From ancient domestication to modern agriculture: The journey of maize cultivation in Tanzania, its implications for food security, challenges and resilience strategies

Abstract

Maize (Zea mays), first domesticated in Southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago, has grown to be a major global staple, playing an especially crucial role in Tanzania. Introduced to East Africa by Portuguese traders in the 16^th century, maize gradually became part of Tanzania’s agricultural system, replacing traditional cereals like sorghum, pearl millet, and finger millet in both cultivation and consumption. During the colonial era the production was relatively low. Since independence in 1961, acreage expanded significantly from 790,000 hectares to 4.4 million hectares by 2021, and production increased from 590,000 to over 6 million metric tons. This growth has made maize a crucial crop for food security and livelihoods in the country. Over 189 maize varieties have been officially certified in Tanzania, since 1950s. Currently, Tanzania rank 5^th after South Africa, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Egypt in Africa maize producers. Despite these achievements, maize farming in Tanzania faces significant hurdles, including pests like the fall army worm, maize weevil, larger grain borer, and rodents, along with diseases such as maize lethal necrosis and gray leaf spot. The impacts of climate change also pose ongoing challenges to maize cultivation. Recently, maize attracted a lot of researches in various aspects. However, no published review report on history of maize production including varieties over time, problems and prospects. This paper provides an extensive review of maize history, production statistics, common varieties, research gaps and highlights resilient strategies needed for continuous innovation and support in maize cultivation to preserve its key role in Tanzania's economy and food security.