Nyankweli,Emmanuel2025-09-112025-09-112002https://www.suaire.sua.ac.tz/handle/123456789/6982DissertationA study to assess learning tools and approaches for improving fanners’ and other stakeholders’ knowledge as well Dodoma rural, at Chipanga ‘A’ and Mvumi Makulu villages. Striga is a nuisance weed in cereal production and fanners understand it as a primary yield reducer. Despite this fact, there is a general lack of awareness of the problem, especially concerning the biological aspects of Striga. Previous research findings reveal that fanners have little understanding of Striga biology. A multi-phase data collection method was employed whereby 133 respondents were consulted in a scries of focus group discussions, in-depth and key informant interviews. The cut and sort analysis of information transcripts was employed on the evaluation of radio as a learning tool. Training needs for fanners and other stakeholders were assessed and various factors influencing the use of knowledge were explored. The results revealed that farmers and other stakeholders in Tanzania had known Striga before independence. Fanners were noted assigning different names to Striga, which reflects the nature of the weed and its effect on crops. They were able to describe the types of soils where Striga is prevalent as well as some control measures. However most of the farmers control Striga by hand hoe weeding and uprooting since their social economic conditions do not fit the new methods. Moreover fanners and other stakeholders have indicated that Striga does not only attack the fields of economically poor farmers, but rather cuts across all groups regardless of their economical status and the weed has potential to increase and spread to as understanding of Striga biology was carried out in performed. Also SPSS was neighbouring fanners, distant fanners as well as non-governmental organisations. No loaming tool was taken as superior to others in conveying knowledge to farmers, rather the suggestion is to use a combination of learning tools and approaches to meet this crucial goal. Nevertheless, most (about 60 percent) farmers in Dodoma niral do not have radios and a similar proportion farmers confessed that they never heard of any agricultural programme through the radio. About ninety per cent of the farmers had never heard about Striga through the radio. The study recommends the use community theatres and competent resource fanners to send across messages concerning Striga. It also recommends initiating radio farm forums in future as this approach has potential to reach many farmers in the niral populationenLearning toolsStriga biologyCereal productionNATURAL SCIENCESNATURAL SCIENCES::Chemistry::Biochemistry::Molecular biologyThesis