Abstract: Thrips-transmitted Iris yellow spot virus (IYSV) (Family Tospoviridae, Genus Orthotospovirus) is a major constraint to onion (Allium cepa L.) production in Kenya. Determining seasonal patterns of the vector and alternate hosts of the virus could help onion farmers plan Integrated Pest Management strategies; while allowing them to move away from calendar-based applications of insecticides. The objective of this study was to determine the distribution, seasonal variations and alterna...
Abstract: Organization of the genic pool of Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.: crosses between the wild and cultivated forms of cowpea. Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) gene pool organization is studied on the basis of intra-specifi c crossing between cultivated (cv-gr. Unguiculata, cv-gr. Bifl ora) and wild forms of the species (var. spontanea, subsp. alba, subsp. stenophylla, subsp. pawekiae, subsp. baoulensis). The rate of crosses success, the rate of the obtained pods fruitfulness and th...
Abstract: Rice blast disease resulting from infected rice seed can be avoided by using treated seeds. Seed treatment using chemical fungicide has many limitations such as development of resistance to pathogens, damage to the natural environment and the health of farmers and consumers. Such limitations have raised the need for alternative non-chemical seed treatment methods such as antagonist microbial agents and hot water. Laboratory and the screen house experiments were carried out with the...
Abstract: Avocado is a pollinator-dependent crop rich in fiber, monounsaturated oils, vitamins, and minerals, which is seeing an increase in global demand. While some studies have shown that insect pollination improves avocado fruit set, the effects of pollinators on fruit quality and the nutritional profile remain unclear. Furthermore, it remains untested whether a potential pollination deficit can be compensated by the supplementation of farms with extra pollinators. We quantified the cont...