Smallholder farmers’ local knowledge and challenges in management of sunflower fungal diseases: Experience from Ludewa district- Njombe, Tanzania

The objective of this paper was to investigate farmers’ knowledge and management of sunflower fungal disease in Tanzania. Farmers’ survey was conducted in one districts namely Ludewa District in July 2023 and September 2023. This study aims to assess farmers' knowledge and management practices regarding sunflower fungal diseases in Ludewa district. The research employees a simple random sampling technique to select 384 sunflower farmers from eight villages across the district. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using semi-structured questionnaire, interviews and Focus group discussions. Farmers observed symptoms of sunflower fungal diseases through book of photographic pictures to show different symptoms of different diseases. The results revealed that sunflower diseases, including Rust, Alternaria leaf blight, Sclerotinia head rot, Rhizopus head rot, Charcoal rot, and Septoria leaf blight, were identified as the most significant production constraints, affecting over 70% of the respondents, Rust disease was most common disease while septoria leaf blight was less common at study area. Sunflower diseases were identified as the most significant constraint, affecting 70.625% of them. This was followed by a lack of knowledge on management of sunflower diseases (43.11%), drought (24.11%), and limited access to inputs (20.87%) and insects (14.57%) as additional challenges. On management about 80% were practicing weeding, 70% of respondents reported burning residuals as a disease control method, and over 75% tended to uproot infected plants. Lack of knowledge to identify the diseases, ability to afford to buy pesticides and to relay only on cultural control methods were reported to affect the management of the sunflower disease. Strengthening the capacity of farmers to identify the diseases and proper management practices will sustainably solve the problem of sunflower diseases in sunflower production.