Full Name: Valerian Cosmas Kanyengele Silayo
Title: Professor
Area of specialization: Food Processing and Post-harvest Technology
School: School of Engineering Science and Technology (SoET).
Department: Food and Agro-processing
Office Location: BPE Building at SoET.
Email address: vcsilayo[at]sua.ac.tz and vcksilayo[at]yahoo.com
Phone number: 0754476507 and 0734248516
Prof. Valerian C.K. Silayo was born on 27th December 1959 in the now Wama village in Rombo District, Kilimanjaro region. Prof. Silayo is married with four children. As a Process Engineer by profession, Prof. Silayo has served Sokoine University of Agriculture for about 37 years in teaching, research and consultancy activities. He also served as Head of Department of Agricultural Engineering and Land Planning for six years. National-wide, Prof. Silayo is a registered engineer and now serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Centre for Agricultural Mechanization and Rural Technology (CAMARTEC).
BSc. Eng. (Hons), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania – August, 1985
MSc Food Process Engineering Reading, U.K – December, 1987
PhD (Sun Drying of Grains), Newcastle upon Tyne, U.K – December, 1995
Research Interests / Areas
Root and tuber crop processing
Commodities drying and storage
Food security and post-harvest losses
Funded Research Projects
None at the moment except post-graduate students’ research.
List of courses
BPE 211/AE 213: Thermodynamics (taught until last academic year)
BPE 213: Heat and Mass Transfer (taught until last academic year)
BPE 412/ AE 423: Unit Operations II / Thermal Processing of Biological Materials
BPE 414/ AE 416: Process Plant Design and Development
BPE 312: Systems Equipment Design and Selection
BPE 415: Packaging
PTM 604: Design of Processing Plants for Agricultural Products
PTM 606: Advanced Heat and Mass Transfer
PTM 609: Advanced Agricultural Process Engineering
Students Supervision
Current Post-graduate students researches
Joseph Kimako, Assessment of Indoor Storage Technology on White Colour Sweet Potato Roots MSc 2021/22 to-date
Christina Wuiya, Potential Management Strategies for Reducing Aflatoxin Levels in Maize MSc 2021/22 to-date
Evelius Vedasto Rwebangira, Comparative Effects of hermetic Maize Storage Technology for Smallholder Farmers. MSc 2021/22 to-date
Leonard Mwankemwa, Design of an Improved Evaporative Cooling Structure for Storage of Tomatoes in Morogoro MSc 2020/21- 2021/22 (awaiting graduation)
Dionice Aishakye, Drying of Paddy Under Hermetic Storage Conditions in Burundi. MSc 2020/21 – 2021/22 (awaiting graduation)
Most current publications
Books: None
Journal Articles (Less than 15 years)
Vedasto Evelius, V.C.K. Silayo and G.C. Mrema (2022). Performance of Triple and Double Hermetic Bags for Maize Grain Storage. International Journal of Agriculture, Environment and Bioresearch (IJAEB). (Accepted for Publication)
Christina Z. Wuiya, V.C.K. Silayo, Frida Nyamete and Ramadhan Omar Majubwa (2022). Assessment of Farmers Awareness in Harvesting and Post-harvest Handling Practices for management of Aflatoxins on Maize in Morogoro. International Journal of Agriculture, Environment and Bioresearch (IJAEB). (Accepted for Publication)
Yusto Yustas and V.C.K. Silayo (2022). Comprehensive Characterisation of Biomass and Weather for Deployment of the Renewable Energy System. Book Chapter: Human Agro-Energy Optimisation for Business and Industry. IGI Global. (Accepted for publication)
Kiobia, D. O., Silayo, V. C. K., Mutabazi, K. D., Graef, F., & Mourice, S. K. (2020). Performance of hermetic storage bags for maize grains under farmer-managed conditions: Good practice versus local reality. Journal of Stored Products Research, 87, 101586.
Denis Olgen Kiobia, Hannah A. Graef, Paul Reuben, Fredrick Cassian Kahimba, Frieder Graef, Bettina Eichler-Lobermann, and Valerian C.K. Silayo. Combining biochar with low rate of chemical fertilizer boosts maize biomass yield, regardless of tillage system, under humid conditions. J. Agric. and Rur. Dev. in the Tropics and Sub-tropics. Vol. 120 No. 1 (2019) 55-62.
Graef, S. Sieber, K. Mutabazi, F. Asch, H.K. Biesalski, J. Bitegeko, W. Bokelmann, M. Bruentrup, O. Dietrich, N. Elly, A. Fasse, J.U. Germer, U. Grote, L. Herrmann, R. Herrmann, H. Hoffmann, F.C. Kahimba, B. Kaufmann, K.-C. Kersebaum, C. Kilembe, A. Kimaro, J. Kinabo, B. König, H. König, M. Lana, C. Levy, J. Lyimo-Macha, B. Makoko, G. Mazoko, S.H. Mbaga, W. Mbogoro, H. Milling, K. Mtambo, J. Mueller, C. Mueller, K. Mueller, E. Nkonja, C. Reif, C. Ringler, S. Ruvuga, M. Schaefer, A. Sikira, V. Silayo, K. Stahr, E. Swai, S. Tumbo, G. Uckert. Framework for participatory food security research in rural food value chains. Global Food Security 3 (2014) 8–15.
V.C.K. Silayo, E.L. Lazaro, Y. Yustas and H.S. Laswai. Cassava Sun Drying Performance on Various Surfaces and Drying Bed Depths. Tanzania Journal of Agricultural Sciences (2013), Vol. 12 No.1, 31-36.
G.M. Kituu, D. Shitanda, C.L. Kanali, J.T. Mailutha, C.K. Njoroge, J.K. Wainaina, V.K. Silayo (2010). Thin layer drying model for simulating the drying of Tilapia fish (Orechromis niloticus) in a solar tunnel dryer. J. Food Engineering 98 (2010), 325-331.
Laswai, H.S., Thonya, N., Yesaya, D., Silayo, V.C.K., Kulwa, K., Mpagalile, K.K., and W.R.W. Ballegu. Use of Locally Available Flavouring Materials in Suppressing the Beany Taste in Soymilk. AJFAND (2009), Vol. 9(7), 1545-1560.
H.S. Laswai, M.A. Khatib, V.C.K. Silayo and T. Wicklund. Effects of methods of processing cassava on Cyanogen levels and acceptability of Bada – a traditional product in Tongwe village, Tanzania. Tanzania Journal of Agricultural Sciences (2008, Vol. 9(2), 161-170.
J.J. Mpagalile, H.S. Laswai, W.R. Ballegu and V.C.K. Silayo. The effectiveness of a novel steaming method in improving small scale soybean dehulling. AJFAND (2008), Vol. 8(3), 304-318.
V.C.K. Silayo, H.S. Laswai, E.L. Lazaro, J.J. Mpagalile, W.R.W. Ballegu, and M. MUHANA. Improvement of cassava production, processing, marketing and utilization through introduction of disease-tolerant cassava varieties. Tanzania Journal of Agricultural Sciences (2008), Vol. 9(1): 69-78.
V.C.K. Silayo, H.S. Laswai, W.R.W. Ballegu, J.J. Mpagalile, K. Kulwa and B. Yuda. Adaption of the traditional coffee pulping machine to soybean dehulling. Tanzania Journal of Agricultural Sciences (2008), Vol. 9(1): 93-100.
Book Chapters: None
Conference/Workshops/Seminar Papers (for the last 15 years)
Silayo, V.C.K., Kihupi, N.I., Tarimo, A.K.P.R., Lazaro, E.L. and Kahimba, F.C. Promotion of Irrigation and Value Addition for Increased Profitability of the Tanzanian Agricultural Sector. The Contribution of Engineering and Technology Towards the Success of Kilimo Kwanza. Proceedings of the 8th Annual Engineers Day, September 2-3, 2010, Mlimani City Conference Hall, Dar es Salaam. Pp 37-48.
Silayo, V.C.K., H.S. Laswai and E.L. Lazaro. Effect of motorized grating and chipping of cassava on flour yield and quality. Proceedings of the Third Annual PANTIL Research Workshop: Food and Energy Crises:Contribution and Challenges for Agricultural and Climate Change Research, Dodoma, 7-9 October 2008. Pp189-193.
Khatib, M.A., H.S Laswai, V.C.K. Silayo and T. Wicklund3 . Cyanogen Levels of Processed Cassava and Acceptability of Bada From Differently Processed Cassava. Proceedings of the Third Annual PANTIL Research Workshop: Food and Energy Crises: Contribution and Challenges for Agricultural and Climate Change Research.Dodoma, 7-9 October 2008. Pp 194-200.
H.S. Laswai, D. Yesaya, W.R.W. Ballegu, J.J. Mpagalile, K. Kulwa, V.C.K. Silayo, and R. Kadigi. Soybean beany flavor: a novel way of eliminating the problem by resource poor households. Proceedings of the Second Annual PANTIL Research Workshop, 15-17 October 2007, Morogoro, p 226-231.
H.S. Laswai, E.V. Kilimali, R.W. ballegu, J.J. Mpagalile, K. Kulwa, V.C.K. Silayo, R. Kadigi and C.L. Rweyemamu. Chemical composition and acceptability of soybean kashata snack. Proceedings of the Second Annual PANTIL Research Workshop, 15-17 October 2007, Morogoro, p 232-234.
Google Scholar: None
Research Gate (vcsilayo[at]sua.ac.tz)
Board Chairman of the Centre for Agricultural Mechanization and Rural Technology, from July 2021 to date.
Registered Engineer with Engineers Registration Board (ERB); Responsible in supervising graduate students in the Structural Engineering Apprenticeship (SEAP) program; supervised one candidate in the past; currently supervising one candidate.
Head of Department; Department of Agricultural Engineering and Land Planning, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, TANZANIA from 1st July 2008- 30th June 2014.
Executive Coordinator of the Bureau for Agricultural Consultancy and Advisory Services (BACAS), Faculty of Agriculture, Sokoine University of Agriculture, from 12th May 2005 to 31st December 2016.
Sokoine University of Agriculture
School of Engineering and Technology
Department of Food and Agro-processing (BPE Building/ House No.
P.O Box 3003 Chuo Kikuu Morogoro, Tanzania
E-mail: vcsilayo[at]sua.ac.tz or vcksilayo[at]yahoo.com
Phone No: 0754476507 and 0734248516