Research Project: Identification of amaranth germplasm accessions resistant to leaf webbers and weevils in Tanzania

Stephen is a DRIP PhD Scholar supervised by Dr Komi Fiaboe (icipe) and Dr Ruth Kahuthia-Gathu (Kenyatta University (KU), Kenya). Stephen’s research interests include crop protection, integrated pest management and biological control. His PhD research is on the identification of amaranth germplasm accessions resistant to leaf webbers and weevils in Tanzania. The project is conducting field and laboratory experiments to evaluate amaranth germplasm accessions for their resistance, determine the mechanisms of resistance and identify their desirable horticultural traits. He will also study the effects of selected accessions on the biology and reproduction of leaf webbers and weevils and monitor the performance of indigenous parasitoids on leaf webbers of amaranth. He is registered for a PhD at KU and is supported by a scholarship from GIZ/BMZ, Germany.

Stephen has a BSc in Microbiology and an MSc in Agricultural Entomology from KU, and is a member of the African Association of Insect Scientists (AAIS).