Abstract/Overview Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) is a starchy, tuberous root with worldwide consumption. Production of sweet potatoes in Kenya is low due to disease constraints, such as fungal sweet potato leaf spot (SPLS), which is not well studied in the region. The infection results in reduced photosynthetic leaf area through premature defoliation and senescence. Effective management of SPLS presents an opportunity for increased production, improved food security and enhanced income...
Abstract/Overview This study examines the factors that influence the adoption of new improved wheat varieties (NIWV) by wheat farmers in Nakuru and Narok counties in Kenya. Cross-sectional data from 344 randomly selected wheat farmers from the Njoro and Rongai sub-Counties in Nakuru County; and Narok South and Narok North sub-counties in Narok County, Kenya were investigated. Probit model was run to estimate the factors influencing the adoption rate of improved new wheat varieties. Result...
Abstract/Overview Fall armyworm (FAW) is a new invasive pest that causes economic damage to a wide variety of crops. This pest is estimated to reduce maize yields by about 60%. FAW could cause crop losses of up to US$13 billion annually across sub- Saharan Africa, threatening the livelihoods of millions of resource-poor farmers worldwide. Governments have warned against the indiscriminate use of chemical pesticides that could undermine pest control strategies for smallholder farmers who r...
Abstract Agriculture is fundamental to Kenya’s development as anchored in the in the Bottom-Up Economic blue print and Vision 2030. Despite the increasing promotional attempts by marketers, manufacturers and even government agencies, agricultural production is marred by low outputs, low uptake of farm inputs such as fertilizer, quality seeds, equipment, chemicals, and reluctance in adopting new agricultural innovations. The presence of various marketing communication approaches, several in...
Abstract Due to the effects of climate change, farmers in Kajiado County have embraced different climate change adaptation strategies including the use of indigenous knowledge (IK) and scientific approaches. The objective of this study was to assess the determinants of farmers' IK practices influencing the uptake of Climate Change Adaptation Strategies (CCAS) in Kajiado County, Kenya. Using the Model of Private Proactive Adaptation to Climate Change (MPPACC), IK-related contextual factors th...
Abstract The agriculture sector is the backbone of Kenya’s economy, contributing approximately 33 percent of Kenya’s gross domestic product (GDP). The agriculture sector employs more than 40 percent of the total population and 70 percent of the rural population. Kenya’s agriculture is predominantly smallholder farming and is carried out on farms averaging 0.2–3 ha, mostly on a subsistence basis. The objective of this study was to determine factors influencing the use of mobile phone-...
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 Dairy farming plays a major role in the Kenyan agricultural sector as it is dominated by smallholder farmers who contribute approximately 80 per cent of the total milk production. In Kinangop Sub County, there are many credit service providers however, not all smallholder dairy farmers have benefited from such services, instead smallholder dairy farmers have continued to experience challenges such as limited access to financial services. This study therefore analyzed the...
Abstract/Overview Most smallholder farmers who account for more than 70% of the maize produced in Kenya are perpetually food insecure and stuck below poverty level. Sustained maize yield increase largely depends on long term adoption of modern farming technology. However, despite the high yields associated with modern maize technology promotion during and shortly after implementation phase of many projects, sustainability of the technologies still remains a challenge for smallholder maize...
Abstract/Overview The objective of the study was to establish socio-economic status of selected farm forestry groups and networks currently undertaking farm forestry (FF)and the prospects of farm-level forestry enterprises in improving and sustaining the rural livelihoods in Mbeere and Tharaka, Sub-counties and Kitui County in Kenya. Methodology: Using interviews with 466 randomly selected farmers, farm forestry groups. (FFG) and farm forestry networks (FFN), assessment of the current far...
Abstract/Overview Kakamega County is a rich agricultural area where various food and cash crops are grown. However, changes in climate coupled with declining soil fertility over the area have an impact on crop production, and hence affect food security especially among small scale farmers. On the basis of this scenario, this study sought to explore the existence and determine the characteristics of climate variability/change, assess its impact on small scale farmers and explain their resi...
Abstract/Overview The adoption of improved mango in Alego Usonga was still low covering an area of 12 Ha out of 47800 Ha of the arable land constituting only 0.025 %. The objective of this study was to determine the agronomic and demographic factors that influence adoption of improved mango varieties in Alego Usonga Sub County. The study adopted a cross sectional design to interview selected mango farmers who adopted planting of improved varieties. The study population was 320 famers with...
Abstract/Overview In Kenya, value addition in Irish potatoes provides farmers with substantial income. However, the adoption of value addition practices is still low among farmers. Currently, there is a dearth of information on the factors affecting the adoption of value addition practices among smallholder Irish potato farmers in Bomet County. Using single cross-sectional data from 200 randomly selected respondents, the study determined factors affecting the uptake of value addition prac...
Abstract/Overview Maize (Zea mays L.) is a crop of livelihood, nutritional, economic, and political importance in Kenya. Its productivity growth is estimated at 2% annually, with average yields of 2 tons/ha against a potential 6 tons/ha. Annual production lags behind demand. This study was conducted in a typically rural location of Nandi County in Kenya to investigate smallholder farmers’ social capital, sources of finances, information, and their implications on maize yields. Data from...
Agriculture in Ghana is increasingly becoming vulnerable to climate change due to its dependence on rainfed. To tackle current food insecurity and climate change, the agricultural sector of Ghana must be transformed to become climate-smart. This requires reducing the vulnerability and enhancing the resilience of the sector to the changing climate. This involves the provision of access to and use of climate change information by smallholder farmers through climate change communication. The stu...