Introduction
The Crop Science Association of Tanzania (CROSAT), established in 2023, aims to bring together crop scientists and other professionals in related fields by facilitating the exchange of knowledge and ideas concerning the science and practices of crop value chains. As a means of sharing scientific developments, innovations, and technologies useful across different aspects of crop science, CROSAT is organizing its second scientific conference to facilitate interaction and knowledge sharing within crop science and related fields.
The Conference Organizing Committee is pleased to inform you that the 2nd CROSAT Biennial Scientific Conference will be held at Tanga Beach Resort, Tanga, Tanzania, from 24 to 25 November 2026. The conference will comprise oral and poster paper presentations. Kindly save the dates and note the key information summarized below.
Objectives
General Objective
The 2nd Biennial Scientific Conference 2026 aims to create a dynamic platform that strengthens the crop scientist community by connecting scholars, institutions, and industry leaders to advance knowledge exchange and practical solutions.
Specific Objectives
- To create opportunities for scholars and practitioners to share insights, enhance their careers, and engage in knowledge exchange that advances sustainable crop production practices.
- To build meaningful connections among universities, research institutions, industry partners, and scholars within the country and beyond.
- To provide platforms for collaboration and long-term professional relationships that strengthen the crop scientific community.
Conference Theme
Theme
Advancing Crop Science and Financing Systems for a Changing Climate
Slogan
Science for Crops, Crops for Life
Sayansi kwa Mazao, Mazao kwa Maisha
Conference Sub-themes
Crop improvement and seed system resilience
This sub-theme addresses the twin imperatives of developing superior crop varieties and building dependable seed delivery pathways that together underpin food and nutrition security. Contributions are invited on advances in conventional and molecular breeding directed at climate resilience, enhanced yield potential, improved nutritional quality, and durable resistance to key pests and diseases. Equally welcome are strategies for conserving and mobilising crop genetic resources adapted to accelerating environmental change and tolerant of the emergence of new pest and pathogen biotypes that erode existing resistance sources. Papers examining innovations in seed production, quality assurance, certification protocols, and last-mile distribution are encouraged, particularly those presenting models that bridge the formal and informal seed sectors, leverage public–private partnerships, and employ enabling policies to accelerate varietal turnover and inclusive farmer adoption across gender and socio-economic lines.
Climate-smart agricultural systems and integrated crop protection
This sub-theme explores how Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) supports sustainable food systems, particularly in vulnerable contexts such as Tanzania and other developing economies. It invites research on conservation agriculture, integrated soil fertility management, precision nutrient stewardship, and water-use-efficiency interventions—including deficit irrigation scheduling, rainwater harvesting, and soil-moisture monitoring technologies—that restore productive capacity while reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. Broader climate-adaptive agronomic strategies are also within scope, ranging from adjusted planting calendars and drought- and flood-tolerant cropping systems to climate-information services and landscape-level watershed management. A critical pillar of climate-smart crop production is integrated pest and disease management. The sub-theme therefore welcomes research on the ecology and population dynamics of economically important pests and pathogens, biological and conservation biocontrol, biopesticide development, semiochemical-based technologies, early-warning surveillance systems, rapid molecular and digital diagnostics, predictive modelling under changing climatic scenarios, and phytosanitary and quarantine measures that safeguard national and regional biosecurity against invasive species and transboundary threats. Contributions should illustrate how sustainable protection approaches can be scaled through participatory research, digital extension platforms, and supportive regulatory and institutional frameworks, and are especially valued where they present robust biophysical and socio-economic evidence of resilience outcomes, document gender-differentiated adoption pathways, and connect field-level practices to ecosystem-service provision.
Digital innovation and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven agriculture
This sub-theme explores how digital and mechanical innovations are reshaping decision-making and operational efficiency across crop production systems. Contributions may address remote sensing, IoT sensor networks, unmanned aerial vehicles, mobile advisory platforms, and the expanding role of artificial intelligence and machine learning in tasks ranging from automated pest and disease identification to yield forecasting and supply-chain optimisation. Papers engaging emerging questions around agricultural data governance, algorithmic transparency, and the ethical deployment of AI tools in smallholder contexts are particularly encouraged. Appropriate mechanisation remains an equally vital dimension, especially scalable, cost-effective solutions designed to alleviate labour bottlenecks, reduce drudgery, and improve the timeliness of field operations in resource-constrained farming systems. Papers examining hire-service models, gender-responsive equipment design, strengthened extension services, and institutional arrangements that facilitate technology uptake and sustained use at scale are welcome.
Crop value addition, postharvest innovation, and food safety in market systems
Maximizing the economic and nutritional potential of crop production requires efficient value chains that reduce losses and increase returns for all stakeholders. This sub-theme invites research on innovations in postharvest handling, drying, storage, cold-chain logistics, processing technologies, and quality-assurance systems—including compliance with food-safety standards and sanitary and phytosanitary requirements—that enhance market competitiveness and open new product pathways for domestic and export markets. Beyond the technical dimension, contributions may explore market-linkage models, contract-farming arrangements, digital trading platforms, agribusiness development, and access to finance. Papers examining inclusive business models that engage youth, promote entrepreneurship, and stimulate private-sector investment along crop value chains—while ensuring that smallholder producers capture a fair share of the value created—are particularly encouraged.
Agricultural financing models, risk management, policy, and partnerships
Technological and agronomic advances alone cannot transform the crop sector without enabling policies, functional institutions, and broad-based stakeholder engagement. This sub-theme explores the design, accessibility, effectiveness, and sustainability of financing mechanisms that support agricultural development in Tanzania, focusing on innovative and transformative financial models that enhance productivity, resilience, and commercialization within the crop sub-sector. It further examines the risks affecting crop production systems and the strategies, tools, and policies used to manage them, with attention to building resilient systems capable of withstanding climatic, biological, and market-related uncertainties. The sub-theme also considers local-to-regional policy frameworks (pesticide regulation, biopesticide reform, EAC harmonization) that drive innovation, alongside multi-stakeholder partnerships and collaborative governance models that translate research into impact, and emerging climate-finance mechanisms and green-investment frameworks. A cross-cutting concern is the promotion of equity and social inclusion: papers addressing gender-responsive agricultural strategies, meaningful youth participation, the empowerment of marginalised communities, and the inclusion of people with disabilities within crop systems are strongly encouraged.