ABSTRACT Potato production is hindered by pathogens like Pectobacterium carotovorum that cause blackleg in the field and soft rot after harvest. The purpose of this study was to determine the possibility of integrating Tagetes minuta and Capsicum frutescens extracts in the management of soft rot and blackleg in potatoes. The research was conducted at the horticulture research and teaching laboratory and field of Egerton University, Njoro. In vitro and in vivo experiments were set up in a Comp...
ABSTRACT This study was designed to evaluate the Credit requirements of small-scale farmers in Kogi State and to subsequently determine the optimum farm credit for farmers in the area. Multi-stage random sampling method was used in the selection of the respondents. In all, a total of 30 respondents were randomly selected from eight communities to give a total of 240 respondents. The regression results on the effects of Socio- Economic Variables on credit need showed that the t-ratios for far...
ABSTRACT Indigenous chicken (IC) are the most common poultry in developing world, found in almost every homestead and constitute over 89% of total chicken populations in Kenya. Contributions of IC to economy include source of income, food security and nutrition. The IC productivity is compromised by diseases that contribute to over 50% of economic losses. This study was undertaken to contribute to improved productivity of indigenous chicken (IC) of Kenya through sustainable breeding for di...
ABSTRACT Despite the policy interest of the Ethiopian government to expand teff (Eragrostis tef), wheat and chickpea production for exports, domestic consumption and food and nutritional security for the rural poor the production system is not adequately market-oriented and productivity is at its lowest level. Besides, there is dearth of information on how limited resources in crops production are being used so as to optimize outputs in the country. Thus, this study was conducted to assess re...
The study assessed the status of Sanitation in selected public schools of Kabushi Constituency in Ndola district. The study employed a cross sectional or survey design. The target population consisted of the Ndola city council public health department, school administrators, teachers and pupils in public schools. Purposive sampling was used to select Ndola as the study area, four (4) headteachers and two key informants from the department of health. The simple random sampling method was us...
ABSTRACT The Maasai of Narok and Kajiado counties have started embracing agro-pastoralism as a livelihood diversification strategy. Among the crop enterprises they have incorporated are African Indigenous Vegetables in abid to take advantage of their resilience to the changing environment. However, for African Indigenous Vegetables to be beneficial, it requires efficient marketing. A marketing analysis of African Indigenous Vegetables was conducted in Narok and Kajiado counties to determine t...
ABSTRACT Carnation growers heavily use mineral fertilizers and plant growth regulators to obtain desirable stem length, girth and flower head size against Global GAP. This dependency on inorganic fertilizers and synthetic chemicals adversely pollute the environment. While there are limited alternatives to inorganic fertilisers for meeting the nutritional requirements of crops, organic products for regulating plant growth and development are lacking in some crops. The main objective of this st...
ABSTRACT Gender is a critical variable in the development process. However, many studies done on gender have indicated that there is lack of gender disaggregated data, especially on women’s contribution to smallholder dairy farming. The purpose of the study was to determine, describe and compare the influence of gender in accessing and controlling resources on milk production among smallholder dairy farmers in Kabarnet Division of Baringo District. A survey research using ex-post-facto res...
ABSTRACT Indigenous chicken are mainly kept in subsistence systems and constitute about 80% of Africa’s poultry flock. Currently, there are no well-defined breeding goals and genetic improvement programmes for the indigenous chicken are rare. The overall aim of this study was to develop breeding goals for use in production systems utilising the indigenous chicken. The specific objectives were to construct a deterministic bio-economic model for the economic evaluation of production systems ...
ABSTRACT Exports are a vital component of a nation’s balance of payments as they are source of foreign exchange and economic growth. Much of the economic growth in Zambia has been driven by copper exports, which have suffered from external shocks such as plummeting prices on the world market. It is against this background that the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) has devised a number of measures to promote export diversification to non-traditional exports with a view to reducing h...
ABSTRACT As population continues to increase especially in African and Asian countries, demand for more food is equally increasing. There have been challenges in meeting the food security needs in most countries especially those depending on rain-fed agriculture. Although a number of countries are addressing the shortfall by investing heavily on irrigated agriculture, the availability of irrigation water still remains one of the major challenges. Irrigation has been ranked as one of the activ...
ABSTRACT The contribution of common bean to nutrition and income has not been fully felt by smallholder farmers in western Kenya due to low yields. Good quality seed, if used with complementary practices can increase bean productivity. This study was conducted in Bondo sub-County to determine the methods used by farmers in seed quality control; factors affecting the choice preferences for informal bean seed sources; the structure and contribution of social networks in seed quality control. Pr...
ABSTRACT Fish diseases and parasitic infections have been recognized as detrimental and limiting factors in the development of capture fisheries and aquaculture. Research on monogeneans parasitizing fish from Lake Naivasha, Kenya is scanty. This study aimed to identify the species of monogenean parasites of some cichlid and cyprinid fish in Lake Naivasha, Kenya. Fifty specimens of each fish species comprising: Oreochromis niloticus, O. leucostictus, Tilapia zillii and Barbus paludinosus were ...
ABSTRACT Sewage treatment plants (WTPs) use a combination of physical, chemical and biological processes to reduce the pollutant loads in wastewater. The treated wastewater is then either discharged to surface water or is reused. Successive stages in wastewater treatment plants reduce the quantity of suspended solids, biological contaminants, organic matter content and nutrient constituents in sewage. Changes in the properties of the effluents can occur along the treatment process leading to ...
ABSTRACT Russian wheat aphid (Diuraphis noxia Kurdjumov) (RWA) and the emergence of stem rust (Puccinia graminis Pers. f.sp. tritici ) race TTKSK (‘Ug99’) in Kenya are currently some of the most binding constraints to wheat production in Kenya. Severe infestation by RWA may result in yield losses of up to 90% in commercial wheat cultivars while ‘Ug99’ infected plants may suffer up to 100% loss. The two pests combined have seriously affected wheat farmers forcing them to heavily rely o...