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 Slender leaf (Crotalaria spp) is among the indigenous and underutilized vegetables in Kenya whose production is limited to the Western and Coastal regions of the country. For a long time, this crop has been neglected in terms of research and genetic improvement. *ere is therefore scanty information on its morphological diversity and agronomic performance, hence the need for this study. Field experiments were carried out for two seasons in October to December 2018 and March to May 20...
Abstract For ages, plant breeders have relied on the genetic variability that results from sexually crossing plants within the same species. However, the variability that exists within species populations is inadequate, hence the need to exploit desirable traits of interest in distantly related or even unrelated plants through hybridization techniques. Hybridization can be categorized into two; sexual and somatic. Sexual hybridization, also referred to as wide or distant hybridization involv...
Abstract Fisheries are important sources of livelihoods to coastal communities. In the tropics fishing is conducted from mangroves, seagrass meadows to coral reefs. Studies on fisheries in the tropics have focused on coral reef fisheries, with little attention to seagrass meadows and mangroves. Using creel survey and indepth interviews, this study assessed species composition, abundance and exploitation methods of fisheries from the seagrass meadows of Gazi Bay, Kenya. Eighty-five species we...
Abstract Seagrass meadows provide numerous ecosystem services and their rapid global loss may reduce human welfare as well as ecological integrity. In common with the other ‘blue carbon’ habitats (mangroves and tidal marshes) seagrasses are thought to provide coastal defence and encourage sediment stabilisation and surface elevation. A sophisticated understanding of sediment elevation dynamics in mangroves and tidal marshes has been gained by monitoring a wide range of diferent sites, lo...
Abstract Biological control of plant diseases through the addition of microbial biocontrol agents and the promotion of earthworms can be an environmentally friendly alternative to the chemical control of plant diseases. However, possible risks with biocontrol agents and their interactions with earthworms and other soil biota have not been well studied. The aim of this study was to assess whether the beneficial bacterium Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and the earthworms Aporrectodea caliginosa or...
Abstract : There is growing interest in carbon stocks and flows in seagrass ecosystems, but recent global reviews suggest a paucity of studies from Africa. This paper reviews work on seagrass productivity, biomass and sediment carbon in Africa. Most work was conducted in East Africa with a major geographical gap in West Africa. The mean above-ground, below-ground and total biomasses from all studies were 174.4, 474.6 and 514 g DW m-2, respectively with a global range of 461–738 g DW m-2. M...
Abstract The root knot nematode, Meloidogyne is one of the most economically damaging plant parasitic nematode groups, and are widely distributed in Kenyan agro-ecosystems. The aim of this study was to determine the diversity of Meloidogyne species in Kenyan sweet potato fields and identify sweet potato varieties that exhibit resistance to M. incognita. Meloidogyne species were collected from Nyanza, Western, Eastern and Central Provinces of Kenya. Mitochondrial DNA was used to differentiate...
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 Woody debris accumulations are important ecological components in low order forested streams. They provide forage and refuge for a macroinvertebrates, which are key trophic components for riverine fish. The occurrence of woody debris in tropical streams is however threatened by large scale destruction of catchment forests thereby threatening the riverine biodiversity. Despite their importance, the current status of woody debris accumulations in tropical forested streams is unknown. ...
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...