ABSTRACT Forests are believed to play critical ecological, social, cultural, and economic role to the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Kenya and even all over the world. Forestry Provisioning Ecosystem Services (FPES) contribute significantly to smallholder farmers‘ livelihoods though this contribution is sometimes not accounted for. Understanding the role played by FPES to the livelihood of smallscale farmers is crucial for sustainable management of the forest resources. This study th...
Abstract: productivity is low due to use of poor quality seeds, inappropriate seed rate and unavailability of adaptable improved varieties to wide range of agro-ecologies. Therefore, this experiment was conducted at Kersa, eastern Ethiopia with the objectives of evaluating the effect of seeds sources, seed rates and varieties on yield and yield related traits and to determine seed quality of different sources of bread wheat varieties. The laboratory experiment was laid out as Completely Rand...
ABSTRACT Despite “Push Pull” Technology’s (PPT) effectiveness to increase maize yields by controlling Stemborer and striga weeds, its full benefits are yet to be realized. The PPT involves planting Napier grass around maize and intercropping with Desmodium. Agricultural shows and agrodealers are often used to spread PPT but knowledge of their effectiveness was inadequate. This study sought to determine how they enhanced PPT dissemination and used a cross-sectional research design to co...
ABSTRACT Forest Plantation Development has been given special attention by the Government of Ghana to restore the degraded forest cover of the nation and to create employment with the aim of reducing poverty. This study set out to examine the socio- economic effects of the Presidential Special Initiative (PSI) on Forest Plantation on the lives of the participating farmers of the Birim North District in the Eastern Region. In the study, 106 respondents comprising farmers and non farmers were...
A field experiment was conducted to investigate the comparative effects of organic and inorganic soil amendments on growth and performance of plantain (Musa paradisiaca). The experiment was established in March 2011 and repeated in February 2012. The treatments consisted of nine soil amendments (NPK sole, Jatropha sole, palm kernel cake (PKC) residue sole, Sunshine organo-mineral sole, NPK + Jatropha husk 50:50, Sunshine organo-mineral + Jatropha husk 50:50, PKC residue + NPK 50:50, PKC resid...
Abstract Cassava mosaic geminiviruses (CMGs) and cassava brown streak viruses (CBSVs) respectively cause cassava mosaic disease (CMD) and cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) which significantly inhibit cassava production in Kenya. This study aimed at determining the prevalence and incidence of CMD and CBSD in lower eastern Kenya and resistance response of new improved cassava genotypes. To determine the prevalence and incidence of CMD and CBSD in lower eastern Kenya, survey was conducted in M...
ABSTRACT This study had the aim of finding out the contribution of clove production to the small scale farmers‟ livelihoods. The study was guided by three objectives; to explore the importance of clove farming to the small scale farmers‟ livelihoods, to identify challenges facing small scale farmers in the clove production and to suggest measures that may be taken by the government of Zanzibar to minimize challenges facing small scale farmers in the clove production. The sample of the st...
ABSTRACT Many conflicts between farmers and pastoralists have been witnessed in Tanzania. A number of measures were taken to mitigate these conflicts by the government at various levels over the years. Unfortunately, these conflicts not only continue to persist, fast becoming a nationwide phenomenon. Conflicts between farmers and pastoralists occurred also in Makomelo village where efforts were done to mitigate the conflict. Due to this fact this study intended to assess the effectiveness a...
ABSTRACT It is essential that smallholder farmers in developing countries have access to the benefits that modern irrigation technology seeks to offer. However, this has not always been so because of the inability of smallholder farmers in developing countries to adopt this advanced technology due to cost constraints. The objectives of this study were to design and construct a simple low cost drip irrigation system suitable for smallholder farmers, and to evaluate the technical performance ch...
ABSTRACT Maize storage losses are a threat to smallholder farmers in developing countries. In Tanzania, smallholder farmers adopt various storage technologies in storing their maize. Hence, it is crucial to examine effectiveness of each technology adopted in storage loss abatement. Thus, this study aimed to undertake an Economic Analysis of Maize Storage Technologies Adopted by Smallholder Farmers in Kilosa and Kongwa Districts. It specifically focused on identifying various maize storage tec...
Abstract: The productivity of maize in Ethiopia has remained lower than the world average because of several biotic and abiotic factors. Stemborers and poor soil fertility are among the main factors that contribute to this poor maize productivity. A novel cropping strategy, such as the use of push-pull technology, is one of the methods known to solve both challenges at once. A push-pull technology targeting the management of maize stemborers was implemented in the Hawassa district of Ethiopi...
ABSTRACT Sabbatical legislation in the book of Leviticus is a set of land laws capable of promoting agricultural productivity and the welfare of the people. Previous studies on Sabbatical legislation in Leviticus have focused on land acquisition and distribution, neglecting various mistranslations that led to their misinterpretations. This anomaly changed the understanding of the concept of rest, which originally applied more to the human agentive utilisation and welfare agenda in ancient Isr...
ABSTRACT The study sought to explore soil conservation practices by smallholder farmers in agro-pastoral systems in Serengeti District in Tanzania. The study used a descriptive and cross-sectional design. Data collection employed both primary and secondary data. The main methods were household questionnaire surveys, key informant interviews, and direct observation. The analysis of data involved the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) versions 16.0 and Microsoft excel. The study i...
ABSTRACT The main objective of this study is to identify the innovative agricultural finance practices of maize farmers in the Northern region and how they affect economic efficiency (EE) of production. Credit markets in rural Ghana are woefully inadequate or missing, and some smallholder farmers have been observed to desist from participating in same even when they are available. These phenomena necessitate a shift in the focus of agricultural financing studies towards assessing how farmer...
This study investigated soil fertility knowledge and how it influenced the selection and effective use of various soil fertility technologies among smallholder farmers in Chakol Division of Teso District in western Kenya. Chakol Division has a high population density of approximately 427 persons per km2 while absolute poverty levels for the district stand at 56%. Poverty levels have been worsened by poor agricultural production while continuous cropping of land with little restoration of soi...