Browsing by Author "Aloo, Becky N."

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    Effect of Global Climate Change on Insect Populations, Distribution, and its Dynamics
    (ELSEVIER, 2025-07-07) Ojija, Fredrick; Mng’ong’o, Marco; Aloo, Becky N.; Mayengo, Gabriel; Helikumi, Mlyashimbi
    Insects are vital to various ecosystems as pollinators, decomposers, and food sources for many organisms. They dominate diverse terrestrial (e.g., glassland) and aquatic (lakes, oceans, rivers, etc.) ecosystems. Previous studies report that more than half of the estimated 2.0 million species of living organisms identified on our planet are insects. However, global climate change (GCC), characterised by rising temperatures and altered precipitation patterns, significantly impacts their populations worldwide. We reviewed the literature to provide an overview of GCC events in insects. Collectively, the study findings reveal that global temperature and precipitation change are among the extreme GCC events affecting more than 30% of insect population, distribution, physiology, feeding habits, interactions, migration, and communication across the globe. The climate change intensifies insect cycles and insect damage in agroecosystems. In response, insect species alter their geographic ranges and phenology, changing population dynamics and interactions. GCC also influences reproductive patterns, including mating behaviour and breeding synchrony. Warmer global temperatures might advance or delay insect emer- gence, causing mismatches with food availability or pollination partners. While some insect populations may adapt, extreme heat events or prolonged droughts exceeding their physiological tolerance result in population declines or local extinctions. Predictions suggest that up to 65% of insect populations could face extinction within the next century due to increasing climate change. Thus, understanding these impacts is essential for predicting the ecological consequences of the GCC and developing effective conservation strategies to mitigate such impacts and protect insect biodiversity and ecosystem services
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    The Role of Rhizobia toward Food Production, Food and Soil Security Through Microbial Agro-input Utilization in Developing Countries
    (Elsevier, 2023-06-17) Mng’ong’o, Marco E; Ojija, Fredrick; Aloo, Becky N.
    Agricultural inputs such as fertilizers are becoming increasingly expensive and less available in developing countries, leading to decreased land productivity and food availability. Similarly, over-dependence on inorganic fertilizers and pesticides not only increases production costs but also poses a threat to the environment. Hence, alternatives to traditional agricultural inputs are necessary to achieve sustainable land productivity while maintaining environmental quality. Nitrogen (N)-fixing bacteria (rhizobia) are a group of plant growth- promoting bacteria that live in symbiosis with legumes. Their interaction with legume roots results in nodules that provide plants with additional nutrients through N-fixation, making legumes ideal crops due to reduced N fertilizer requirements. Despite their potential to improve land productivity and increase food production and security, the use of rhizobia is limited in developing countries due to limited research and agricultural microbial product production. Therefore, additional efforts are needed to increase the utilization of soil microbes to ensure food and soil security. The present review expounds on the role of rhizobia toward food production, food and soil security through microbial agro-input utilization in developing countries. Included in the review are the diversity of root-nodulating rhizobia, morphology and formation of legume, the role of nodulating bacteria for increased food production in developing countries, the application of nodulating bacterial technologies in food production in developing countries, and the implication of nodulating bacteria toward agricultural sustainability in devel oping countries. The review established that rhizobia are less utilized in developing countries as an option to increase food production and soil security due to limited research and agricultural microbial agro-input product production. Thus, additional efforts are required to increase soil microbes utilization to increase food production and ensure food security.