ABSTRACT Solanum nigrum L., Cleome gynandra L. and Amaranthus spp. are some of the indigenous leafy vegetables (ILVs) that contribute to food diet, income generation, good nutrition and health to resource-poor farmers in Kisii and Trans-Mara counties. The production of ILVs is constrained by inadequate land, diseases and pests of which, root-knot nematodes (RKN) are the most damaging pests to vegetable crops causing about 30 % yield losses globally. However, there is no information about the ...
ABSTRACT. This study was carried out to determine the incidences of Fusarium species, fumonisin B1 and aflatoxin B1 production in sorghum and finger millet grains collected from selected districts of Western Kenya region. The grains were collected randomly from five locations per district in Nyamira, Kakamega, Busia and Teso districts respectively. Ten farmers per location were randomly selected and samples of 0.25 kg of grains were picked per variety. A total of 16 sorghum varieties and 14...
ABSTRACT Beans play a significant role in food security owing to its nutritional value and generation of income. However, output of beans in Western Kenya is hindered by diseases, pests, soil infertility and unfavorable weather resulting to low productivity. Of the many diseases of beans, common bacterial blight (CBB) caused by Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. phaseoli (Xap) is a disease of economic importance in common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Due to the fact that chemicals have not bee...
ABSTRACT Root-knot nematodes (RKN) (Meloidogyne spp.) cause up to 80 % yield losses in infected vegetables. A study was carried out to; assess the influence of farmers’ knowledge and awareness on RKN damage on African nightshades (AFNS); assess the incidence and severity of RKN on AFNS; characterize the RKN species infecting AFNS; screen the AFNS for response to RKN and determine the efficacy of solarizing soils amended with selected organic materials against RKN. A root-knot nematode surve...
ABSTRACT Cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. Var. capitata) is an important vegetable crop in Kenya. It is widely used as human food and animal feed. Owing to findings that cabbage is a poor host to root knot nematode (RKN), this crop has been incorporated in plant parasitic nematode (PPN) management as a rotation crop. As a result very little has been done to study nematodes associated with this crop, yet there are reports of nematodes infecting it. A survey was therefore conducted in Nyandarua a...
ABSTRACT Rose flower is the world’s most traded cut-flower with 74% of it coming from Kenya. Kenya has potential for higher rose production if challenges of pests and diseases are dealt with. Pests like spidermites, false codling moth, caterpillars, aphids, thrips, nematodes and diseases such as crown gall, downy mildew, powdery mildew and botrytis highly compromise production. Crown gall disease, caused by Agrobacterium tumefaciens is the most problematic disease of roses in Kenya and cau...
SUMMARY Amoebiasis exemplifies a disease of protean manifestations which presents many perplexing problems. In this thesis an attempt is made to define a number of the wide variations which have been observed in the pathological manifestations of the disease. The work consists of both retrospective and prospective Studies. The retrospective study involved a review of the 7922 protocols of the autopsies at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, during the ten year period 1958 to 1967. 135 ca...
Table of Contents ! Declaration!............................................................................................................................................................!I! ! Acknowledgements!.......................................................................................................................................!III! ! Summary!..........................................................................................................................................
ABSTRACT Chilli (Capsicum annum L.) is a tropical and sub-tropical crop grown for its pungent tasting fruits and sour leaves. Chillis are prone to root knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) which reduce their quality and yields. The study focused on characterisation of root knot nematodes infesting chilli in Nakuru County, investigation on the use of sodom apple fruit extracts in controlling root knot nematodes, the use of Trichoderma viride as a potential bio-control agent against root knot nema...
ABSTRACT Aflatoxin contamination of maize is a major risk to health and well-being of Kenyan people. Aflatoxin-producing moulds viz: Aspergillus flavus, A. parasiticus and A. nomius can infect grains from pre-harvest stages in the field through to post-harvest stages in the stores. In Kenya, deaths have resulted from dramatic outbreaks of aflatoxin poisoning. Existing strategies for control of aflatoxigenic moulds mainly based on moisture reduction have been ineffective in the warm and humid ...
PABSTRACT A cohort of mothers and then newborns at Igbo-Ora, Oyo State was studied longitudinally for 12 months to determine the incidence of malaria parasitaemia, episodes of clinical malaria and their humoral immune response to malaria infection. Cross-sectional studies were also performed on adults at the Government Technical College, Igbo-Ora and blood donors at the University College Hospital, Ibadan during the rainy and dry seasons. Peripheral and cord blood samples were collected from ...
ABSTRACT The general objective was to evaluate the efficacy of Trichoderma species to promote the growth of tomato and to manage late blight disease under in vitro and in vivo conditions. A collection of 18 Trichoderma spp. were isolated from two commercial products (Trichotech® and Trianum-P®) that should have the antagonistic species Trichoderma asperellum and Trichoderma harzianum respectively. Cultural and molecular approaches were used to characterize the products. Differences on the g...
ABSTRACT Various plant diseases (Fusarium ear rots, bean anthracnose and damping off of seedlings) caused by phytopathogenic agents are known to cause considerable crop losses to agricultural yield all over the world. The use of antagonistic microorganisms in controlling maize and bean pathogens is an area of great potential in order to increase yield, thereof mitigate food insecurity. The aim of this study was to characterize and screen selected tropical fungi and bacteria for antimicrobial ...
ABSTRACT Bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum, is the second most damaging potato disease in tropical and sub-tropical regions causing up to 75% of crop loss and affects 77% of potato farmers in at least 10 Counties in Kenya. Lack of actual information on the distribution of bacterial wilt limits application of strategic approaches in curbing the disease in Nakuru county and other parts of Kenya. A survey was undertaken using a semi structured questionnaire and personal observatio...
ABSTRACT The search for new principles in bio-control of plant pathogens different from the classical fungicides is of worldwide interest. The genus Streptomyces is the producer of about 80% of all known world antibiotics. It is of a major interest in bio control of plant pathogens. The study consisted of three steps: (i) collection of soil samples from different sites in the Mau Forest Complex and isolation of Streptomyces from these samples, (ii) screening for antimicrobial activity of the ...