ABSTRACT In South Sudan livestock is an important source of livelihood however, animal productivity is very low due to lack of adequate feed particularly in dry season. In this study five objectives were carried out. In objective 1, a questionnaire survey was conducted amongst livestock keepers and generally 25 most commonly browsed species were identified. The study indicate that, there is a wide range and diversity of browse species that could serve as important livestock feed. The study ev...
ABSTRACT Arid and Semi-Arid Lands are faced with environmental challenges which affect the productivity of their agricultural enterprises and consequently the level of food security and livelihoods of people. Tambach Ward in Kerio Valley of Elgeyo-Marakwet County is an ASAL area and Households living face similar challenges. The major farm enterprises practiced are maize, Drought-tolerant crops and livestock. Despite the support provided to households by Government and Non-Governmental Organi...
Agricultural production plays an important role in food security in many African countries. The main challenge of policy makers in these countries is how to attain food self sufficiency, and increased farm productivity and incomes. In Kenya, greenhouse production is among technologies promoted to improve farm output and income among smallholder farmers. Greenhouse production technology in Kenya has, until recently, been the confine of large scale export-oriented flower farmers. The techn...
ABSTRACT Limited access to accurate and timely information by farming communities is perceived as a major drawback in the development of agriculture in Kenya. Subsequently, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (MoALF) has promoted the integration of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to improve farmers‟ access to information and rapidly transform the delivery of agricultural extension services to them. The initiatives promoted include; mobile telephony, web b...
ABSTRACT Rodents are the greatest vertebrate pest problem in developing countries causing substantial damage to structures, food, crops, industrial and domestic property. They also act as reservoirs and vectors of zoonotic diseases. The current method for controlling rodents is the use of rodenticides which are toxic to non target organisms, pollutants to environment and trigger resistance. In an effort to find eco-friendly alternatives to synthetic rodenticides, reproductive inhibition of Ri...
ABSTRACT A study was conducted to evaluate the physical changes that occur in the soil due to conversion of forest to arable land. Six locations in Enugu State that were selected for this purpose include Ugbo-Okpara (Li), Ugbo-nabo (L2), Ugwogo-Nike (L3), Iyi- Ukwu (L4), Edem (L5) and Ugwo (L6). Soil parameters determined include bulk density, saturated hydraulic conductivity, macro porosity, micro porosity, total porosity, organic carbon, pH, Dithionate citrate bi-carbonate (DCB) Iron oxide...
Since 1931, Rift Valley fever (RVF) epidemics have recurred in Kenya at an average inter epidemic period of up to 10 years. The most recent epidemic occurred in 2006/2007. It resulted in losses. Estimated as KES 2.1 Billion. A post epidemic assessment recommended adoption of One Health (OH) approach to RVF management as well as implementation of livestock control strategies that offer highest benefits to both the livestock and public health sectors. Evidence to guide such decisions was i...
Aflatoxins (AFs) are some of the toxic and carcinogenic mycotoxins. Due to the high cost of most cereals and its competition for human food, chicken feeds are often formulated with mouldy and broken grains which are easily contaminated with mycotoxins. Kenya Bureau of Standards recommended 20ppb total AFs as the permissible level in poultry feed. The first objective of this study evaluated the effects of fermentation on the detoxification of AF contaminated maize flour using S. cerevisia...
The objective of this study was to contribute to dairy cattle improvement in Kenya through optimization of breeding systems that incorporate reproductive technologies and milk quality traits in the dairy cattle breeding programme. Specifically, the study: 1) compared response to selection realized in a closed two-tier nucleus breeding system utilizing different reproductive technologies, 2) estimated the economic values for milk protein yield and mastitis resistance, and 3) compared resp...
The study focused on the role of GlobalGAP standard on the income and technical efficiency of small-scale producers growing French beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) in Kirinyaga and Nyeri Counties in Kenya. The objectives were to determine the amount of income realized from production under a GlobalGAP farming system, establish the factors which predispose farmers into adopting GlobalGAP certification, compare the technical efficiency of production between certified and non-certified farming re...
ABSTRACT Climate change exacerbates the already daunting challenge facing the agricultural sector, and this is particularly the case in developing countries. There are roughly 800 million food insecure people in the world today, each having this status because food is unavailable, unaffordable or they are too unhealthy to make use of it or some combination of the three. Innovations in agriculture will even be more vital in the context of climate change as they allow farmers to adapt efficient...
ABSTRACT Efficient breeding and selection of elite tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) clones require sound knowledge and understanding of genetics associated with yield, quality and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. A series of experiments were carried out to elucidate the genetic parameters and map quantitative trait loci (QTL) for agronomic and quality attributes in tea. The combining abilities and heterosis for yield, drought tolerance (DT), and quality traits (percent total p...
Extension strategies that stimulate commercialization of smallholder farming aim to increase agricultural productivity. The National Agriculture and Livestock Extension Programme (NALEP) working with smallholder farmers introduced Common Interest Groups (CIGs) approach. CIG is a congregation of farmers brought together for the purpose of imparting technologies to increase farm productivity. When farmers come together through indigenous chicken Common Interest Groups, it is expected that ...
ABSTRACT This study was undertaken to access on roles of women’s non-farm income generating activities with respect to food security in the households in rural villages. The study was conducted in Bagamoyo District, Coast Region. The overall objective was to examine the contribution of women’s non-farm income generating activities to household food security. Specifically, the study intended to identify types of non- farm income generating activities undertaken by women, to determine the...
ABSTRACT The study investigated the economics of catfish (Clarias gariepinus) production in Bayelsa State, Nigeria. The broad objective of the study was to examine the economics of Catfish production in Bayelsa State, Nigeria. The specific objectives were to: (i) describe the socioeconomic characteristics of catfish farming; (ii) determine the technical efficiency of catfish farming; (iii) identify factors that influence technical efficiency of catfish farming; (iv) analyze the costs and ret...