Welcome to SUAIRE
Sokoine University of Agriculture Institutional Repository (SUA IR). This repository was built and is maintained by the university library (Sokoine National Agricultural Library-SNAL) , in order to collect, preserve and disseminate scholarly output generated by University research community (staff and students) members.
This repository hosts a variety of openly accessible materials including: scholarly articles and books, theses and dissertations, conference proceedings and technical reports. For assistance about depositing your research output in the repository click here. SUA IR Policy click here or any queries contact us at snal@sua.ac.tz.
Communities in SUAIRE
Select a community to browse its collections.
- The Agroforesty Community is a collaborative network dedicated to advancing sustainable land-use practices that integrate trees, crops, and livestock. It serves as a platform for knowledge exchange, research dissemination, and practical innovations in Agroforestry. By fostering connections among researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and local communities, the Agroforestry Community promotes environmental conservation, enhanced agricultural productivity, and resilient livelihoods.
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Recent Submissions
Assessment of knowledge, attitude, and practices of maize farmers following post-intervention programs to mitigate aflatoxin contamination in Chamwino, Dodoma, Tanzania
(Urmia University, 2025) Msangi, Riziki Salehe; Issa-Zacharia, Abdulsudi; Chove, Lucy Mlipano
Aflatoxin contamination poses a significant threat to agricultural systems and public health, particularly in regions such as
Dodoma, where favorable climatic conditions promote the growth of aflatoxin-producing fungi. Various interventions were
initiated to address the problem of aflatoxin contamination among maize farmers in Dodoma. This study aimed to assess
maize farmers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) following intervention programs designed to mitigate aflatoxin
contamination in Chamwino district, Dodoma. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in five wards of Chamwino District:
Chilonwa, Msanga, Chamwino, Majeleko, and Buigiri. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 300 maize
farmers to assess their KAP related to aflatoxin contamination. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26, with significance
set at p ≤ 0.05. Among 300 farmers surveyed, 221 (73.7%) demonstrated awareness of aflatoxin-related interventions,
whereas 79 (26.3%) did not exhibit such awareness. Of the 221 informed farmers, 123 (55.7%) demonstrated good
knowledge, 51 (23.1%) exhibited medium knowledge, and 47 (21.3%) displayed poor knowledge regarding aflatoxin
contamination and its mitigation. Of the participants, 186 (84.2%) exhibited positive attitudes, 34 (15.4%) displayed
medium attitudes, and only 1 (0.5%) demonstrated poor attitudes. Of the participants, 157 (71.0%) exhibited good
practices, while 64 (29.0%) were categorized as having medium-level practices. No farmers demonstrated poor practices
regarding aflatoxin contamination and mitigation. The interventions effectively enhanced awareness, knowledge, attitudes,
and practices regarding aflatoxin mitigation among maize farmers in Chamwino District. Future interventions should
strengthen collaboration between government agencies, Non-Government Organizations, farmer groups, and local
communities to sustain and expand these gains.
Antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance: Knowledge, attitudes, and practices among smallholder chicken farmers in Southern Mozambique
(Academic Journals, 2025) Mugabe, Noemia Andre; Kussaga, Jamal; Issa-Zacharia, Abdulsudi
Intensive production systems face challenges in treating individual chickens due to the large number of
animals, resulting in the indiscriminate use of antibiotics as the only alternative. The use of antibiotics
in poultry production has adverse effects on humans, as prolonged consumption of contaminated meat
can lead to the development of antibiotic resistance in intestinal bacteria. A cross-sectional survey
involving 395 smallholder farmers was conducted through face-to-face interviews to assess knowledge,
attitudes, and practices (KAP) regarding antibiotic use in urban and peri-urban areas of Southern
Mozambique. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 27. The findings revealed that 60% of
respondents were female, 28.6% had received training on antibiotic use, and 73.2% identified poultry
production as their primary source of income. Approximately 72.2% were unaware of antimicrobial
resistance, while oxytetracycline (22.8%) was the most commonly used antibiotic on farms. In cases of
disease, 96.99% of farmers self-administered antibiotics, and 30.9% reported consuming meat from
chickens that had died during or after antibiotic treatment. Chi-square and regression analyses
(p=0.000) revealed significant associations, indicating that training positively influenced knowledge
regarding the appropriate use of antibiotics. Education level also influenced antibiotic use (p=0.000);
farmers with higher education levels were more likely to believe that medicinal plants could serve as
alternatives to antibiotics. This study revealed that antibiotic use contributes to the contamination of
broiler chickens with antibiotic residues and promotes antimicrobial resistance, primarily due to
inadequate knowledge, attitudes, and practices resulting from insufficient training in antibiotic
application. To reduce, prevent, and eliminate the indiscriminate use of antibiotics and the spread of
antimicrobial resistance, it is essential for the government to educate, train, and monitor veterinary
professionals, smallholder farmers, and resellers on the proper use of antibiotics in poultry production.
Community awareness of microbial and heavy metal contamination in fried street foods wrapped in printed papers in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
(Science Publishing Group, 2025) Hassan, Ramadhan Abdul; Issa-Zacharia, Abdulsudi; Chaula, Davis Naboth
Due to poor hygiene, handling, and food safety education, street food poses a substantial public health risk. Foods wrapped in
ink-printed papers have been related to cancer, neurological, reproductive, and renal and liver harm. Objective of this study was
to assess community awareness regarding potential microbiological and heavy metal contamination in ready-to-eat fried foods
wrapped in printed paper in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The structured questionnaire was used to assess the awareness of 293 street
food vendors in three districts: Kinondoni, Temeke, and Kigamboni. The findings from this study indicated that most (67.8%) of
vendors were female, primarily aged 31-40 years (58.0%), and mostly possessing a primary level education (47.7%).
Approximately 67.5% of vendors were owners of their businesses, and 36.7% possessed more than four years of experience.
Findings revealed printed paper to be the primary wrapping material (44.5%), followed by plastic bags (41.3%). Hygiene
practices were was reported to be inadequate in which 88.0% of vendors did not cover their hair while 62.2% wore unclean
clothing, and 95.1% failed to wash their hands before handling food. It was further revealed that awareness on heavy metal
(71.1%) and microbial contamination (67.5%) was markedly inadequate and that the vendors were unaware of these risks,
respectively. Although the finding showed poor awareness, 63.6% of vendors favoured the need for regulations on heavy metal
contamination, while 56.5% favoured the reinforcement of regulations on the use of printed papers as wrapping materials for
foods. These findings highlight the need to educate vendors about the risks associated with using ink-printed paper and personal
hygiene practices to reduce microbial and heavy metal contamination.
Assessment of bio-security knowledge, attitude and hygienic practices among smallholder chicken farmers in Southern Mozambique
(Academic Journal, 2025) Mugabe, Noémia André; Kussaga, Jamal; Issa-Zacharia, Abdulsudi
The production of broiler chickens in intensive systems struggles to maintain hygiene in production,
despite contributing to combating malnutrition, generating employment, and increasing family income,
especially in developing countries. Using a structured questionnaire survey, a cross-sectional study was
carried out among 395 smallholder farmers to evaluate their knowledge, attitudes, and practices related
to farm biosecurity in urban and peri-urban areas of Mozambique and determine the factors affecting KAP
(knowledge, attitude, and practice) levels. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social
Science (SPSS) (IBM version 27). The findings indicate that education level and training significantly
influence (p < 0.001) food safety in terms of biosecurity knowledge, attitudes, and practices. Smallholders
who attended food safety training exhibited positive attitudes (95.5%, mean score of 89.71 ± 10.1) in
contrast to those who did not participate in training (74.8%, mean score of 79.91 ± 9.68). Additionally,
washing hands with soap before and after using the toilet and wearing protective clothing during chicken
husbandry were significantly associated with education level (χ² = 15.345, P = 0.018); those with informal
education were 34% less likely to have a negative attitude toward food safety compared to those with
high education. A significant correlation (p < 0.01) was observed between residence area, training, and
biosecurity knowledge, attitude, and practice. Because smallholders lack training, hygiene expertise, and
biosecurity practices on their farms, this study concluded that they pose a risk to public health and food
safety. To maintain consumer health and guarantee food safety, farmers should properly dispose of
waste, including dead chickens, and receive continuous training in excellent biosecurity measures on
the farm.
Indigenous knowledge and its application to the conservation of Menai bay conservation area in Unguja Island, Zanzibar.
(Sokoine University of Agriculture, 2011) Omar, Ramla Taub
This study was focused on exploring the existing indigenous knowledge of various biodiversity conservation in Menai Bay Conservation Area (MBCA). The extent and useful indigenous practices in biodiversity conservation in MBCA efforts were investigated and formal and informal traditional institutions for conservation and management of natural resources were investigated. A survey was conducted in 4 villages using structured questionnaires to capture information on household characteristics. In conducting the survey it was originally planned to interview 30 fishermen per village, a number that would have summed to a sample of 120 fishermen in the 4 villages. Participants in this case study were representatives of the community, including the elderly, the youth, local leaders (Shehas) and MBCA Manager. The study was aimed at revealing whether indigenous knowledge is useful for biodiversity conservation and promotes sustainable practices. It examined whether the inherited indigenous knowledge is essential for crafting fishing gears and indigenous practices are consistent with sustainable practices and marine use. Marine knowledge is found to be useful in identifying and locating resources and that sustainable practices ensured continuity of these resources. The findings also revealed formal and informal tradition institutions were useful. However the indigenous knowledge was not documented. Institutions or existing laws for the documentation and dissemination of local indigenous knowledge and practices rarely exist, despite the fact that the collection and dissemination of link is essential for the conservation of the environment and for the preservation of the culture of people associated with sustainable resource management. Although information related to linkage between indigenous knowledge and practices were collected by different Government agencies and NGOs the information was not well documented and disseminated.