Abstract/Overview Indigenous vegetables form a key component of farming systems in most communities in Africa including Kenya. Its increased awareness and utilization has been attributed to its reported superior nutritional quality, medicinal value and ecological adaptability to existing weather conditions. Utilization of these vegetables among low, middle and high income earners in Kenya has improved tremendously and this calls for high quality vegetables to maintain confidence. Improved...
Abstract/Overview The wild-type Solanumu villosum is an important leafy vegetable in Kenya, which however is low-yielding mainly due to the early flowering and prolific fruiting. Two new genotypes of S. villosum, T-5 and octoploid with different flowering and fruiting characteristics from the wild-type have been developed. Field experiments were conducted to evaluate leaf yield, plant height and iron content of the genotypes under varying nitrogen levels. The experiments were laid out as ...
Abstract/Overview Anthocyanins are a group of plant pigments responsible for colors ranging from red to violet and blue. Anthocyanins are pigments that accumulate in the vacuoles of plant epidermal cells. Chroma and hue are dependent on conditions inside and outside the vacuoles. Also conditions within the vacuole that facilitate formation of complexes with several metal ions. The aim of this study was to examine changes in accumulation of anthocyanins and the resultant colour in tuberose...
Abstract/Overview frican nightshades ( Solanum section Solanum ) are an important source of daily nutrients and income for small-scale farmers in sub- Saharan Africa and are a delicacy for urban inhabitants. The section is one of the most ubiquitous, largest and most diverse sp ecies groups of the genus Solanum , with more than 30 reported species. Complete profiling of the species in this section has been hampered by several morphological, cytological and taxonomic complexities. There is...
Abstract/Overview The perception of African nightshades ( Solanum section Solanum ) as “healthy” foods, supported by documentation of their high nutri- tional and medicinal benefits, has led to a sudden and steady upsurge in their consumption, demand and monetary value in Africa and most parts of South-East Asia. However, due to very low leaf yields, production of these vegetables remains on small-scales, re sulting in acute shortages and escalating prices, especially in urban areas. ...
Abstract/Overview This article looks at spatial variations and the relationship between land degradation and agricultural land use intensity in Nyakach District, Kenya. The main objective was to determine spatial variations and the relationship between land degradation and agricultural land use intensity in forested areas, hill slopes and river banks. Digital Elevation Model (DEM) was used to identify various land uses which acted as indicators of land degradation and agricultural land us...
Abstract/Overview We characterised the physiological mechanisms of tolerance in two beanvarieties (Phaseolus vulgaris L. viz. French Bean cv. Amy and Rosecoco(GLP2» differing in Al tolerance of the varietal level. Root elongation atvarying levels of Al over time clearly showed the Al tolerance superiority of Rosecoco over French bean. Aluminium uptake was much higher in French bean, in both root apex and 2 mm region of the root apex. The root cationexchange capacity of the AI-sensitive F...
Abstract/Overview Lactation curves are a graphical representation of the milk production profile of a doe from par- turition to drying up. Their shape provides information about the productivity of the doe and of- fers a means of explaining features of the milk production patterns of each animal. A total of 2732 daily morning milk records from 610 does of the Kenyan Alpine dairy goats’ genetic groups (50% Alpine, 75% Alpine, 87.5% Alpine and > 87.5% Alpine) and local goats (0% Alpine) k...
Abstract/Overview This paper highlights the narrative of Africa rising. It indicates that indeed Africa as well as Agriculture are rising. Since 2000, Sub-Saharan Gross Domestic Product has been growing at an average rate of 5% per annum. Agriculture has been growing at an average rate of 3.5% p.a, well above the 2.7% population growth. Evidence shows that this Economic and Agricultural growth have lead to improvements in the lives of the African people. Real income per person has increas...
Abstract/Overview The black soldier fly has become an important insect in bioconversion activity. However sustainable use of the insect is now dependent on the development of efficient artificial rearing systems. The concern however is on the scarcity of information on Black Soldier Fly rearing in general and on specific aspects of the production chain in particular such as use of baiting attractants for adult oviposition. The current study compared baiting efficiency of different attract...
Abstract/Overview Most smallholder farmers who account for more than 70% of the maize produced in Kenya are perpetually food insecure and stuck below poverty level. Sustained maize yield increase largely depends on long term adoption of modern farming technology. However, despite the high yields associated with modern maize technology promotion during and shortly after implementation phase of many projects, sustainability of the technologies still remains a challenge for smallholder maize...
Abstract/Overview The objective of the study was to establish socio-economic status of selected farm forestry groups and networks currently undertaking farm forestry (FF)and the prospects of farm-level forestry enterprises in improving and sustaining the rural livelihoods in Mbeere and Tharaka, Sub-counties and Kitui County in Kenya. Methodology: Using interviews with 466 randomly selected farmers, farm forestry groups. (FFG) and farm forestry networks (FFN), assessment of the current far...
Abstract/Overview Small cabbage white butterfly Pierisrapaeis one of the most destructive specialist herbivores of the Brassicaceae plants. Chemical application has been used for a long time to control P. rapae but this has been shown to have major draw backs. Owing to their disadvantages, we investigate in this study, the host plant resistance as an alternative control measure for specialist insect P. rapae. T-DNA mutant Arabidopsis plants were screened for their variation in response to...
Abstract/Overview Soil has always been used as nursery and pot substrate in horticultural industry in Kenya, but it has problems related to aeration, drainage, non-uniformity and chemical suitability. Therefore, development of alternative potting substrates with optimal physical characteristics is necessary. The objective of this study was to evaluate physical suitability of forest soil (FS), compost (C), pine bark (PB), and rice husks (RH) as alternative amendments of potting substrates....
Abstract/Overview Kakamega County is a rich agricultural area where various food and cash crops are grown. However, changes in climate coupled with declining soil fertility over the area have an impact on crop production, and hence affect food security especially among small scale farmers. On the basis of this scenario, this study sought to explore the existence and determine the characteristics of climate variability/change, assess its impact on small scale farmers and explain their resi...