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Soils of the Allidina and Lutindi estates in Kilosa District and their agricultural potential
(Sokoine University of Agriculture, 1991-06) Msanya, Balthazari, M
This report presents the results of a feasibility study of agricultural development of the Allidina and Lutindi Estates in Kilosa district, following a request by the owners (Azania Agricultural Enterprises Ltd). The study was undertaken inform of site evaluations coupled with soil profile descriptions and sampling and laboratory analysis of both soil and water samples. The environmental conditions were also assessed, and finally the agricultural development potential was determined.
Importance of intersectoral co-ordination in the control of communicable diseases, with special reference to plague in Tanzania
(1994-07) Kilonzo, B.S
Human health, agriculture, including livestock, energy, education, wildlife, construction, forestry and trade sectors are inter-related and their co-ordination is an important pre-requisite for successful control of most communicable diseases including plague. Similar linkage between research, policy, training and extension activities in each sector are essential for any successful control strategy. Inadequate agricultural produce, inaccessibility of people to the available food and ignorance on proper preparation and usage of available food materials are responsible for malnutrition, and malnourished people are very vulnerable to disease. Irrigation schemes facilitate breeding of various disease vectors and transmission of some communicable diseases. Forests are ecologically favourable for ] some disease vectors and reservoirs for tsetse flies and rodents, while deforestation leads to soil erosion, lack of rainfall and consequently reduced productivity in agriculture which may result in poor nutrition of the population. Wildlife and livestock serve as reservoirs and/or carriers of various zoonoses including plague, trypanosomiasis and rabies. Lack of proper co-ordination of these sectors in communicable disease control programmes can result in serious and undesirable consequences. Indiscriminate killing of rodents in order to minimize food damage by these vermin forces their flea ectoparasites to seek alternative hosts, including man, a development which may result in transmission of plague from rodents to man. Similarly, avoidance of proper quarantine during plague epidemics, an undertaking which is usually aimed at maintaining economic and social links with places outside the affected focus, can result in the disease becoming widespread and consequently make any control strategies more difficult and expensive. It is generally concluded that inter and intrasectoral linkages are inevitable and close co-ordination between and within various sectors is essential for successful control of communicable diseases. Regular professional workshops involving researchers, extension officers and policy makers from all relevant sectors are recommended
Soils of Kitulanghalo forest reserve area, Morogoro district, Tanzania
(Sokoine University of Agriculture, 1995) Msanya, B. M.; Kimaro, Didas, N.; Shayo-Ngowi, Alfonce J.
The report presents the results of a detailed soil survey (publication scale 1:1,000) of 12 ha of land in the Kitulanghalo Forest Reserve in Morogoro, Tanzania. The objective of the study was to make an inventory of the soils of the area in terms of their properties and ecological condi tions; classify them using the existing soil classification systems; and present on a map the spatial distribution of the various soil types to assist in the selection of a site for the Land Development Project for Sustainable Agriculture at the Sokoine University of Agriculture, in Morogoro, Tanzania.
Rodent pest management in East Africa—an ecological approach
(Rodent Pest Management in East Africa, 1999) Makundi, Rhodes H.; Oguge, Nicholas O.; Mwanjabe, Patrick S.
Rodents are by far the greatest vertebrate pest problem in East Africa. They are responsible for substantial damage to food and cash crops, structures and industrial and domestic property. More than 25 species of rodents have been recorded as pests in agriculture, causing a wide range of damage and losses in cereals, legumes, vegetables, root crops, cotton and sugarcane. Pest species occupy a diversity of habitats, including cultivated fields, urban environments and domestic areas. Other than being instrumental in crop damage, they are also reservoirs and carriers of zoonotic diseases, which in some areas of East Africa have claimed many victims. The management of rodents has focused on conventional methods, mainly the use of rodenticides as a symptomatic treatment approach. These methods are supported by government, especially to contain outbreaks. However, conventional control methods have remained largely ineffective. An ecological approach for management of rodent outbreaks is not widely practiced for lack of basic experimental data to substantiate its efficacy. Measures that are practiced on a limited scale but have a wide scope for future management of rodents in East Africa include various techniques of environmental manipulation that specifically focus on altering the suitable habitats for rodents to reduce their carrying capacity. Strategies for management of rodent populations in urban areas, in post-harvest crop systems and in response to disease outbreaks are not well developed. For the future, a more pragmatic approach is required, involving among other things, better planning of urban housing schemes, sanitation and hygienic measures; improved storage structures and practices; and ecologically focused rodent management techniques. Recent studies on rodent ecology in East Africa have enabled the development of models to forecast outbreaks. These, when incorporated in development and implementation of control activities, may assist in alleviating the damage and losses due to rodents in the future.
Identification of vectors of rice yellow mottle virus in Tanzania
(Taylor & Francis, 2001) Banwo, O. O.; Makundi, Rhodes H.; Abdallah, R. S.; Mbapila, J. C.
countries in East Africa and almost all the countries in West Africa. At present, it is undoubtedly the most important disease of rice in Tanzania. It was first reported in the 1980's. It has spread fast and is now found in almost all the rice growing areas. In view of the increasing incidence and importance of RYMV on rice production in Tanzania, studies on the epidemiology of the disease were initiated in order to find ways of controlling the disease. Transmission studies were carried out on seventy-seven species of beetles and grasshoppers collected from different rice growing locations to determine vector identity. Four vectors have been identified (three chrysomelids; Dactylispa sp., Chaetocnema sp. and Chaetocnema pulla) and one tetrigid grasshopper. The wide distribution of Chaetocnema spp. in the RYMV endemic areas suggests that the species are the most important vectors responsible for infections in these areas.
The Rodent fauna of Tanzania : a cytotaxonomic report from the Maasai Steppe
(Nella seduta del 12 gennaio, 2001) Fadda, N. di C.; Castiglia, R.; Colangelo, P.; Corti, M.; Machang’u, R.; Makundi, R.; Scanzani, A.; Tesha, P.; Capanna, W. V. E.
The rodent fauna of Tanzanian savannahs is poorly known. For this reason, the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei sponsored a project together with the Biology Department of Antwerp and the Sokoine University of Agriculture (Morogoro, Tanzania) on Eastern African rodents. The aim was to study the taxonomy and systematics of rodents of these areas and the processes through which rodent biodiversity has increased in these African regions. We present here a report of the expeditions carried out in the Maasai steppe of Tanzania during 1999, with the description of the karyotypes of 13 rodent species. These are: Saccostomus cf. mearnsi (Cricetomynae), Tatera cf. robusta, Gerbillus cf. pusillus (Gerbillinae), Acomys spinosissimus, Acomys wilsoni, Acomys ignitus, Aethomys cf. chrysophilus, Arvicanthis cf. neumanni, Arvicanthis cf. nairobae, Grammomys sp., Lemniscomys rosalia, Lemniscomys cf. zebra, Mastomys natalensis (Murinae). The karyotypes of eight species are described for the first time (Saccostomus cf. mearnsi, Gerbillus cf. pusillus, Acomys wilsoni, Acomys ignitus, Arvicanthis cf. neumanni, Arvicanthis cf. nairobae, Grammomys sp., Lemniscomys rosalia).
Short communication - effects of azadirachta indica (neem) extract on livestock fleas in Morogoro district, Tanzania
(International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, 2001) Kilonzo, B. S.; Ngomuo, A. J.; Sabuni, C. A.; Mgode, G. F.
Aqueous neem seed kernels extracts (NSKE) were used to treat flea-infested goats in Morogoro, Tanzania to determine their efficacy for flea control. Mean population densities of the insects were significantly lower in the treated goats compared to their untreated counterparts (P < 0.05). It was concluded that NSKE has potential in controlling livestock fleas, but further studies are needed to determine the active principals against fleas and their mode of action.
The effect of clay on the persistence of BTi toxicity against mosquito larvae in Morogoro, Tanzania IA
(2001) Kilonzo, B. S.; Madoffe, S. S.; Maliondo, S. M. S.; Msanya, B. M.; Mabagalla, R.; Kitojo, D. H.
Laboratory colonies of Anopheles gambiae and Culex quinquefasciatus were reared from parental larvae obtained from the Ifakara Health Research Centre and septic tanks ill Morogoro Municipality respectively. Water ponds (1M3 ) were constructed at selected sites and left open for mosquitoes to breed ill freely. Various concentrations of Bti crystals were-mixed with varying concentrations of clay and tested against third instar larvae of each species at various periods of time post-preparation. A total of 60 larvae (20 x 3) were exposed to each mixture in the laboratory, and each- experiment was replicated four times. Mortality rates were recorded after 241t. exposure. The observations revealed that for every concentration of Bti crystals used, the toxicity on both species of mosquitoes was less persistent in crystal/clay mixtures than in crystals alone. It was also shown that such persistence was much less in mixtures containing large concentrations of clay (5mg/ml) titan in those containing low concentrations (0.05 - 0.5 mg/ml) of clay. It wasfurther observed th at the toxicity against Culex and Anopheles larvae was more persistent in mixtures containing higher concentrations of Bti crystals (0.12 - 0.3 ug/ml) titan ill those containing low concentrations (0.03 - 0.06 ug/ml) of the toxin. Furthermore, it was observed that C. quinquefasciatus larvae succumbed to Bti crystal/clay mixtures for longer periods titan A. gambiae larvae. It was generally concluded that clays have 11 negative impact on the persistence of Bti toxicity against mosquito larvae and th at such impact is more significant in mixtures containing large concentrations clay. It was also concluded that despite the environmental friendliness of Bti, its applicability by communities is limited in view of its short persistence when it is adsorbed to tropical soils which are found in most natural mosquito breeding sites.
Newly recorded species of Chaetocnema, vector of rice yellow mottle virus in Tanzania
(Taylor & Francis, 2001) Banwo, O. O.; Makundi, Rhodes H.; Abdallah, R. S.; Mbapila, J. C.
Rice yellow mottle virus (RYMV) belongs to the Sobemovirus group and causes the only known virus disease of rice (Oryza sativa L.) peculiar to the African continent to date. It was first recorded in Kenya in 1966 and was not reported in Tanzania until in the 1980s. It has spread fast and is found in almost all the rice growing areas. Clearly, it is the most important disease of rice in Tanzania. RYMV is transmitted mechanically and by chrysomelid beetles. Chaetocnema pulla Chapuis is thought to be an important vector of the disease in Tanzania. Transmission studies conducted revealed a new species, Chaetocnema sp. nov. prope varicornis Jacoby, found in Tanzania as also a vector of RYMV. This species has not been previously reported to occur and to vector RYMV in any of the countries where the disease is prevalent. Further studies on the roles of these vectors and the dynamics of virus spread are necessary to provide more information on the epidemiology of this disease in Tanzania.
Vector bionomics of two species of chaetocnema (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in rice yellow mottle virus transmission in lowland rice in Tanzania
(The Haworth Press, Inc., 2002) Banwo, O. O.; Makundi, Rhodes H.; Abdallah, R. S.; Mbapila, J. C.; Kimmins, F. M.
Regular samplings of two important vectors in farmers’ fields were made at crop stages susceptible to rice yellow mottle virus on a traditional rice variety (Supa) under rainfed lowland conditions to pro- vide information on the dynamic nature of the disease and the bionomics and importance of vectors in the disease transmission. The population of an unknown Chaetocnema sp. was significantly higher in hotspot than non-hotspot areas. However, there was no significant difference in C. pulla Chapuis population between both areas. In general the unkown Chaetocnema sp. population was higher than C. pulla, and both vectors reached the peak of their population at 63 days after planting. Also, early planting in the hotspot areas is suggested as a disease management strategy.
Comparative efficacy of neem, Azadirachta indica, extract for- mulations and the synthetic acaricide, Amitraz (Mitac), against the two spotted spider mites, Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetra- nychidae), on tomatoes, Lycopersicum esculentum.
(Eugen Ulmer GmbH & Co., Stuttgart, 2002) Makundi, Rhodes H.; Kashenge, Sophia
We evaluated the efficacy of commercial formulations of neem (Azadirachta indica) extracts against the two-spotted spider mites, Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae), on tomatoes and compared them with the synthetic acaricide, amitraz. The neem formulations showed variable levels of protection of tomatoes against infestation by T. urticae. Neemroc EC was the most effective and the level of protection was comparable to that of amitraz. The neem formulations, except Neemros WP, showed strong ovipositional deterrence of T. urticae and suppressed the emergence of nymphs on treated leaf discs. Repeated application of the neem formulations and amitraz led to significant reduction of the population size of mites on tomatoes, compared to the control. However, Neemroc EC was the most effective in reducing leaf damage, whereas Saroneem, Neemroc Combi and Neemros WP-treated tomatoes had high leaf damage ratings associated with lower fruit weight. The high performance of Neemroc EC is attributed to the oil content in this formulation, particularly when compared with Neemroc WP whose concentration of azadirachtin was very high and yet the effectiveness against mites was very low. Neemroc EC was as effective as the standard and therefore an alternative to amitraz for protecting tomatoes against infestation by T. urticae.
Mice, rats, and people: the bio-economics of agricultural rodent pests
(Wiley, 2003) Stenseth, Nils Chr; Leirs, Herwig; Skonhoft, Anders; Davis, Stephen A; Pech, Roger P; Andreassent, Harry P; Singleton, Grant R.; Lima, Mauricio; Machang'u, Robert S; Makundi, Rhodes H; Zhang, Zhibin; Brown, Peter R; Shi, Dazhao; Wan, Xinrong
Mice, rats, and other rodents threaten food production and act as reservoirs for disease throughout the world. In Asia aldne, the rice loss every year caused by rodents could feed about 200 million people. Damage to crops in Africa and South America is equally dramatic. Rodent control often comes too late, is inefficient, or is considered too expensive. Using the multimammate mouse (Mastomys natalensis) in Tanzania and the house mouse (Mus domesticus) in southeastern Australia as primary case studies, we demonstrate how ecology and economics can be combined to identify management strategies to make rodent control work more efficiently than it does today. Three more rodent-pest systems - including two from Asia, the rice-field rat (Rattus argentiventer) and Brandt's vole (Microtus brandti), and one from I South America, the leaf-eared mouse (Phyllotis darwini) - are presented within the same bio-economic per- spective. For all these species, the ability to relate outbreaks to interannual climatic variability creates the potential to assess the economic benefits of forecasting rodent outbreaks.
Interaction between rodent species in agro-forestry habitats in the western Usambara Mountains, north-eastern Tanzania, and its potential for plague transmission to humans
(Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, 2003) Makundi, R. S.; Kilonzo, B. S.; Massawe, A. W.
This study was carried out to determine rodent species composition and abundance, the interaction between them, and the possible implication in plague dissemination to humans. Over 2000 rodents were captured, identified and the relative species abundance determined. These animals belonged to six species, namely Mastomys natalensis, Arvicanthis nairobe, Lophuromys flavopunctatus, Grammomys dolichurus, Mus sp. and Praomys sp. They were distributed in two principal habitats, namely fallow land and forest. The distribution of the species overlapped, indicating interaction between them, but their abundance varied considerably between the habitats. Three species of fleas were collected from rodents. Of these, Dinopsylus lypusus was most abundant, followed by Leptopsylla aethiopica and Nosopsyllus fasciatus. Rodent population densities declined rapidly in August and September and were followed by outbreaks of human plague in October. The observations made in the current study suggest that declining rodent population abundance leads to more ‘free’ fleas which probably seek alternative hosts, including humans. This consequently facilitates an increase in the transfer of plague from rodents to humans. The study further indicated that M. natalensis and A. nairobe form a continuum between forest-inhabiting rodent species and peri-domestic premises which therefore creates an avenue for transferring the disease from a potential forest reservoir to the human population. The presence of specific anti-plague immunoglobulin (IgG and IgM) antibodies in blood sera of rodents was tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The presence of Yersinia pestis DNA was tested by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Both tests revealed that M. natalensis, A. nairobe, Rattus rattus (captured in houses) and L. flavopunctatus were the potential rodent reservoirs of plague in the western Usambara Mountains. Grammomys dolichurus and Praomys sp. tested negative for plague, but more specimens will be tested to confirm this finding.
Rats, mice and people: rodent biology and management
(Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, 2003) Singleton, Grant R.; Hinds, Lyn A.; Krebs, Charles J.; Spratt, Dave M.
Infectious diseases in rodent populations are discussed from the twin viewpoints of their threat to human health and their role in rodent population dynamics. This is not, though, a definitive or exhaustive review, but an attempt to identify important and/or interesting themes. As regards human health, most recent attention has been directed at emerging infections, but some rodent-reservoir zoonoses are ‘sleeping giants’ that may awake at any time. Many human infections are never assigned an aetiological agent, and the ‘sources’ of many human pathogens remain unknown. Rodent-reservoir zoonoses may be important in both cases. In some cases, the economic damage caused by a pathogen may demand action even though medical effects, by most measures of public health, are trivial. Finally, the ‘hottest’ topic in human infectious diseases is bioterrorism. Rodent-reservoir zoonoses account for many of the apparently prime candidates. As regards rodent populations, four topics are addressed, focusing on work from our group at Liverpool—the effects of endemic pathogens on host fecundity as evidenced by experimental studies; their effects on host survival as evidenced by the analysis of field data; analyses of the transmission dynamics of infection and the light these throw on common theoretical assumptions; and the possible role of pathogens in microtine rodent cycles. Finally, at the interface between rodent populations and human health, the importance of distinguishing between reservoir, liaison and incidental hosts is emphasised; the contrasts between controlling zoonotic infections and other human infections are discussed; and a connection between contrasting types of rodent zoonosis and the nature of pathogen virulence is suggested.
Effect of land preparation methods on spatial distribution of rodents in crop fields
(Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, 2003) Massawe, Apia W.; Leirs, Herwig; Rwamugira, W. P.; Makundi, Rhodes H.
A mark–capture–release (CMR) study was carried out in Morogoro, Tanzania, from April 1999 to August 2000 to investigate the effect of slashing and burning versus tractor ploughing on the population of rodents in agricultural fields. We found that the spatial distribution of individuals was significantly affected by the land preparation method. The coefficient of dispersion values (based on variance-to-mean ratio calculations) indicated that more animals clustered around the edges in tractor-ploughed fields whereas in the slashed-and-burnt fields, animals were randomly distributed. Before land preparation, animals were randomly distributed everywhere. This suggests that the slashing-and-burning practice does not affect the rodent population distribution in crop fields while tractor ploughing does affect rodents, probably by reducing cover and food availability or even by killing some individuals. Yet, it seems useful as a management tool when it is practised over a large area and if the surrounding fallow lands, which act as donor habitat, are cleared.
Molecular variability and distribution of rice yellow mottle virus in Tanzania
(Acta virologica, 2003) Banwa, O. O; Winter, S.; Koerbler, M.; Abdallah, R. S.; Makundi, Rhodes H.
Mice, rats, and people: the bio-economics of agricultural rodent pests
(The Ecological Society of America, 2003) Stenseth, Nils Chr; Leirs, Herwig; Skonhoft, Anders; Davis, Stephen A; Pech, Roger P; Andreassen, Harry P; Singleton, Grant R; Lima, Mauricio; Machang’u, Robert S; Makundi, Rhodes H; Zhang, Zhibin; Brown, Peter R; Shi, Dazhao; Wan, Xinrong
Mice, rats, and other rodents threaten food production and act as reservoirs for disease throughout the world. In Asia alone, the rice loss every year caused by rodents could feed about 200 million people. Damage to crops in Africa and South America is equally dramatic. Rodent control often comes too late, is inefficient, or is considered too expensive. Using the multimammate mouse (Mastomys natalensis) in Tanzania and the house mouse (Mus domesticus) in southeastern Australia as primary case studies, we demonstrate how ecology and economics can be combined to identify management strategies to make rodent control work more efficiently than it does today. Three more rodent–pest systems – including two from Asia, the rice-field rat (Rattus argentiventer) and Brandt's vole (Microtus brandti), and one from South America, the leaf-eared mouse (Phyllotis darwini) – are presented within the same bio-economic perspective. For all these species, the ability to relate outbreaks to interannual climatic variability creates the potential to assess the economic benefits of forecasting rodent outbreaks
Chromosomal and molecular characterization of Aethomys kaiseri from Zambia and Aethomys chrysophilus from Tanzania (Rodentia, Muridae)
(Wiley, 2003) Corti, Castiglia, R.; Colangelo, M; Annesi, P
Aethomys is a common and widespread rodent genus in the African savannas and grasslands. However, its systematics and taxonomy are still unclear as no study has covered the entire range. In fact it might not be a monophyletic genus and perhaps should be split into two subgenera, Micaelamys and Aethomys. In this paper, we present findings based on the cytogenetics and the entire cytochrome b sequence of two species from Zambia (A. kaiseri ) and Tanzania (A. chrysophilus), and we compare them with the sequences of a South African species (A. namaquensis) and other allied muroid genera. Comparison of the banded chromosomes revealed complete G-band homology between the autosomes of the two species. However, the X and Y chromosomes clearly differ in size and in C- and G-banding, being much larger in A. kaiseri. Comparison of the cytochrome b sequences places the separation between A. kaiseri and A. chrysophilus at 4.49 Mya, a period of intense speciation in other African muroids. The resulting phylogeny strongly supports the idea of a paraphyletic group, suggesting the need to elevate the previously described subgenera to the genus rank.
Serological and molecular characterization of leptospira serovar Kenya from captive African giant pouched rats (Cricetomys gambianus) from Morogoro Tanzania
(2004-03-07) Machangu, R.S.; Mgode, G.F.; Assenga, J.; Mhamphi, G.; Weetjens, B.; Cox, C.; Verhagen, R.; Sondij, S; Goris, M.G.; Hartskeerl, R.A.
Two identical leptospiral isolates coded Sh9 and Sh25 obtained from the urine of captive African giant pouched rats (Cricetomys gambianus), destined for use as biodetector of antipersonnel landmines were typed as serovar Kenya using cross-agglutination absorption test and DNA fingerprinting with the insertion element sequences IS1533 and IS1500 derived primers. The two isolates were previously characterized using cultural and serological – microagglutination test as pathogenic leptospires of the serogroup Ballum, closely related to serovars Kenya and Peru. To our knowledge, this is the first reported in-depth characterization of leptospira isolates from Tanzania.
Cytotaxonomy of rodent species from Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia
(Belg. J. Zool, 2005) Corti, M.; Castiglia, R.; Colangelo, P.; Capanna, E.; Beolchini, F.; Bekele, A.; Oguge, N. O.; Makundi, R. H.; Sichilima, A. M.; Leirs, H.; Verheyen, W.; Verhagen, R.
An extended survey of taxa belonging to two genera of Cricetomyinae (Cricetomys and Saccostomus), one Gerbillinae (Gerbilliscus), eight Murinae (Acomys, Aethomys, Arvicanthis, Lemniscomys, Mus (Nannomys), Mastomys, Grammomys, Stenocephalemys) and one Myoxidae (Graphiurus) was carried out as part of the EU programme “Staplerat” involving Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia. Here we report the diploid and autosomal fundamental numbers of these rodent taxa. Seventeen of them were unknown, for four we report chromosomal variants and for another 16 new localities where they occur. We discuss their specific status taking into consideration our results together with data from literature and highlight the problems in taxonomy and systematics that are yet to be solved, due do their extended range and the occurrence of species complexes. We highlight cases for which there should be a re-evaluation of specific names that were not included in the last rodent checklist.

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