Farmers’ knowledge and attitudes on rice blast disease management caused by <i>Magnaporthe oryzae</i> in selected rice growing regions of Tanzania

Abstract

Rice (Oryza sativa) is an essential crop for both food security and household income in Tanzania; however, yields remain low at 2–3 tonnes per hectare, compared with the global average of 4.5 tonnes. Among thefactors limiting productivity is rice blast disease, caused by Magnaporthe oryzae (M. oryzae). This study assessed farmers’ knowledge, attitudes, and management practices related to the disease across major rice-growing regions. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, combining qualitative and quantitative techniques. Farmers were purposively selected from Morogoro, Tanga, Kilimanjaro, Mwanza, and Mbeya, and data were collected through semi-structured, face-to-face questionnaires, surveys, and transect-walk field observations. Most respondents had primary education (56%), followed by secondary education (27%), while only 10.5% had tertiary education. Chi-square analysis showed no significant differences in management practices implemented by farmers (χ² = 19.2, p > 0.2). Agrochemicals were the primary control method for 43.5% of respondents, whereas 19% practiced early weeding. Farmers in Kilimanjaro and Tanga combined field monitoring with fungicide use, while those in Mwanza and Mbeya often intervened only after symptoms appeared. A significant difference emerged in awareness of peak disease months (χ² = 85, p < 0.001), with April and May identified as high-risk periods.