ABSTRACT African nightshade (Solanum scabrum Miller) is a vegetable, widely distributed throughout the tropics including East Africa. It is an important vegetable in Kenya but consumer demands have not been met due to low yields and partly due to attack by Aphis fabae Scopoli. The aphids cause serious damage through sucking plant cell sap from phloem leaving the plant weakened, dehydrated, stunted in growth and eventually under heavy infestation the leaves curl making the vegetables unattract...
Abstract Drought is the most important limiting factor in the production of crops in agriculture; it is becoming an increasingly severe problem, sharpening its ends due to dynamic changes in climatic variables. Tobacco is one of the major cash crops that is being grown by many farmers, but its production potential is often constrained by the scarcity of water and poor productivity of sandy soil. In order to counteract the problem of water scarcity, the researcher hereby sought to investigat...
ABSTRACT Declining soil fertility in general and nitrogen (N) in particular limit crop production on many smallholder farms in western Kenya. Soil N deficiency is usually ameliorated with inorganic N fertilizers but their high costs preclude their use by resource poor smallholder farmers. In addition there are concerns that increased use of inorganic fertilizers could lead to environmental degradation. Organic inputs offer sustainable alternatives to expensive inorganic N fertilizers but the ...
ABSTRACT Continued use of traditional sources of energy for cooking in rural areas of Tanzania is associated with human health problems such as lung diseases and environmental problems including soil erosion and air pollution. This paper aimed at determining the types of energy sources used for cooking and the determinants of their choices in rural areas of Tanzania. Cross-sectional survey research design through questionnaires was used to collect data from 384 heads of households from rura...
ABSTRACT The obligate root hemi-parasite, Striga hermonthica (Del.) Benth., native to sub-Saharan Africa causes serious economic constraint to cereal production. There has been limited study to understand the genetics of Striga tolerance or resistance in maize in Kenya and the information on mechanisms of resistance to Striga in maize in very limited. T he use of maize ( Zea mays L.) genotypes that support reduced Striga hermonthica emergence can form an important basis for developing Striga ...
ABSTRACT Sitophilus zeamais Motschulsky is the major insect pest seen damaging stored maize in Zimbabwe. The environmental hazards of synthetic insecticides, the unreliability supply and high costs of these chemicals resulted in the search for cheaper and safer use of the naturally available plant material to control this pest. This study evaluates effective rates for L. javanica leaf powder. Bioactivity of Lippia javanica leaf extracts was evaluated under average room temperature, at three ...
ABSTRACT Tea provides income and employment to rural populations in many countries. Tea, grown in east and west of the Rift Valley, is the leading export commodity crop in Kenya. Variable responses among genotypes to different environments and fertilizer influence growth, productivity, leaf nutrients, and quality. However, husbandry practices are uniform in all tea growing regions. These recommendations may not be optimum universally. Genotypes planted and management practices may therefore n...
ABSTRACT The current trade literature highlights the importance of trade reforms and export diversification as a major economic trajectory towards a sustained economic growth. A concentrated export basket is at risk of price volatility and small market size. The purpose of this study was to expose the connection that exists between trade reforms and export diversification. The objective was to determine the impact of tariff preferences and bilateral trade agreements (dummy variable) on expor...
Abstract: Agriculture remains the mainstay of the Nigerian economy, because it does not only contribute to the largest share of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), it is the largest employer of labour and a key contributor to wealth creation and poverty alleviation, as large percentage of the population derive their income from agriculture and related activities . Agricultural sector is the backbone of many economies in Africa, but most African countries are yet to devote their efforts to the diss...
ABSTRACT The Kenyan mountaiu bongo (Fr(/ge/fI/J/lII,' curycerus is(1f1ci) is an endangered Tragclnphinc antelope sub-species endemic to Mt. Kenya- Aberdare ecosystems. This antelope has currently been reduced to pockets of small populations in forest patches (mainly in the Aberdares) exacerbated primarily by habitat fragmentation due to anthropogenic and disease factors. The conservation and survival of these species needs vital cmpiricul datil 011 critical luctors such as genetic processes t...
ABSTRACT Livestock production is critical in poverty reduction through food security improvement and rural development. Demographic characteristics, agro-ecological zone and market structure influences the the different livestock production systems. In order to plan for suitable interventions by Kitui County to enhance livestock production, this study aims to identify and document existing livestock production systems,and assessed household vulnerability to food insecurity in identified lives...
ABSTRACT Sweetpotato (Ipomea batatas) (L) Lam is a root crop and the seventh most important food crop after wheat, rice, maize, potato, barley and cassava in Sub- Saharan Africa and in Kenya. It is rich in carbohydrate offering a cheap source of energy and vitamins for health and nutritional benefits especially orange fleshed varieties. Improved sweetpotato varieties were disseminated by different institutions and organization in Migori County from 2014 to avail clean planting vines for farmi...
ABSTRACT Groundnut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is an economically important edible oilseed legume in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Smallholder farmers, who account for 75% of producers, depend on it for food and income. However the yields are far below the world averages. Groundnut rosette disease (GRD) is a major constraint of groundnuts in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) causing up to 100% yield losses. The disease is caused by two synergistic viruses; groundnut rosette assistor virus (GRAV, genus Luteoviru...
ABSTRACT The poultry industry in Kenya is a key contributor to the local economy as well as food security and income with over 90% of households owning a flock of chicken (Kingori et al., 2010). The main objective of this study was to investigate the challenges faced by rural and peri urban chicken farmers in Katulani District, Kitui County. The study focussed on understanding the challenges affecting chicken farming, factors affecting technology adoption, access to institutional support serv...
ABSTRACT The production of common bean Phaseolus vulgaris in Kenya has been reducing due to declining soil fertility. The use of synthetic fertilizers has been linked to soil acidification, which constrains plant growth and interferes with beneficial rhizosphere biota. The application of composts is being encouraged, and farmers in Western Kenya are being trained on composting of locally available organic materials. However, there is need to establish the performance of such farmerproduced co...