Abstract Background. Aquatic insect community structure is dynamic due to threats by anthropogenic activities coupled with changing climatic conditions. The insect’s survival is dependent on the substrate, water quality, and environmental effects. The changes in water quality influence their distribution and abundance and are reflected in spatial and temporal trends. This study sought to document the effects of spatial variation on aquatic insects in Winam Gulf of Lake Victoria, Kenya. Mat...
Abstract Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a food and industrial storage root crop with substantial potential to contribute to managing risk associated with climate change due to its inherent resilience and in providing a biodegradable option in manufacturing. In Africa, cassava production is challenged by two viral diseases, cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) and cassava mosaic disease. Here we detect quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with CBSD in a biparental mapping population...
Abstract The agriculture sector is the backbone of Kenya’s economy, contributing approximately 33 percent of Kenya’s gross domestic product (GDP). The agriculture sector employs more than 40 percent of the total population and 70 percent of the rural population. Kenya’s agriculture is predominantly smallholder farming and is carried out on farms averaging 0.2–3 ha, mostly on a subsistence basis. The objective of this study was to determine factors influencing the use of mobile phone-...
Abstract Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) technologies help guide actions needed to transform and reorient agricultural systems to effectively support development and ensure food security by increasing farmers’ resilience to climate change. Agroforestry has been vouched for as one of the best CSAs because it provides ecosystem services such as water quality enhancement and prevents land degradation. This study sought to establish and document the adoption of agroforestry as a CSA practice a...
Abstract Bacterial wilt disease caused by Ralstonia solanacearum is a major constraining factor in the production of tomatoes in Kenya, leading to an overreliance on synthetic pesticides. As a result, there is increased research on bio-pesticides as safer alternatives. The present study, therefore, characterized and evaluated in 524 European Journal of Applied Sciences (EJAS) Vol. 10, Issue 2, April-2022 Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom vitro antibacterial activity of es...
Abstract Background: Diversifcation of global food systems through exploration of traditional varieties and wild edible plant species is a focal mitigation strategy for food security worldwide. The present study determined the phenomic diversity of locally available, afordable and climate-resilient cultivated and wild Crotalaria species for breeding purposes. Methods: Seed samples were collected from diferent administrative counties in Kenya spanning diferent climatic zones. Other seeds were...
Abstract Precision agriculture (PA) has a huge potential for growth in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), but it faces a number of social-economic and technological challenges. This study sought to map existing PA research and application in SSA countries following the methodology for systematic mapping in environmental sciences. After screening for relevance, the initial about 7715 articles was reduced to 128. Results show that most of the studies were conducted in countries with socio-economic and ...
Abstract Kenya’s Vision 2030 identifies agriculture as one of the key sectors to deliver sustainable economic growth and improved livelihoods for the poor in the rural areas. However, the sector continues to face several endemic and emerging constraints that require special attention. During the first two decades after independence, Kenya’s economy grew at an average rate of 6 percent per year and this was substantially driven by a robust agriculture sector. However, until about five yea...
Abstract Naromoru is a semiarid area in Central Kenya, occurring on the leeward side of Mt. Kenya. Its water sources include a few permanent rivers such as Nairobi River, intermittent streams and a large number of undrainable water reservoirs. Most of the undrainable water resources have been stocked with fish but their utilization for fish rearing has generally remained very low. The purpose of this study was therefore to examine the water quality status of the dams to assess their suitabil...
Abstract Resistance to Coffee Berry Disease (CBD) in Coffea arabica cv. Ruiru 11 is known to be controlled by among others, the T (Ck-1) gene from Robusta coffee (Coffea canephora Pierre). The cultivar reportedly presents significant variability in resistance to CBD. Previous work identified a microsattelite marker Sat 235 which was linked to CBD resistance and mapped it onto the introgressed C. canephora fragment which carries the Ck-1 gene. This study was aimed at utilizing the Sat 235 mar...
Abstract Majority of reported work on coffee breeding primarily concerns agronomic improvement that directly impinges on coffee quality. However, it is crucial that coffee breeding programmes for disease resistance also include coffee quality improvement since consumer awareness about the quality of different coffees has increased. The aim of this study was to determine the variation and associations of cup quality parameters and resistance against Coffee Berry Disease (CBD) in Coffea arabic...
Abstract Coffee Leaf Rust (CLR) is a fungal disease caused by Hemileia vastatrix Berk et Br. and is one of the major diseases of coffee. It causes premature leaf fall, yield loss and even death of the tree in severe cases. Coffee genotypes respond differently to biotic factors. This study was aimed at identifying potential sources of resistance genes to the disease. Forty five Coffea arabica L accessions were evaluated for their response to CLR under field conditions. CLR infection was asses...
Abstract Nutrient enrichment is one of the most serious threats to wetland ecosystems. Information is lacking, particularly concerning the response of wetland plants species in Kenya in regard to nutrient enrichment of wetlands. Understanding the mechanisms and adaptations that allow only certain species to thrive in the potentially stressful wetland environment requires the study of the biology of these plants. This study was carried out to investigate the growth and nutrient uptake among s...
Abstract Physical characteristics of green coffee bean have been reported to affect beverage quality to some extent. The objective of this study was to assess the beverage quality and green bean physical characteristics of forty two arabica coffee genotypes and to determine the relationship between the two attributes. Green bean physical characteristics were assesed through actual measurements, grading and weighing while beverage quality was determined by a panel of seven judges using the pr...
Abstract Climatic variability is the main factor responsible for the fluctuations in the coffee yield in the world. The relationships between the climatic parameters and the agricultural production are quite complex, because environmental factors affect the growth and the development of plants under different forms during the phenological phases of the coffee crop. Such environmental factors include reduced rainfall and high temperatures both of which majorly contribute to drought. This pape...