Abstract Improving food security and environmental conservation should be the main targets of innovative farming systems. Conservation agriculture (CA), based on minimum tillage, crop residue retention and crop rotations has been proposed against poor agricultural productivity and soil degradation. This paper discusses the applicability and potential benefits of CA in Rwanda under the unfolding climate change scenario. The potential and benefits from CA may vary with rainfall regime. In high...
Abstract Mitigating nutrient loss is a prerequisite of sustainable agriculture in the tropics. We evaluated three soil and water conservation technologies (mulching, minimum tillage and tied ridging) for two cropping seasons (long rains 2011, short rains 2011) at two sites in the central highlands of Kenya. The objectives were: to determine effects of the technologies on runoff, sediment yield and nutrient loads in sediment, and to assess influence of the technologies on maize yields. Experi...
Abstract Background: Peasant agroecosystems in Kenya are considered to be a continuum of integrated traditional farming systems and natural ecosystem conservancy programs. Hyphaene compressa (doum palm) exists in arid and semi-arid lands (ASAL) of Kenya. While research in these areas is focusing on new plants to be brought to the areas, there is no focus on doum palm, which is already adapted to these areas. Scanty ethnobotanical knowledge exists in the form of unpublished material. The stud...
Abstract/Overview Low soil nitrogen (N) is a major constraint for sustainable crop production in smallholder farming systems in Africa. Grain legumes such as bambara groundnuts (Vigna subterraneaL. Verdc). can form N fixing symbiotic association with root nodule bacteria collectively called ‘rhizobia’; in a process that can supply sufficient N for the legume and other crops under intercrop or in rotation. There is currently insufficient information on the diversity of indigenous rhizo...
Abstract Grain legumes play a significant role in smallholder farming systems in Africa because of their contribution to nutrition and income security and their role in fixing nitrogen. Biological Nitrogen Fixation (BNF) serves a critical role in improving soil fertility for legumes. Although much research has been conducted on rhizobia in nitrogen fixation and their contribution to soil fertility, much less is known about the distribution and diversity of the bacteria strains in different a...
Abstract Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) technologies help guide actions needed to transform and reorient agricultural systems to effectively support development and ensure food security by increasing farmers’ resilience to climate change. Agroforestry has been vouched for as one of the best CSAs because it provides ecosystem services such as water quality enhancement and prevents land degradation. This study sought to establish and document the adoption of agroforestry as a CSA practice a...
Abstract/Overview Indigenous vegetables form a key component of farming systems in most communities in Africa including Kenya. Its increased awareness and utilization has been attributed to its reported superior nutritional quality, medicinal value and ecological adaptability to existing weather conditions. Utilization of these vegetables among low, middle and high income earners in Kenya has improved tremendously and this calls for high quality vegetables to maintain confidence. Improved...
Abstract Nitrogen is very essential for every crop production due to its function in plant growth and development. It is an essential component of DNA and proteins which are the building blocks of life. Notwithstanding its vast importance, nitrogen is worldwide considered as one of the most limiting factors of production. The need to meet the huge nitrogen requirement has necessitated the use of synthetic fertilizer which continued application affects soil health, environment and agricultural...
Abstract: Findings from the study show that KARI scientists used research processes that were participatory and educative. These included conducting farmer trainings at KARI centre and at on-farm demonstration sites, holding of field days and exchange visits, availability of documented evidence on the technology benefits, ensuring farmers were free to gain entry to the KARI on-station demonstration trails, issuance of clean planting materials, frequent follow ups to farmer's fields, and that...
Abstract: Different species and varieties of fodder oats and vetches were identified to successfully adapt and perform in the high lands of Bale. However, their feeding value was not well evaluated. Therefore, animal experiment was conducted using thirty five yearling intact male Arsi-Bale sheep with initial body weight of 21.4±0.6 Kg (Mean± SD) with the objective of investigating the varietal differences of vetch hay on feed intake, digestibility, body weight change and carcass characteri...
Abstract: Rice is one of the most important cereal crops in Fogera Plain. Despite its potential and production in Ethiopia, its productivity varies from year to year and over locations due to seasonal and intra-seasonal climate variability and household characteristics. The objectives of this study were to identify rice farm typologies, drivers of rice yield, climate change, and adaptation strategies to analyze climate variability and trend changes, and to assess dry spell management practic...
Abstract: The growing gap between food demand and supply in Ethiopia and hence rural poverty is mainly attributed to the low productivity of the agricultural sector. Access to irrigation by smallholder farmers is believed to enhance production efficiency, and hence considered as a cornerstone of food security and poverty reduction. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of irrigation access on potato production efficiency and alleviating farm households’ poverty in east Gojja...
Abstract: The selection and use of appropriate Agroforestry tree species to maintain a sufficiently high nutrient supply to meet crop needs remains a major challenge of nutrient management under low input farming systems. Therefore, research on C. macrostachyus, F.vasta and E.abyssinica foliage litter quality as it relates to decomposition and nutrient release has become very important. A study was conducted to determine the rate of decomposition and nutrient release pattern from foliage lit...
Abstract: Ethiopian smallholder farmers are the most vulnerable group of societyto the effects of climate variabilitybecause they have nature dependent economic system. This study examinedtheeffects of climate variability on five major cereals yield,crop income and rural labor displacementin thecentral highlands and Arsi grain plough farming systems of Ethiopia. The seven round unbalanced panel data (1994-2009) collected by Ethiopian Rural Household Survey from 15 kebeles of the seven farmin...
Abstract: Background and Objective: Brachiaria, a warm season C4 grass, is rapidly gaining popularity as fodder crop in Africa where it is also used as a component of a habitat management strategy for maize stem borers. However, increasing drought limits productivity of this grass species. The aim of this study was to evaluate and select high yielding brachiaria genotypes under simulated drought conditions. Materials and Methods: The morphological and physiological performance of 18 apomicti...