ABSTRACT In Kenya and other countries in the world, most water treatment works derive their raw water from rivers that flow in a watershed. Lack of proper management of watershed leads to high runoff generated and subsequent flooding downstream leading to damaged infrastructure, pollution and deterioration of water quality. The main aim of this study was to simulate runoff water quality effects and establish a relationship models in three water sheds in Yala basins. The river watersheds consi...
ABSTRACT Potable water supply distribution networks are designed and constructed to convey treated water from the water treatment plant to end users. In developing countries, urban water supplies are mostly intermittent, typically ranging from 2 hours to 4 hours in a day and experiences high physical water losses resulting from frequent pipeline burst and repairs along water distribution pipelines due to high water pressure heads in aged distribution lines. Pressure management as a way of man...
ABSTRACT Dairy production is a biologically efficient system that converts large quantities of roughage in the tropics to milk. Milk production levels are determined by the levels of technologies applied to the dairy enterprise. However, information on levels of adoption of dairy technologies especially in the arid and semi-arid areas (ASALs) of Kenya is scanty. This study thus sought to evaluate the extent of adoption of modern dairy technologies and its impact on milk production in Nzaui Su...
ABSTRACT This study was undertaken in Kitui South in Kitui County in the south eastern parts of Kenya. The main objective of the study was to develop a spatial model that can be used for selection of suitable sites for sand dam in Kitui South. Data analysis was done using three approaches. The first approach involved the use of the Remote Sensing (RS) technique where data was preprocessed and analyzed using Erdas Imagine software and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) for spatial modellin...
ABSTRACT The nature and magnitude of the genotype × environment interactions is important to identify superior and stable genotypes under target environments. This will assist to maximize specific adaptation and to speed up the distribution of new cultivars to growers. Eleven prerelease flue cured tobacco hybrid lines were evaluated for yield and quality in four different tobacco growing regions thus, Kutsaga and Rusape representing the slow growing areas, Trelawney representing the medium...
ABSTRACT For the past decades Southdown estate in Zimbabwe employed manual tea harvesting method, due to labour shortages and increase in labour costs tea harvesting became expensive. Although the estate adopted machine harvesting method in a quest to resolve imminent financial problems faced at Southdown the costs kept escalating. Therefore this study was undertaken to compare the two harvesting methods (hand harvesting method and machine harvesting method) in order to evaluate the costs an...
ABSTRACT The South West Upper Tana Basin, Kiama, Chania, Kimakia and Thika sub basins, located in the central region of Kenya has been experiencing increased water abstraction and river diversions. However, the causes of this increased water abstraction have not been fully investigated. Several factors that could be responsible to these abstractions; climate change, land cover/land use changes, agricultural practices and changes in streamflow. Previous studies in the region have not determine...
ABSTRACT Traditional/backyard pig production systems are found in the larger Western Kenya while commercial systems are predominant in Eastern and Central Kenya including Nairobi. The pig holdings in Coast and few in North-Eastern are commercial systems. The expansion and improvement of the market for pigs and pig products generally in Kenya may explain why pig- keeping is beginning to be found outside traditional pig-keeping areas. The objectives of the study were: 1) To characterize pig pro...
Abstract Chemelil Sugar Company is located along the Awasi nyando road.It started in the year 1965 as a private company. The original shareholding was 57%, private and 43% government ownership. Low cane yields and low cane quality due to low performance of most agricultural activities in land preparation, planting, cane husbandry and harvesting and transport. Cane shortage has been a major limiting factor in the performance of the company crushing capacity The general objective is to analys...
ABSTRACT Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea Linn) is an important legume in western Kenya, but yields are low and declining. Pests and diseases are ranked high among the yield reducing factors. Groundnut rosette disease (GRD) is the main disease and can cause up to 100% yield loss. Rosette is transmitted mainly by the groundnut aphid, Aphis craccivora Koch and to a lesser extent by Aphis gosypii Glover and Myzus persicae Sulzer. Rosette is caused by two synergistic viruses; groundnut rosette assisto...
ABSTRACT A cross sectional study was conducted to compare the welfare of working donkeys in the rural and urban/peri-urban areas of Mwingi Central Sub-County of Kitui county in Kenya. The assessment of welfare was based on physical welfare indicators, pathological and external parasite infestation, and physiological welfare indicators including the determination of free fecal cortisol concentration. From a total population of 35,361 donkeys in the study area, a sample size of 396 donkeys was ...
ABSTRACT Regional projects hereby refer to projects implemented in more than one country. The countries of focus are Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda. The purpose of the study was to build the thesis that regional projects generated more impacts and significantly contributed to: increased agricultural production and productivity; enhanced stakeholders’ access to financial services; increased incomes; profitable land uses; and up-scaling of technologies, innovations, and manageme...
ABSTRACT The Mara River is the lifeline of the Trans boundary Mara basin across Kenya and Tanzania. The basin is considered one of the more serene sub-catchments of the Lake Victoria Basin and ultimately the Nile Basin. The basin traverses the famous Maasai Mara and Serengeti National Parks in Kenya and Tanzania respectively. The basin also contains forests, largescale farms, smallholder farms, pastoral grazing lands, as well as hunter gatherers and fishers. There is growing concern however, ...
ABSTRACT This study investigated the evaluation of rural credit markets in Ikwuano Local Government Area of Abia State. The study focused on the financial lending institutions (formal and informal) that lend money to farmers, the differences in the lending conditions and amount of loan granted between the identified sources. Also, the impact Of the loan on the beneficiaries level of production and income. Data relevant to the study were collected through the use of both structured qu...
Standard methods of analysis were used to determine the mineral and nutrient content of the molluscan shells. The mean and variance of each nutrient were determined. The shells contained high percentage of calcium of 12.35 to 15.07% (13.90±0,26) sodium 0.10 to 1.55% (0.705±0,16) magnesium 0.10 to 1.02% (0.44±0.009) phosphorus 0.18 to 0.63 (0.35±0.005) potassium 0.003 to 0.021% (0.012±0.002). The molluscan shells also has large proportions of crude protein with values of 1.49-3.76% (2.32...