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Browsing Research Articles (CSS) by Subject "Agriculture"

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    A Decision supporting algorithm for improving sunflower production amidst changing weather in the singida region, Tanzania
    (East African Journal of Science, Technology and Innovation, 2024) Kisanjara, Simeo; Matimbwa, Hadija
    Recent drastic weather shifts driven by global warming have adversely affected African agriculture, culminating in low crop yields. The purpose of this study is to design decision support algorithms (DSA) that will aid sunflower farmers in the Singida Region in managing the risks associated with weather variations and consequently improve crop yields. A total of 80 respondents, including meteorologists, agricultural extension officers (AEOs), and farmers with feature and smart phones, contributed to the study's designedand empirical validation of the algorithm. The study designed and validated the DSA that assist sunflower growers in the Singida region in making informed decisions to improve productivity amidst adverse weather changes. As revealed, farmerswho use both smartphones and feature phones are extremely satisfied with the DSA functions. The decision support algorithm designedin this study integrates smart and feature phone elements that were overlooked in comparable, prior systems and algorithms.Farmers that grow other crops that behave similarly to sunflower in areas with characteristicscomparable to the Singida region will find the study's designedand validated algorithm helpful. In order to assist sunflower farmers in making decisions, theDSA interprets and processes data on a predetermined set of daily activities. In order to advance the use of ICT applications in farming activities, the study's findings took into consideration farmers who used feature phones with SMS-based notifications and those who used smartphones. The existing systems mostly concentrated on integrating web-based systems through mobile phones, which is dependent only on internet connectivity being available. Moreover, the use of web-based systems via mobile phones only results in restricted coverage and is out of reach for many farmers. Thus, the innovative element that emphasizes the study's contribution to the field in Tanzania's rural areas is the integration of feature and smart phone.IntroductionAgricultural production in Africa is significantly impacted by adverse weather shifts owing to variability (Stevanovi’c et al.,2016). The continent’svulnerability is attributable to severalchallenges, including extreme poverty, limitedemployment opportunities, and a lack of Keywords:ICTs; Decision Support Algorithm; Smart-feature phone; weather changes; Agriculture;Sunflower Productivity Cite as,Kisanjara and Matimbwa,(2024). A Decision supporting algorithm for improving sunflower production amidst changing weather in the singidaregion, Tanzania.East African Journal of Science, Technology and Innovation 5(2).Received: 02/01/24Accepted: 05/03/24Published: 28/03/24EISSN: 2707-0425