Browsing by Author "Baijukya, Frederick"

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Common weeds found in selected cassava farms in Eastern zone of Tanzania
(Greener Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 2022-04-04) Leonard, Joseph A.; Kudra, Abdul B.; Baijukya, Frederick; Tryphone, George M.
A field study was conducted at Kiimbwanindi village, Mkuranga district and Ilonga village, Kilosa district. Coast and Morogoro regions of Tanzania, respectively to identify the common weeds affecting cassava fields. A total of 24 random 1 m × 1 m quadrat were placed in each cassava field where by all weed species found in each quadrat were identified to a species level. During weed identification, weed density, uniformity and frequency were calculated according to Thomas methodology and used to determine weeds’ relative abundance. Also, a composite soil samples were collected based on random sampling procedure at a depth of 0 to 50 cm from each field before land preparation and analysed in the laboratory in order to determine the amount of nutrient content available in the soil. A total of 22 weeds species belonging to 16 families were identified, whereby out of these 14 were broad leaved weeds, 6 grassy weeds, 1 mushroom and 1 sedged weed belonging to 10 perennial and 12 annual weeds plant. During weed identification, Cyperus rotundus and Echinochloa colona were the most abundantweed species while Dactyloctenium aegyptium, Portulaca oleracea, Agaricus sp and Bidens pilosa were the least occurred weed species. Perennial weeds Cyperus rotundus, Echinochloa colona, Trichodesma zeylanicum, Reissantia sp, Mucuna pruriens and Commelina benghalensis found to be the mostly abundant weed species due to their ability to adapt into various soil types and their ability to reproduce as compared to other weeds. The study recommended that, research toward new or improved weed control measures is needed and also more survey work is needed on a regular basis to identify possible weed population shifts.
Optimizing wheat gluten levels to improve textural integrity and sensory appeal in pigeon pea enriched noodles
(Journal of Food and Nutrition Sciences, 13(5): 224-236, 2025) Dotto, Shakira Rashid; Majili, Zahra; Chaula, Davis; Alamu, Emmanuel Oladeji; Baijukya, Frederick
Noodles made exclusively from pigeon pea flour often display undesirable textural characteristics, such as brittleness, poor mouthfeel and a lack of the chewiness typically associated with traditional wheat-based noodles. These shortcomings can significantly impact consumer acceptability and overall eating quality. Incorporating vital wheat gluten, a protein known for its viscoelastic properties, offers a promising strategy to improve the structural integrity, elasticity and sensory appeal of pigeon pea-based noodle formulations. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of varying levels of vital wheat gluten (VWG) on the textural and sensory qualities of pigeon pea-based noodles (PPBN). Two optimized experimental samples PPBN 718 and PPBN 193 designed to meet adult dietary protein and mineral requirements were prepared with three concentrations of VWG (2%, 4% and 6%). Texture Profile Analysis (TPA), Quantitative Descriptive Analysis (QDA), Consumer Preference Analysis (n=75) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) were conducted to assess product quality. Results indicated that formulation B193 consistently outperformed formulation A718 across all quality parameters, exhibiting significantly higher hardness, elasticity and overall consumer acceptability (P <0.05). Notably, PPBN193-2 achieved the highest overall acceptability score (7.41±0.59). In contrast, formulation PPBN 718-3 showed diminished performance. PCA results revealed that color was a dominant driver of sensory variation, while aroma, taste and mouthfeel clustered together, suggesting a potential trade-off between visual appeal and other sensory attributes. The superior performance of PPBN193-2 was attributed to the synergistic interaction between its unique flour composition including orange-fleshed sweet potato flour and VWG, which together, formed a more cohesive protein-starch matrix. These findings suggest that incorporating VWG at an optimal concentration of 4% can significantly enhance the textural integrity and sensory quality of legume-based noodles, particularly when used in well-optimized formulations like PPBN 193. This research supports the development of nutritionally enriched and consumer acceptable legume-based noodle products for broader market adoption.