Abstract: This study sought to evaluate the oviposition responses of Chilo partellus (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) on maize plants exposed to Brachiaria brizantha Stapf following oviposition by C. partellus and nonexposed maize. Two Kenyan maize landraces (Jowi and Nyamula), Latin America landrace (Cuba 91) and WH505 (hybrid variety) (control) were studied. The result demonstrated that C. partellus deposited a significantly lower number of eggs and egg batches on Nyamula, Jowi and Cuba 91 maize p...
Abstract: Background: Symbiotic interactions between insects and bacteria have been associated with a vast variety of physiological, ecological and evolutionary consequences for the host. A wide range of bacterial communities have been found in association with the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae), an important pest of cultivated fruit in most regions of the world. We evaluated the diversity of gut bacteria in B. dorsalis specimens from several populati...
Abstract: Potato (Solanum tuberosum) is a widely consumed staple food crop worldwide whose production is threatened by potato cyst nematodes (PCN). To infect a host, PCN eggs first need to be stimulated to hatch by chemical components in the host root exudates, yet it remains unknown how most root exudate components influence PCN behavior. Here, we evaluated the influence of eight compounds identified by LC-QqQ-MS in the root exudate of potato on the hatching response of the PCN, Globodera r...
Abstract: Tritrophic interactions allow plants to recruit natural enemies for protection against herbivory. Here we investigated genetic variability in induced responses to stemborer egg-laying in maize Zea mays (L.) (Poaceae). We conducted a genome wide association study (GWAS) of 146 maize genotypes comprising of landraces, inbred lines and commercial hybrids. Plants were phenotyped in bioassays measuring parasitic wasp Cotesia sesamiae (Cameron) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) attraction to vol...
Abstract: There are various postharvest treatments currently available in the market. Among these, heat-based treatments are very effective. Several hot water treatment (HWT) protocols at various temperature regimes and time durations have been developed for different mango cultivars and varieties. However, many concerns have been raised regarding the quality of fruits subjected to HWT, particularly on physical and biochemical properties. The purpose of this study was to generate empirical e...
Abstract: It is projected that, on average, annual temperature will increase between 2 °C to 6 °C under high emission scenarios by the end of the 21st century, with serious consequences in food and nutrition security, especially within semi-arid regions of sub-Saharan Africa. This study aimed to investigate the impact of historical long-term climate (temperature and rainfall) variables on the yield of five major crops viz., sorghum, sesame, cotton, sunflower, and millet in Gedaref state, S...
Abstract: The South American tomato pinworm, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), has invaded most Afro-Eurasian countries and is threatening worldwide tomato production. Various strategies have been developed and implemented to manage this pest. Here, we present a timely review on the up-to-date development and practical implementation of integrated pest management (IPM) programs for tomato crops across different world regions infested by T. absoluta. While insecticide resist...
Abstract: Despite their important ecological roles for soil health and soil fertility, free-living nematodes (FLN) have received relatively limited research attention. The present study evaluated the community structure and diversity of FLN in a field setting. The experiments were conducted in on-farm and on-station field plots sown to maize (Zea mays) and beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) under four cropping practices. These farming systems included organic (compost and biopesticide use), conventi...
Abstract: Generating tree-specific crop maps within heterogeneous landscapes requires imagery of fine spatial and temporal resolutions to discriminate among the rapid transitions in tree phenological and spectral features. The availability of freely accessible satellite data of relatively high spatial and temporal resolutions offers an unprecedented opportunity for wide-area land use and land cover (LULC) mapping, including tree crop (e.g., mango; Mangifera indica L.) detection. We evaluated...
Abstract: Push-pull technology improves agricultural productivity. However, its long-term effect on biomass carbon and soil organic carbon (SOC) is not yet known. The aims of this study were: to assess the effect of push-pull technology on (1) biomass carbon and (2) SOC, considering climatic conditions and the length of time that push-pull had been practiced on a farm; and (3) to establish the relationship between biomass carbon and SOC on farms. Aboveground biomass carbon and SOC were measu...
Abstract: Information does not flow freely through social networks. We use an experiment to study knowledge diffusion about an innovation (integrated pest management, IPM) in farmer groups in Ethiopia. Group leaders are incentivized to share knowledge with members through the conditional provision of material or social prestige rewards. We combine incentives with loss-framed messaging to leverage loss aversion. Incentives increase diffusion effort, and combining incentives with loss-framed m...
Abstract: Agroecological farming systems such as maize–legume intercropping (MLI) and push-pull technology (PPT) have been introduced to mitigate losses from pests. Nevertheless, the regionwide maize yield gained from practicing such farming systems remains largely unknown. This study compares the performance of two uncomplex and interpretable models, namely the hybrid fuzzy-logic combined with the genetic algorithm and symbolic regression, to predict maize yield. Specifically, the study a...
Abstract: Smallholder agroecological subzones (AEsZs) produce an array of crops occupying large areas throughout Africa but remain largely unmapped. We explored multisource satellite datasets to produce a seamless land-use and land-cover (LULC) and fragmentation dataset for upper midland (UM1 to UM4) AEsZs in central Kenya. Specifically, the utility of PlanetScope, Sentinel 2, and Landsat 8 images for mapping coffee-based landscape were tested using a random forest (RF) classifier. Vegetatio...
Abstract: Background: The diversity and abundance of Anopheles larvae has significant influence on the resulting adult mosquito population and hence the dynamics of malaria transmission. Studies were conducted to examine larval habitat dynamics and ecological factors affecting survivorship of aquatic stages of malaria vectors in three agroecological settings in Mwea, Kenya.Methods: Three villages were selected based on rice husbandry and water management practices. Aquatic habitats in the 3 ...
Abstract: A 12-month field study was conducted between April 2004 and March 2005 to determine the association between irrigated rice cultivation and malaria transmission in Mwea, Kenya. Adult mosquitoes were collected indoors twice per month in three villages representing non-irrigated, planned, and nplanned rice agro-ecosystems and screened for blood meal sources and Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite proteins. Anopheles arabiensis Patton and An. funestus Giles comprised 98.0% and 1.9%,...