About Mr FRACKSON Jimmy

Jimmy David Frackson – Chemistry Technician Jimmy David Frackson is a Chemistry Technician at the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR). He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Education Science majoring in chemistry from the University of Malawi (UNIMA) and joined LUANAR in July 2022. Currently, he is pursuing a Master’s degree in applied chemistry at UNIMA, , with research addressing storage pesticide residues in maize and sorghum. With expertise in laboratory management, chemical analysis, and safety protocols, Jimmy supports teaching and research activities by ensuring well-maintained laboratory facilities, preparing chemical reagents, and assisting students in practical sessions. He is passionate about science education, research, and innovation in chemistry. He continues to seek professional growth and collaboration in the fields of chemistry, agriculture, and environmental science.

Research Interest for: Mr FRACKSON Jimmy

INVESTIGATING THE CONCENTRATION OF STORAGE PESTICIDE RESIDUES IN MAIZE AND SORGHUM

Maize and Sorghum are staple cereal foods grown in Malawi and are essential for the food security and nutrition of the population. In Malawi, maize and sorghum are used to make traditional dishes like Nsima and porridge and they are also used to make traditional beer and sweet beer (thobwa). In SSA including Malawi, farmers mainly harvest these crops once a year but their consumption runs throughout the year. To observe continuous supply of these staple foods, farmers store their maize and sorghum using different storage practices to prevent grains from insect infestations. Amongst these practices, the use of storage pesticides has proved to be the most deployed method by many farmers and middlemen in Malawi. Storage pesticides (organophosphates, pyrethroids and neonicotinoids) are widely used to protect stored grains from storage insects’ infestations which is responsible for PHLS in most of SSA . Despite the role pesticides play in reducing PHLs, Residues of pesticides in stored grains, especially maize and sorghum, raise serious concerns because of their effects on food safety, environmental health, and trade rules. The study will therefore aiming at determining the concentration and degradation rate of storage pesticides residues in maize and sorghum both from the market sources and stock samples.

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