ABSTRACT Crop production has continued to decline in sub-Saharan Africa due to soil infertility and increased cost of farm inputs. To enhance food security, farmers have adopted the use of both inorganic and organic fertilizers on their farms. The production and use of inorganic chemical fertilizers are not only expensive for family farming systems but also contribute significantly to environmental pollution. Biological nitrogen fixation using rhizobia has proven to be a cost-effective and en...
ABSTRACT Nitrogen is a major mineral nutrient limiting growth, development and production of crops in Kenya. The cost of production is way beyond the purchasing power of smallholder farmers, coupled with the low availability of nitrogen in the soil has significantly contributed to the reduction in rice productivity in Kenya. In rice growing regions, including Busia, Kisumu and Kirinyaga counties, there is evidence of pollution due to high losses of N experienced from agricultural fields. Redu...
ABSTRACT Nitrogen is a major mineral nutrient limiting growth, development and production of crops in Kenya. The cost of production is way beyond the purchasing power of smallholder farmers, coupled with the low availability of nitrogen in the soil has significantly contributed to the reduction in rice productivity in Kenya. In rice growing regions, including Busia, Kisumu and Kirinyaga counties, there is evidence of pollution due to high losses of N experienced from agricultural fields. Redu...
ABSTRACT Maize and soyabean are among the staples in the world. Their sustainable production through the use of synthetic fertilizer causes soil degradation and ground water contamination. An alternative means of boosting and sustaining the production of these staples through the use of rhizobium and mycorrhiza have been reported but there are contradictory reports on interactions between the two organisms. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the influence ofRhizobium japoni...
ABSTRACT Vegetable production is of great importance in terms of nutrition improvement, income generation and food security. Africa Research in Sustainable Intensification for the Next Generation (Africa RISNG) action research project actively integrates vegetable farming and marketing practices in order to reduce the vulnerability of indigenous populations of Babati district located in the Manyara region of Tanzania. In Tanzania smallholder vegetable famers receive asymmetrical and inc...
ABSTRACT Smallholder farming systems in Njoro are characterized by the application of sub- optimal rates or non-utilization of inorganic fertilizers due to their exorbitant prices vis-à-vis low financial returns from crops. Efficient application of natural materials in agro ecosystems, viz. the use of Minjingu phosphate rock (MPR) as a fertilizer is an attractive alternative to inorganic fertilizers, however, releases phosphorous slowly due to its low solubility. The use of the legumes apart...
ABSTRACT Agro-forestry has continued to receive increasing attention from researchers and policy makers especially in coffee farming systems but there is lack of sufficient evidence on its role in productivity and profitability of coffee farming in Kenya. There is also lack of empirical evidence on whether factors that influence adoption of shade technology have the same effect on productivity and profitability of coffee. The general objective of the study was to examine the adoption of agro...
EXTENDED ABSTRACT Smallholder dairy farmers produce about 70% of cow milk in Tanzania. As the dairy industry grows, it is increasingly becoming important to focus on milk quality and safety in order to produce and retain the existing markets. This study was conducted in order to assess the milk quality and safety in smallholder dairy farming systems in Mbeya rural and Mbozi districts. A cross sectional study was conducted using a structured questionnaire, observation as well as collection of...
ABSTRACT This study assessed the effects of integrating Gliricidia sepium, rainwater harvesting known as chololo pits and planting times on soil moisture, maize growth and yield in Kongwa District, Dodoma, Tanzania. A factorial experiment was adopted to test the effects of planting times (Early, Normal and Late planting), and CSA practices (Maize monoculture, Gliricida sepium intercropping and intercropping with G. sepium and chololo pits. The planting times were Mid-November to Mid-Decembe...
ABSTRACT Baringo District is one of the districts in Kenya that is categorized as an ASAL area, characterized by high poverty and food insecurity. Subsistence farming and pastoralism have been and still are the main source of livelihood for majority of the people. However, since crop and livestock agriculture are susceptible to drought, beekeeping has become the sole most important alternative form of sustenance. Despite documented potential benefits of value addition, honey is majorly produ...
ABSTRACT Vegetable production is of great importance in terms of nutrition improvement, income generation and food security. Africa Research in Sustainable Intensification for the Next Generation (Africa RISNG) action research project actively integrates vegetable farming and marketing practices in order to reduce the vulnerability of indigenous populations of Babati district located in the Manyara region of Tanzania. In Tanzania smallholder vegetable famers receive asymmetrical and incomplet...
ABSTRACT THIS STUDY WILL ATTEMPT TO IDENTIFY THE VARIOUS ACTIVITIES THAT BROUGHT ABOUT THE DIVERSIFICATION IN NYERI COUNTY,MATHIRA SUB-COUNTY.THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY ARE:TO DETERMINE WHETHER DIVERSIFICATION IS BENEFICIAL TO FARMERS,TO FIND OUT THE DIFFICULTIES IN THE EFFORT TO DIVERSIFY COFFEE PRODUCTION TO OTHER ALTERNATIVES AND TO FIND OUT HOW DIVERSIFICATION HELPS IN MARKETING OF OTHER PRODUCTS.THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS STUDY IS THAT THE FINDINGS COULD BE OF GREAT IMPORTANCE T...
ABSTRACT Sustainable agricultural production in Kenya requires improvement of yields per unit of land while still conserving soil resources. Besides poor soil nutrient status, water is a limiting factor to crop production in the rain-fed farming systems of central highlands of Kenya. Hence, there is need to address soil water scarcity challenges in order to increase crop production. The objective of the study was to determine the effects of tillage and mulching on maize (Zea Mays. L) yield, s...
ABSTRACT This study examined the economic effects of crude oil exploitation on cassava production in Delta State. Specifically, the effect of crude oil exploitation on land productivity, farm income and cassava yield was explored. The costs and returns, and hence profitability of cassava production as influenced by oil pollution, the farming systems and socio-economic characteristics of cassava farmers were critically examined. Copies of well structured questionnaires were used to collect pri...
Globally, diseases constitute a major biotic constraint to soyabean production. Although, the list of diseases of soyabean in Ghana has been published, the incidence, severity, and distribution of listed diseases were not indicated. Secondly, the Savannah Agriculture Research Institute (SARI) has accumulated considerable number of soyabean genotypes most of which were sourced from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (...