using delta traps loaded with para-pheromones on a sticky card that captured male moths. Trapping of the moth was conducted for 12 weeks for two growing seasons, 21 traps were used to trap the male moth for each season. Some weeks during trapping a high average population of 300 male moths were trapped while the lowest average population was 20 moths per week. Population fluctuation was observed to be influenced by the altitude of the location of trapping. Host preference was determined by sampling of plant leaves with visible damage of Tuta absoluta larva; The sampled leaves were placed in a plastic box with sand. Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L), Eggplant (Solanum melongena), African eggplant (Solanum aethiopicum) and Amaranthus (Amaranthus retroflexus) were sampled in Morogoro Municipality and Mvomero district. Amaranthus was the least preferred of the host plants sampled compared to Tomato and Egg plant. Efficacy of synthetic and bio synthetic insecticides was determined in three locations using a synthetic insecticide Wiltigo and a combination of bio-insecticide Antario and recharge, Biotrine and recharge. The applied insecticides proved to be equally capable of controlling the moth in the field.East African Vegetable Crops Integrated Pest Management Innovations Lab (EAVCIPM – IL)

Supressing populations of tomato leaf miner (tuta absoluta) in the agro-ecological zones of Morogoro

Masters ThesisTomato leaf miner Tuta absoluta is a destructive and highly invasive insect pest of tomato and other solanaceous plants including plants in the family Fabaceae like beans. The range of host for the moth is extensive requiring in-depth surveys on both solanaceous and Fabaceae crops along with weeds to fully understand it. This study was aimed at understanding the spatiotemporal distribution of the moth along the Uluguru Mountains in Morogoro. The moth preference to alternative hosts and also efficacy of selected bio and synthetic insecticides in the management of the moth was also evaluated. From the results it was revealed that T. absoluta was present in all locations of the study in varying numbers. Weather factors such as rainfall and temperature had influence in the population of the moth. Population of the moth was determined by using delta traps loaded with para-pheromones on a sticky card that captured male moths. Trapping of the moth was conducted for 12 weeks for two growing seasons, 21 traps were used to trap the male moth for each season. Some weeks during trapping a high average population of 300 male moths were trapped while the lowest average population was 20 moths per week. Population fluctuation was observed to be influenced by the altitude of the location of trapping. Host preference was determined by sampling of plant leaves with visible damage of Tuta absoluta larva; The sampled leaves were placed in a plastic box with sand. Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L), Eggplant (Solanum melongena), African eggplant (Solanum aethiopicum) and Amaranthus (Amaranthus retroflexus) were sampled in Morogoro Municipality and Mvomero district. Amaranthus was the least preferred of the host plants sampled compared to Tomato and Egg plant. Efficacy of synthetic and bio synthetic insecticides was determined in three locations using a synthetic insecticide Wiltigo and a combination of bio-insecticide Antario and recharge, Biotrine and recharge. The applied insecticides proved to be equally capable of controlling the moth in the field.East African Vegetable Crops Integrated Pest Management Innovations Lab (EAVCIPM – IL)

The flower industry in Tanzania: production performance and costs

Journal of Agronomy, 2006; 5 (3): 478-481A survey was conducted to assess production levels, costs, marketing and policy regulations affecting the flower industry in Tanzania. Results indicated that rose and chrysanthemum were the main ornamental crops produced for export with yield of 908 and 145.6 million flower stems and shoot cuttings per year in 2003, respectively. The surface areas under rose and chrysanthemum cultivation increased by 328.9 and 658.3% and the corresponding production by 316.84 and 666.33% between 1997 and 2003, respectively. Greenhouse construction accounted for 50% while purchase of land and rose planting materials represented 17.7 and 12.3% of the total investment cost, respectively. Interest on loans and freight charges accounted for 19 and 16.0% of the total operational cost, respectively. All chrysanthemum shoot cuttings were directly exported to The Netherlands whereas 90% of total rose flowers were exported to Europe through European middlemen with a marketing commission of 18-30% of sales and 52% of total operational cost. The average selling prices of rose and chrysanthemum were 0.23 and 0.11 US$ per flower stem and shoot tip cutting, respectively. Foreign growers appreciated the provision of tax exemption of five years but considered the National Agricultural Policy of 1997 being too general and not favourable to the flower industry

The flower industry in Tanzania: production performance and costs

Journal of Agronomy, 2006; 5 (3): 478-481A survey was conducted to assess production levels, costs, marketing and policy regulations affecting the flower industry in Tanzania. Results indicated that rose and chrysanthemum were the main ornamental crops produced for export with yield of 908 and 145.6 million flower stems and shoot cuttings per year in 2003, respectively. The surface areas under rose and chrysanthemum cultivation increased by 328.9 and 658.3% and the corresponding production by 316.84 and 666.33% between 1997 and 2003, respectively. Greenhouse construction accounted for 50% while purchase of land and rose planting materials represented 17.7 and 12.3% of the total investment cost, respectively. Interest on loans and freight charges accounted for 19 and 16.0% of the total operational cost, respectively. All chrysanthemum shoot cuttings were directly exported to The Netherlands whereas 90% of total rose flowers were exported to Europe through European middlemen with a marketing commission of 18-30% of sales and 52% of total operational cost. The average selling prices of rose and chrysanthemum were 0.23 and 0.11 US$ per flower stem and shoot tip cutting, respectively. Foreign growers appreciated the provision of tax exemption of five years but considered the National Agricultural Policy of 1997 being too general and not favourable to the flower industry

Effect of mulch and different fungicide spray regimes on yield of tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum L.) in Tanzania

In many areas in Tanzania, pests management for tomato involves weekly pesticide sprays. The practice poses a threat to the environment and health of consumers. In this study the effect of pesticide spray regimes and use of mulch were evaluated on ‘Tanya VF’ and ‘Tengeru 97’ tomato varieties. Field experiment consisting of a 2×2×4 factorial arrangement in a split-split plot design with three replications was conducted at Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro (6o05’S, 35o37’E and 525m above sea level). Treatment factors comprised two varieties (main plot factor), mulching/number of mulching (subplot factor) and three fungicide spray regimes (sub subplot factor). Results showed that the spray regimes: farmers’ practice (FP), Integrated Pests Management (IPM) based on pests scouting, sprays based on manufacturers’ recommendation (MR); produced significantly more fruits per plant and higher fruit weight compared to the control. There was no significant difference (p < 0.05) between FP, IPM and MR on fruit yield parameters. The results further revealed that use of mulch significantly led to higher fruit number per plant (p = 0.020). Although average fruit weight was similar (p < 0.05), other marketable fruit yield parameters were statistically different between mulched and non-mulched plots (p = 0.007). ‘Tanya VF’ had consistently higher yields compared to ‘Tengeru 97’. Fungicide sprays were statistically different to the control with respect to blossom end rot (p = 0.002), fruit rot (p < 0.001) and percentage of non-marketable yield (p = 0.001). Mulching significantly reduced American bollworm and blossom end rot (p = 0.012, p = 0.003, respectively). The major contributor to tomato fruit loss was Blossom End Rot (BER) and Fruit Rot for ‘Tengeru 97’ and ‘Tanya VF’, respectively. It is evident, therefore, that: a proper combination of tomato cultural management practices can significantly reduce the use of pesticides, and improve tomato fruit quality and marketable yield which would increase profit margin accrued by farmers

Performance of micropropagation-induced off-type of East African highland banana (Musa AAA - East Africa)

Journal of Animal & Plant Sciences, 2011. Vol. 10, Issue 3: 1334-1338Tissue culture derived off-type plants with both good and poor field performance have been reported in banana and researchers have viewed the variants as a new source of genetic variability for crop improvement. In vitro micropropagation of East African highland banana (Musa - AAA East Africa) cv.’ Uganda’ resulted in high incidence of off-type plants. This study was conducted to evaluate the performance of the in vitro derived off-type banana in comparison with the in vitro micropropagation (MP) derived normal banana and conventionally propagated (CP) banana with no tissue culture history in its ancestry as controls. The evaluation of the off-type was carried out in 2005/2007 at Sokoine University of Agriculture based on number of days to plant flowering and fruit maturation, yield, fruit quality and shelf life. Results showed that the off-type banana produced significantly (P < 0.05) higher yield with bigger bunches and fruits of 52.2 t/ha, 21.1 kg per bunch and 125.3 g per fruit compared with 40.7 t/ha, 16.5 kg and 109.5 g of the MP derived normal banana and 45.7 t/ha, 18.5 kg and 118.3 g of the CP derived banana, respectively. The off-type fruits were significantly (P < 0.05) firmer with higher dry matter content of 12.4 kg/cm2 and 33.7 %. The firmness and dry matter content of the MP derived normal banana were 8.5 kg/cm2 and 20.0 %, and those of the CP derived banana were 8.9 kg/cm2 and 21.1 %, respectively. The off-type fruits had significantly (P < 0.05) longer shelf life of 17 days compared with 7.2 and 7.0 days of the MP and CP derived normal banana, respectively. However, the off-type banana was constrained by a significantly (P < 0.05) delayed flowering by one month and maturation by two months compared with the trueto- type banana. The observed agronomically desirable characters of the off-type banana underscore the potential of tissue culture technology as an alternative strategy for creation of genetic variability and improvement of East African highland banana

Field performance of micropropagated east African banana (musa AAA east Africa) in the eastern zone of Tanzania

Biotechnology, 2006; 5 (4): 471-474This study was conducted to evaluate yield performance of micro-propagated CM.Pd) East African cooking banana (Musa AAA East Africa) cv. Uganda and cv. Bukoba in the Eastern zone of Tanzania. Plant size of MPd cv. Bukoba was significantly bigger (p<O. 05) with pseudostem height, girth and height to girth ratio of 425.4, 67.0 cm and 6.4 compared to 370.6, 59.5 cm and 6.1 of the conventionally propagated (CPd) banana, respectively. Moreover, plant crops of MPd cv. Uganda and Bukoba were harvested 29 and 27 days earlier compared to the plant crops of CPd banana, respectively. On the other hand, plant crop of MPd cv. Bukoba produced smaller (p<0.05) bunches and fruits weighing 14.4 kg and 138.5 g compared to 23.9 kg and 146.2 g of the plant crop of CPd banana, respectively. Similarly, ratoon crops of MPd cv. Bukoba produced lower bunch and fruit weight than those of CPd banana. The low bunch yield of the MPd cv. Bukoba could be due to reduction in fruit weight. Plant crop ofMPd cv. Uganda produced more uniform fruits in terms of weight, length and girth whereas that of MPd cv. Bukoba produced more uniform fruits in terms of weight and girth. Fruit size uniformity was insignificantly different in subsequent ratoon crops of both cultivars. Further studies are required to determine causes and bases oflower yield in MPd cv. Bukoba