Browsing by Author "Wacal, Cosmas"

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Analysis of sesame seed production and export trends; challenges and strategies towards increasing production in Uganda
(EDP Sciences, 2021-01-01) Wacal, Cosmas; Basalirwa, Daniel; Okello-Anyanga, Walter; Murongo, Marius Flarian; Namirembe, Caroline; Malingumu, Richard
Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is one of the most ancient oilseed crops cultivated for its edible oil and uses in food. Sesame seeds are very nutritious and confer health benefits. However, its potential production in Uganda has not been fully realized. The objective of this review was to summarize the trends in sesame production, export quantity, export value, challenges, and strategies for sustainable sesame seed production in Uganda. The review revealed the sesame seed production and area harvested generally increased from 1996 to 2007 but significantly decreased between 2008 and 2018. The review also revealed that while the export quantities and values were low, they gradually increased from 2009 to 2016. The decreased production between 2008 and 2016 could have been due to challenges such as pests and diseases, loss of soil fertility, prolonged drought, poor agronomic practices, poor yielding varieties, and lack of access to credit. Therefore, it is recommended to improve breeding programs and soil management practices; strengthen agricultural credits and extension services to support marketing of sesame seeds; and improve agronomic practices and farmer knowledge on improved techniques such as sowing methods, plant spacing, intercropping practices, pests and disease control measures. These could boost sesame production in Uganda given the high domestic and global demand for sesame seeds and provide an opportunity to expand sesame production throughout Uganda. Research should focus on how to increase seed yield on farmers’ fields and bridge the yield gap between researchers and farmers while adopting good agronomic practices.
Insect pests in apple (Malus domestca Borkh) gardens: review
(GSC Online Press, 2023-04-05) Kamusiime, Emilly; Ssali Nantongo, Judith; Wacal, Cosmas
Apple (Malus domestica), is one of the most important fruit trees cultivated in temperate regions but, newly introduced in Uganda for its income and nutritional importance. However, apples are found to be susceptible to arthropod pests, some known to cause damages on both the plant and fruits. Some of these insect pests are known while others are still unknown and could be effectively managed through integrated pest management methods. For any effective Integrated insect Pest Management, it is necessary to have enough information about the biology and ecology of a given pest, including, spatial distribution and factors that affect pest species’ distribution. Therefore, in this paper, systematic information on insect pests damaging apple fruit trees was reviewed. Different recent literature on insect pests hosted by apples under different agroecological systems of the world was reviewed. The review focused on classifying common insect pests, preferred varieties and their ecological distribution. This was achieved by using the ISI Web of Science bibliographic database and search terms such as apple entomofauna and insect pests were used, with specific keywords of [apple*] AND [insect*] AND [pest]. It was found out that, insect pests in apples belong to several groups of invasive pests which include Coleoptera and Polydrusus (beetles, weevils), Diptera (leaf, seed, fruit flies), Hemiptera (aphids, psyllids, bugs and scales), Hymenoptera (sawflies, wasps ants, bees), Thysanoptera (thrips), Trombidiformes (mites) and Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) that are of economic value. This work, again reveals dramatic rates of appearance of isect pests in orchards in Africa and elsewhere, which have compromised apple industry’s growth. The review pieced together known information about the insect pests that occurs in apples in different geographical locations. But, information on insect pest in Uganda’s apple orchards remained scanty, which calls for an immediate detailed study on the same.
Low cost maize stover biochar as an alternative to inorganic fertilizer for improvement of soil chemical properties, growth and yield of tomatoes on degraded soil of Northern Uganda
(Springer Nature, 2023-10-07) Wacal, Cosmas; Basalirwa, Daniel; Byalebeka, John; Tsubo, Mitsuri; Nishihara, Eiji
Soil fertility decline due to nutrient mining coupled with low inorganic fertilizer usage is a major cause of low crop yields across sub-Saharan Africa. Recently, biochar potential to improve soil fertility has gained significant attention but there are limited studies on the use of biochar as an alternative to inorganic fertilizers. In this study, we determined the effect of maize stover biochar without inorganic fertilizers on soil chemical properties, growth and yield of tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.). A field experiment was conducted in 2022 for two consecutive seasons in Northern Uganda. The experiment included five treatments; inorganic fertilizer (control), biochar applied at rates of 3.5, 6.9, 13.8 and 27.6 t ha-1. In this study, maize stover biochar improved all the soil chemical properties. Compared to the control, pH significantly increased by 27% in the 27.6 t ha-1 while total N increased by 35.6% in the 13.8 t ha-1. Although P was significantly low in the 3.5 t ha-1, 6.9 t ha-1 and 13.8 t ha-1, it increased by 3.9% in the 27.6 t ha-1. Exchangeable K was significantly increased by 42.7% and 56.7% in the 13.8 t ha-1 and 27.6 t ha-1 respectively. Exchangeable Ca and Mg were also higher in the biochar treatment than the control. Results also showed that plant height, shoot weight, and all yield parameters were significantly higher in the inorganic fertilizer treatment than in the 3.5, 6.9, and 13.8 t ha-1 treatments. Interestingly, maize stover biochar at 27. 6 t ha-1 increased fruit yield by 16.1% compared to the control suggesting it could be used as an alternative to inorganic fertilizer. Maize stover biochar applied at 27.6 t ha-1 improved soil chemical properties especially pH, N, P and K promoting growth and yield of tomatoes. Therefore, maize stover biochar could be recommended as an alternative to expensive inorganic fertilizers for tomato production in Northern Uganda.
Variations in soil chemical properties and growth traits of tissue culture banana under bio-slurry soil amendments in Uganda
(Springer Link, 2023-09-06) Murongo, Marius Flarian; Ayuke, Frederick O.; Apori Obeng, Samuel; Wangai, K. John; Wacal, Cosmas
Organic bio-slurry soil amendments’ effect on soil chemical properties and the growth traits of tissue culture banana (TCB) were studied from 2017 to 2020 at Uganda Martyrs University Farm. Mpologoma and Kibuzi banana cultivars of the AAB East Africa Highland cultivar were treated with NPK fertilizer and two bio-slurries at different rates. Treatments included the control (CNTRL), 3810 L/ha banana bio-slurry (BBS1), 7620 L/ha banana bio-slurry (BBS2), 11,430 L/ha banana bio-slurry (BBS3), 3810 L/ha cow dung bio-slurry (CDBS1), 7620 L/ha cow dung bio-slurry (CDBS2), 11,430 L/ha cow dung bio-slurry (CDBS3) and 300 kg/ha NPK. The soil was analyzed for variations in pH, nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), potassium (K) and organic matter (OM) at different depths. The growth parameters of TCB were recorded months after planting (MAP). Soil amended with 11,430 L/ha bio-slurry had high potassium, nitrogen, and organic matter contents for the three soil sampling depths (0–8, 8–16, 16–32 cm), and soils amended with CDBS had higher K, N and OM contents than those amended with BBS. The Soils amended with CDBS3 recorded the maximum pseudostem girth and the number of suckers for both cultivars. Soils amended with BBS3 recorded the highest total number of leaves for the Mpologoma cultivar. The interaction effect of the bio-slurry on the variation of stem girth and height, the number of suckers, and the total number of leaves at 12 MAP for Mpologoma and Kibuzi cultivars was significant (p < 0.05). The banana cultivar and the bio-slurry interaction significantly (p < 0.05) affected the number of clusters per bunch, the number of fingers per cluster, the weight of the bunch (kg) and weight per cluster (kg). Amending soils with 11,430 L/ha of banana and 11,430 L/ha of cow dung bio-slurries provides the soil with sustainable nutrients for TCB growth up to 12 MAP and sustainable environmental health in the long run.