Browsing by Author "Mwakalobo, A. S."

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Effectiveness of the Domestic Cat (Felis silvestris catus) Urine Extracts Odour against Commensal Rodents
(Huria Journal, 2017) Mulungu, L. S.; Ngowo, V.; Mdangi, M. E.; Magadula, A. J. J.; Kapingu, M.; Mbukwa, E.; Mgina, C. A.; Mwatawala, M. W.; Kichuki, M.; Mwakalobo, A. S.; Mgode, G. F.
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of an extract of cat urine odour as a repellant of commensal rodents in houses. Cat urine was drawn and stored frozen in universal bottles at -20 0 C until use. The stored cat urine was then thawed and mixed with maize starch to form a thick dough and then granulated and dried at room temperature before being packed in a hermetically closed jar. Initially, rodent foot marks on tracking soot coat tiles were used to estimate the rat population before the cat urine extracts application. Twenty households with high and low rodent activities were selected purposively in the study area. Ten houses were treated with the urine extracts and ten others were kept untreated (control). Both treated and untreated houses were categorized at two levels (i.e. low and high rodent activities) as determined by the tracking tile foot prints. One tracking tile was placed in each of the selected houses and rodent foot marks were counted. Collected data were subjected to analysis of variance and the results showed a significant difference in rodent activities which however, depended on the sex of the cat that donated the urine base. Female cat urine extract repelled significantly more commensal rodents as compared to male cat urine extract. The repellent effect was observed from day 1 to 4; but not beyond. Our findings suggest that cat urine odour has the potential to repel commensal rodent pest species; with female cat urine being more effective than male cat urine.
Effectiveness of the domestic cat (Felis silvestris catus) urine extracts odour against commensal rodents
(COSTECH, 2017) Mulungu, L. S.; Ngowo, V.; Mdangi, M. E.; Magadula, A. J. J.; Kapingu, M.; Mbukwa, E.; Mgina, C. A.; Mwatawala, M. W.; Kichuki, M.; Mwakalobo, A. S.; Mgode, G. F.
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of an extract of cat urine odour as a repellant of commensal rodents in houses. Cat urine was drawn and stored frozen in universal bottles at -20 0 C until use. The stored cat urine was then thawed and mixed with maize starch to form a thick dough and then granulated and dried at room temperature before being packed in a hermetically closed jar. Initially, rodent foot marks on tracking soot coat tiles were used to estimate the rat population before the cat urine extracts application. Twenty households with high and low rodent activities were selected purposively in the study area. Ten houses were treated with the urine extracts and ten others were kept untreated (control). Both treated and untreated houses were categorized at two levels (i.e. low and high rodent activities) as determined by the tracking tile foot prints. One tracking tile was placed in each of the selected houses and rodent foot marks were counted. Collected data were subjected to analysis of variance and the results showed a significant difference in rodent activities which however, depended on the sex of the cat that donated the urine base. Female cat urine extract repelled significantly more commensal rodents as compared to male cat urine extract. The repellent effect was observed from day 1 to 4; but not beyond. Our findings suggest that cat urine odour has the potential to repel commensal rodent pest species; with female cat urine being more effective than male cat urine.
Rural-ICT service providers and agropastoralists interface: implications of the processes for sustainable agro-pastoral livelihoods in rural Tanzania
(Livestock Research for Rural Development, 2017) Ngowi, E. E.; Mwakalobo, A. S.
This paper looks at Rural-ICT Service Providers (telecentres alongside with community radio) and agro-pastoralists interface in rural Tanzania. Specifically, the paper aim to provide an assessment of the processes at the interface and examine how these processes influence decisions, behavior, actions and livelihoods among actors. The focus is to understand whether these processes provide enabling environment at the interface, with particular emphasis on institutional arrangements, rules and regulations, power relations, conditions and policies which are crucial in shaping agro-pastoralists' livelihoods. This assessment is imperative because it provides a better understanding on how different institutional arrangements influencing delivery of ICT services in rural areas. The study adopted a combination of cross-sectional and case study designs. Purposive and random sampling techniques were employed to select the representative sample. Data collection methods comprised of household surveys, focused group discussions (FGDs), and key informants' interviews. Agro-pastoralists were directly administered with questionnaires. In addition, FGDs and key informants' interviews were conducted. F-statistics was used to test for significance of data and One-Way ANOVA used to analyse 5-points Likertscale information. The study findings show that there are government failures at the interface due to structural weaknesses and conflicts in the implementation of policies and guidelines. The findings underscored the importance of effective processes for sustainable agro-pastoralists' livelihoods. The processes in the form of contractual arrangements play an important role for effective access, use and delivery of ICT services in rural areas. The study recommends that in order to ensure access, use and delivery of quality and effective ICT services in rural areas, the government should make sure that there are clear mandates and responsibilities among actors to reduce structural weaknesses and conflicts.
Understanding the development of rural-ICT service providers in the Tanzanian agropastoral system
(Livestock Research for Rural Development, 2016) Ngowi, E. E.; Mwakalobo, A. S.; Mwamfupe, D. G.
Information and communication technologies are commonly acknowledged as the best means of knowledge and information acquisition for socio-economic growth in rural areas of developing countries. The study was carried out to generate information on the socio-economic characteristics of agro-pastoralists, sources of production information, type of information and communication technology obtained, the level of utilization and effect of information and communication technology on the agro-pastoral system. The study adopted a combination of cross-sectional and case study designs. Data were generated through direct administration of structured questionnaires to 407 agro-pastoralists, key informants interview that involved managers from Rural-ICT Service Providers (RISP) and village extension officers. Results show that seventy percent (70%) of the agro-pastoralists contacted were men, with the higher proportion of ages ranging between 18-34 years followed by 35-54 years old. 62.4% of sample agro-pastoralists had attended primary education, with the rest (37.6%) having secondary education and above. In terms of ownership of important ICT assets, agro-pastoralists contacted have and are more familiar with radio (84.5%), mobile phones (76.2%), telecentre (64.1%), and television (73.7%) for agricultural and livestock information and knowledge acquisition than magazines (44.0%) and newspapers (36.4%). Only 42.2% of the agro-pastoralists agreed that ICT have highly positively impacted their livestock and agriculture (agro-pastoral livelihoods); 31.0% confirmed that they have been impacted; while 24.8% agreed that they have not been able to coordinate and harness information obtained from ICT to improve their productivity in livestock and agriculture. It is concluded that the potential of ICT services in rural areas as yet remains untapped. This is because of the limited level of awareness on the use of RISP (telecentres alongside with community radio) to improve and enhance agriculture and livestock production. Therefore, urgent measures are required to derive maximum benefits of ICT among agro-pastoralists for sustainable agro-pastoral system in rural Tanzania.