Abstract
This study attempted to investigate the pattern and trend of climate change, its influence and interaction with maize post-harvest system and established the current status of maize post-harvest losses at Kongwa and Kondoa district in Tanzania. Participatory rural appraisal technique and household survey methods were used to collect primary data. Secondary data for the study area including rainfall and temperature data from the year 1982 -2017 were collected from Tanzania Meteorological Agency. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically using Nvivo software. Quantitative data from household survey were cross tabulated using SPSS software version 20 and the results were confirmed using canonical correlation test while pattern and trend of rainfall and temperature data were analyzed using trend lines and was confirmed using Mann-Kendall trend test. Findings indicated that annual temperature increase and monthly rainfall pattern changes influences maize post-harvest losses with significant losses denoted more during harvesting and storage with a positive correlation of R2= 0.014 and R2 = 0.121 respectively, while statuses for the maize post-harvest losses are below the threshold value of 40%. The study recommends increased awareness among farmers through trainings on climate change adaption and mitigation practices to reduce fungal growth on maize whose growth is favored by rainfall and temperature variations. Key words: Temperature, rainfall and food losses.
Highlights
Impacts of climate change have been raising concerns worldwide about the potential changes to food security to developing countries who depend on rain fed agriculture (Adams et al, 1990; Ahmed and Stepp, 2016; Toit et al, 2011)
Pattern and trend of rainfall and temperature changes in the study area The study area received unimodal rainfall patterns, which commences by end of November and ends towards early May during the years when the rains are normal but often the rain begins in December and end in early April as shown in Figures 3 and 4
The influence of climate change and variability on postharvest losses is through annual temperature increase and monthly rainfall pattern changes
Summary
Impacts of climate change have been raising concerns worldwide about the potential changes to food security to developing countries who depend on rain fed agriculture (Adams et al, 1990; Ahmed and Stepp, 2016; Toit et al, 2011) Climate change impacts such as prolonged droughts, extreme temperatures, varied rainfall patterns have caused reduction in the number of reliable crop growing days, eruption of climate related pest and diseases and reduction of soil moisture in arable land (Peiris et al, 1996; Joshi et al, 2011).
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