Impact of Round Potato Production on Household Food Security in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania

Smallholder farmers in Mbeya Rural and Makete Districts recognise food insecurity as a problem affecting them. They also recognise the potential of round potato as a crop contributing to household food security. However, the extent to which the crop contributes to food security had not been quantified. The purpose of this study was to determine the contribution of potato production to household food security in Mbeya and Makete Districts in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania. The specific objectives of the paper are to: (1) analyse round potato production and other crops grown in the study area, (2) assess food security in terms of dietary energy consumed (DEC) and (3) determine the impact of round potato production on food security. Multistage sampling was used to select 233 potato farmers. The research was a cross-sectional one and was conducted mainly through structured interviews using a questionnaire, which was supplemented with focus group discussions and key informant interviews. The dependent variable, food security in terms of dietary energy consumed per adult equivalent per day, was regressed on seven independent variables to find the impact of each of them on the dependent variable. The variables were household size, age of household head, DEC from potato, income from potato, income from other crops, years of schooling of household head and income from non-agricultural activities. The results showed that there were positive significant impacts of DEC from potato, household size and income from non-agricultural activities on food security. It is recommended that the government should support farmers in terms of availability of inputs, training on improved technologies and support research on round potato. Keywords: Round potato, Food security, Southern Highlands, Tanzani

Contribution of Round Potato Production to Household Income in Mbeya and Makete Districts, Tanzania

In Tanzania, agriculture remains the largest sector of the economy, and hence its performance has substantial impacts on income and poverty.  Round potatoes are grown in all continents under various climatic conditions. Smallholder farmers in Mbeya Rural and Makete Districts in Tanzania recognise the potential of round potatoes as a crop contributing significantly to household income and food security. The purpose of this study was to determine the contribution of potato production to household income in Mbeya and Makete Districts in the southern highlands of Tanzania. The specific objectives of the research were to: (1) analyse round potato production and other crops grown in the study area, (2) assess household income from round potato and from other sources in the study area and (3) determine the impact of round potato production on household income. A cross-sectional research involving 233 potato farmers was conducted in March 2012 through structured interviews using a questionnaire, focus group discussions and key informant interviews. The dependent variable, household income, was regressed on eight independent variables to find the impact of each of them on the dependent variable. The results showed that there was high positive significant impact of income from round potato per adjusted adult equivalent unit (AAEU) on household income (p < 0.001). It is concluded that round potatoes are more profitable than other major crops grown in the study area. Moreover, if given due attention and care, round potatoes can contribute greatly to household income. It is recommended that the government should support farmers in terms of availability of inputs, training on improved agricultural technologies and support for research on round potatoes so that they can help increase household income. Keywords: Round potato, household income, Southern Highlands, Tanzani

The use of light to enhance weaver ant Oecophylla longinoda Latreille (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) queen catches

Production of live weaver ant (Oecophylla longinoda and O. smaragdina) colonies is being developed as the ants provide several ecosystem services in agriculture and as they are used in education and research laboratories. Founding queens needed for colony production can be caught in artificial nests made of live leaves that are curled on trees. In this study we investigated if the catch rate of O. longinoda queens in artificial nests could be improved by attracting queens to trees with a light source (electric torches). We compared catch rates of 50 artificial nests on each of eight citrus trees, four of them with light and four without light. During two mating seasons covering 9 mating flights we caught a total of 178 queens. However, 3.8 times more queens were caught in the trees with light compared to trees without light. We conclude that queen catches can be highly improved by combining artificial nests with an attracting light source

A review of the current knowledge on Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Coquillett) (Diptera, Tephritidae) in Africa, with a list of species included in Zeugodacus

This paper reviews all available information regarding the occurrence and biology of the melon fly, Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Coquillett), in the Afrotropical Region, including data on invasion history, distribution patterns, population genetics, host range, and interspecific competition. Although limited intraspecific variability has been observed within the region regarding the above mentioned aspects, there seems to be no indication that Z. cucurbitae represents a species complex. A checklist of all of the species included in Zeugodacus as recently proposed by Virgilio et al. (2015) is provided. (Résumé d'auteur

Population structure and cryptic genetic variation in the mango fruit fly, Ceratitis cosyra (Diptera, Tephritidae)

The fruit fly Ceratitis cosyra is an important agricultural pest negatively affecting the mango crop production throughout Africa and also feeding on a variety of other wild and cultivated hosts. The occurrence of deeply divergent haplotypes, as well as extensive morphological variability, previously suggested possible cryptic speciation within C. cosyra. Here we provide the first large-scale characterisation of the population structure of C. cosyra with the main objective of verifying cryptic genetic variation. A total of 348 specimens from 13 populations were genotyped at 16 polymorphic microsatellite loci. Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) deviations were observed in 40.4% of locus-population combinations and suggested the occurrence of genetic substructuring within populations. Discriminant Analysis of Principal Components (DAPC) showed genetic divergence between the vast majority of vouchers from Burundi and Tanzania (plus a few outliers from other African countries) and all other specimens sampled. Individual Bayesian assignments confirmed the existence of two main genotypic groups also occurring in sympatry. These data provided further support to the hypothesis that C. cosyra might include cryptic species. However, additional integrative taxonomy, possibly combining morphological, ecological and physiological approaches, is required to provide the necessary experimental support to this model. (Résumé d'auteur

The potential distribution of Bactrocera dorsalis: Considering phenology and irrigation patterns

A species in the Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) complex was detected in Kenya during 2003 and classified as Bactrocera invadens Drew, Tsuruta & White. Having spread rapidly throughout Africa, it threatens agriculture due to crop damage and loss of market access. In a recent revision of the B. dorsalis complex, B. invadens was incorporated into the species B. dorsalis. The potential distribution of B. dorsalis has been previously modelled. However, previous models were based on presence data and did not incorporate information on the seasonal phenology of B. dorsalis, nor on the possible influence that irrigation may have on its distribution. Methyl eugenol-baited traps were used to collect B. dorsalis in Africa. Seasonal phenology data, measured as fly abundance throughout the year, was related to each location's climate to infer climatic growth response parameters. These functions were used along with African distribution records and development studies to fit the niche model for B. dorsalis, using independent global distribution records outside Africa for model validation. Areas at greatest risk of invasion by B. dorsalis are South and Central America, Mexico, southernmost USA, parts of the Mediterranean coast, parts of Southern and Eastern Australia and New Zealand's North Island. Under irrigation, most of Africa and Australia appear climatically suitable. (Résumé d'auteur

Entitlement to food security approach explaining food security in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania more than other theories

Data for this paper were collected in Mbeya and Makete Districts, Tanzania, in 2012 from 233 households with the specific objectives to determine proportions of food secure and food insecure households; rank some indicators of entitlements and those of Malthusians, Anti-Malthusians and Woldemeskel‟s contentions with regard to their relationship with food security; and determine the impact of the above indicators on dietary energy consumed per adult equivalent per day, which was the dependent variable. The independent variables were household size, number of agricultural technologies used, number of cattle owned, income from non-agricultural activities, monetary values of household assets, farmer group membership, years of schooling of household head and kilograms of fertilizer used. The dependent variable was regressed on the eight independent variables to find the impact of each of them on it. Entitlement to food security in terms numbers of cattle owned, farmers‟ group membership and non-agricultural activities were found to be more important factors enhancing food security. Addressing these factors could improve food security in the study area. It is recommended that the government and policy makers should support farmers in other income generating activities besides agriculture to increase their purchasing power for highe

Contribution of round potato production to household income in Mbeya and Makete districts, Tanzania

In Tanzania, agriculture remains the largest sector of the economy, and hence its performance has substantial impacts on income and poverty. Round potatoes are grown in all continents under various climatic conditions. Smallholder farmers in Mbeya Rural and Makete Districts in Tanzania recognise the potential of round potatoes as a crop contributing significantly to household income and food security. The purpose of this study was to determine the contribution of potato production to household income in Mbeya and Makete Districts in the southern highlands of Tanzania. The specific objectives of the research were to: (1) analyse round potato production and other crops grown in the study area, (2) assess household income from round potato and from other sources in the study area and (3) determine the impact of round potato production on household income. A cross-sectional research involving 233 potato farmers was conducted in March 2012 through structured interviews using a questionnaire, focus group discussions and key informant interviews. The dependent variable, household income, was regressed on eight independent variables to find the impact of each of them on the dependent variable. The results showed that there was high positive significant impact of income from round potato per adjusted adult equivalent unit (AAEU) on household income (p < 0.001). It is concluded that round potatoes are more profitable than other major crops grown in the study area. Moreover, if given due attention and care, round potatoes can contribute greatly to household income. It is recommended that the government should support farmers in terms of availability of inputs, training on improved agricultural technologies and support for research on round potatoes so that they can help increase household income.Commission for Science and Technology Tanzania (COSTECH