From Rodent Research Project (RRP) to SUA Institute of Pest Management (IPM): A Process of Transformation and Excellence

Many interesting things have happened over the years at Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) and they define who we are, what we are doing, and what our achievements are. For example, when people hear of sniffer rats detecting landmines and tuberculosis, fertility control of rats, owls controlling mice, cat urine repelling rats, Lophuromys sabunii, Lophuromys makundii, Lophuromys kilonzoi, Lophuromys machangui, Serovar Sokoine, etc. they ask who are these individuals, where are they based and perhaps how can we link up with them and their institution? 

SUA

Member of staff at SUA Institute of Pest Management formerly known as SUA Pest Management Centre

This article is the fascinating story of the transformation of SUA Pest Management Centre from a tiny Belgian Government supported research project on “Rodents as disease carriers and crop destroyers” between 1986 - 1989 that led to formation of the “Rodent Research Project” in 1990, “SUA Pest Management Centre” in 2000 and now “SUA Institute of Pest Management” in 2021. 

The establishment and presence of SUA Pest Management Center has been instrumental in the major academic developments in terms of both research outputs and excellency at Sokoine University of Agriculture from late 1990s to early 2000 which resulted in the establishment of the SUA – APOPO sniffer rats project for which the African Giant Pouched Rats, Cricetomys ansorgei are used as biosensors for landmines and tuberculosis.  This was one of the major developments under the SPMC in the last 20 years and has become a flagship achievement of Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA).

Click the link below, to read this article in more detail ...

https://www.spmc.sua.ac.tz/from-rodent-research-project-rrp-to-institute-of-pest-management-ipm-a-process-of-transformation-and-excellence/

You will find an exciting story from Professor Rhodes Makundi describing the entire history of the SUA Pest Management Center since its inception in the 1980s, various stages of growth and transformation they have gone through from that time until now, the challenges as well as the many successes they have achieved which have truly set a unique history and indelible memory here at Sokoine University of Agriculture

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