Book Chapters

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://dspace.nm-aist.ac.tz/handle/123456789/3187

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Now showing 1 - 7 of 7

Rhizosphere Bacteria and Rhizobacterial Formulations: Small Weapons in the Big Battle of Plant Disease Management
(Springer Nature, 2022-05-05) Aloo, Becky; Mbega, Ernest; Makumba, Billy; Tumuhairwe, John
Global food security continues to be threatened by plant pests and diseases. While chemical pesticides are conventionally used to combat these pests and diseases, their overreliance is worrying in the context of environmental sustainability, and alternative pest control mechanisms are necessary. Rhizobacteria are largely recognized for their beneficial functions in plant rhizospheres that culminate into bio-protection, and their exploration and exploitation are rapidly escalating. However, their full potential is yet to be realized. This chapter revisits the mechanisms of rhizobacteria as critical weapons in the continued battle of plant disease management and identifies the advances concerning their formulation and commercialization on a global scale. The chapter further identifies the challenges and opportunities regarding the application of rhizobacteria in plant disease management. Such information can increase our knowledge of rhizobacteria and plant disease management and enhance their exploitation for agricultural sustainability.
Life Inside Plants: Insights into the Lifestyle, Diversity, and Metabolites of Endophytic Bacteria Involved in Plant Defense Against Phytopathogens
(Springer Nature, 2022-05-05) Aloo, Becky; Mbega, Ernest; Makumba, Billy; Tumuhairwe, John
One of the pressing issues in agriculture today is low crop yields due to plant diseases and pathogens. Chemical pesticides have generously been applied as remedies to improve the situation, but continue to be shunned globally due to their long-term environmental impacts. Endophytes are microbes that live symbiotically in plant tissues and are continually being associated with the suppression of phytopathogens and plant health. Thus, they present an environmentally-friendly option in plant defense against phytopathogens. However, their diversity, lifestyle, and roles in plant defense against phytopathogens are still not well-understood. This chapter explores the lifestyle of endophytic bacteria and discusses their diversity and metabolites involved in plant defense against phosphagens. The chapter further examines the future prospects and evaluates the emerging gaps relative to their use in plant defense against phytopathogens. Such knowledge is critical in fully exploiting their potential in sustainable agriculture.
Stakeholders and their Involvement in the Management of Prosopis juliflora in Eastern Africa
(CABI Digital Library, 2025-02-17) Ehrensperger, Albrecht; Mbwambo, John; Choge, Simon; Alamirew, Tena; van Wilgen, Brian; Munishi, Linus
The management of invasive alien plant species, such as Prosopis trees, demands a collaborative approach involving stakeholders at various levels and from different sectors. Effective management hinges on integrating different perspectives and expertise, from individual land users to community groups and national authorities. However, stakeholders involved in managing invasive species often exhibit varying levels of awareness, recognition of the problem’s severity and capacity to contribute to solutions. Challenges arise from differing perceptions of the benefits and impacts of invasive species, leading to divergent management strategies proposed by different sectors. This chapter examines stakeholders involved in Prosopis tree management and their levels of interest and influence. Actor mapping workshops conducted with stakeholders in three project sites identified a total of 125 stakeholders. National governmental agencies, local governments, international agencies and local communities were among the key stakeholders, each with varying levels of interest and influence. Stakeholders were categorized into groups such as influencers, regulators, extractors, beneficiaries and affectees, based on their roles and interests in invasive species management. The analysis revealed four idealized categories of engagement based on stakeholder levels of interest and influence. These categories can guide the engagement of (a) inconsequential stakeholders, (b) highly influential but disengaged stakeholders, (c) disempowered stakeholders, and (d) highly influential and engaged stakeholders. Recommendations are made to integrate these approaches into national strategies for invasive species management, ensuring the inclusion of all stakeholder categories and clear delineation of roles and responsibilities. However, the approach has limitations, including subjective categorizations and biases in stakeholder classification. The understanding of terms like ‘influence’ varied among participants, highlighting the need for careful consideration of language and cultural factors in future studies. Despite these limitations, the study provides valuable insights into stakeholder engagement strategies for effective invasive species management in the region.
Tanzania: The Eastern Arc Mountains Forests as World Natural Heritage— Status and Future Prospects
(Springer, 2025-05-30) Munishi, Linus
This is an open access book. This professional volume provides scientific background and practical guidance on forest management in light of ecological connectivity. Readers will gain a great understanding of shifting species in response to climate change and the resulting loss of various resources. The main drivers of these variations are the quality of the availability, quantity, and quality of habitats in the landscape, the genetic diversity of species populations, and the ability to navigate through a fragmented landscape matrix. The connectivity of habitats is gaining importance in the combat of both, the biodiversity crisis and the climate change crisis. Improving ecological connectivity, however, does not automatically benefit all species, as the examples described in the book demonstrate. Specific planning tools, active monitoring protocols, and management measures are needed to increase the benefit for species with low dispersal and small population size, which generally fail to migrate. Assisted migration can help to prevent species extinction, but also offer opportunities for pathogens to cross geographical barriers. The vast majority of the known diversity of plants, fungi, vertebrates, and invertebrates depends on forest ecosystems. This volume helps to spread this message and prepare students for their later careers in the forestry sector, while also informing active practitioners and policy makers. This is an open access book.
Monitoring Methods for the Protection of Connectivity in Forest Ecosystems
(Springer, 2025-05-30) Oettel, Janine; Thalinger, Bettina; Szukala, Aglaia; Munishi, Linus; Lapin, Katharina
Forest ecosystems face increasing threats from climate change, resource exploitation, and other anthropogenic disturbances causing biodiversity loss and habitat fragmentation. The conservation priority of connected, healthy forests necessitates robust monitoring that covers the landscape, ecosystem, species, and genetic levels and employs direct as well as indirect methods. Connectivity objectives encompass patch colonization, prioritization, and landscape assessment at multiple scales. Monitoring landscapes and forest ecosystems involves assessing their physical attributes and functional diversity to understand biodiversity, land-use changes, and threats like deforestation and climate impacts. Remote sensing offers large-scale data collection, while terrestrial surveys including laser scanning provide detailed insights into forest dynamics. Challenges include scale issues, standardization, and potential oversights in finer-scale variations. While species monitoring captures long-term shifts in abundance or distribution, it can be resource-intensive and challenging for elusive species. Alternatively, molecular methods such as the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) can be effective for community monitoring, with DNA analysis being particularly effective for detecting the presence of endangered or elusive organisms and providing spatial and temporal high-resolution data for effective conservation and management. Gene-based monitoring traces changes in individual species’ genetic parameters over time. Genetic indicators, which have recently been included in biodiversity monitoring standards, provide essential insights into connectivity and adaptive capacity. Landscape genetics combines conservation genetics and ecology to understand gene flow barriers and facilitators: population synchrony signals functional connectivity. Although genetic monitoring demands great technical expertise, it is less time-consuming than conventional methods. For future forest connectivity monitoring, a combination of various approaches is conceivable. Existing connectivity indicators need rigorous evaluation in terms of their sensitivity to environmental impacts. Dynamic models and novel indicators along with data sharing and collaboration will be crucial for future efforts in connectivity monitoring.
Nutrient Budgets for Sustained Crop Production in African Soils: Evidence from Potato-Grown Soils in Tanzania
(Springer Nature Singapore, 2024-11-12) Aloo, Becky; Tripathi, Vishal; Makumba, Billy; Mbega, Ernest
Soil fertility is under pressure worldwide due to agricultural intensification to match food demand. In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), the depletion of soil nutrients is the root cause of the widespread food insecurity. Therefore, there is a need to continually monitor soil nutrient levels to drive policies and management options for sustained food production. Compared to other crops, potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is increasingly becoming significant for food and economic security in SSA. The crop is, however, a heavy nutrient feeder and withdraws hefty amounts of nutrients from the soil which can interfere with its sustained production. However, very few studies have assessed the soil fertility levels of potato-grown soils in different parts of SSA. This chapter includes a case study report from the investigation of the fertility status and associated physicochemical properties of potato-grown soils in various agro-ecological areas in Tanzania. Soil samples collected from 27 potato farmlands were sampled in nine districts and analyzed for pH, electrical conductivity at 25 °C (EC25), soluble salts (SS), particle size distribution, potassium, phosphorus, iron, nitrogen, zinc, organic matter (OM), and organic carbon (OC) using standard methods. The results revealed significant differences for fertility-related physicochemical properties like EC25 (P = 0.004), (%) SS (P = 0.004), (%) OC (P = 0.018), and (%) OM (P = 0.019) in the soils but there were no significant differences for the fertility status of soils across the different study areas. Significant (P < 0.05) correlations were also observed for different parameters. The study concluded that specific soil characteristics differed significantly while fertility was relatively consistent. These findings serve as a basis for comprehending the existing soil conditions and can inform future strategies for sustainable soil management to ensure optimal nutrient levels to support the continued productivity of potatoes in the region.
Status of biofertilizer research, commercialization, and practical applications: A global perspective
(Elsevier Inc., 2021) Aloo, Becky; Makumba, Billy; Mbega, Ernest
Most contemporary agricultural practices involve the use of synthetic fertilizers which have been linked to numerous deleterious consequences such as eutrophication of water bodies and emission of greenhouse gases. Biofertilizers offer viable and environmentally friendly alternatives. The positive effects of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria have extensively been demonstrated several agronomically important crops under both controlled and field conditions. Despite the large volume of literature documenting the potential of these microbial inoculants as biofertilizers, their practical application has largely been hampered by several factors. This chapter presents the current knowledge of biofertilizer research, commercialization, and practical applications from the global perspective. The constraints facing their research and global application are also articulated. Finally, some prospects regarding their future research, commercialization and practical application for sustainable cropping systems are critically elucidated. It is anticipated that this will enable the full evaluation of the potential prospects of biofertilizers for sustainable agriculture and ecosystems globally.

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