Despite the importance of Global-GAP standards in promoting production and marketing of quality French beans in Kenya, compliance is still low. Using data from randomly selected 492 French beans, farmers, the study sought to determine the link between risk preferences, Global-GAP certification, observed poverty, and vulnerability to future poverty. The study used social experiment and 5-point Likert scale to solicit risk attitudes parameters, binary Logit model to determine the effect of risk...
Abstract: Garlic is one of the vegetable crops grown in eastern Ethiopia, but the yield of the crop is low, often constrained by several factors of which the major ones are low soil fertility and poor fertilizer management practices applied. Therefore, this research was undertaken to assess the effects of biochar and NPS fertilizer on yield-related traits and yield of garlic and to estimate the cost-benefit of combined application of biochar and blended NPS fertilizer in garlic production. T...
Abstract: Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. Capitata L.) is one of the most important vegetable crops in Ethiopia. However, the yield of the crop is low as compared to its potential yield due to low rates application of fertilizers. The use rates of fertilizer are one of the cultural practices that help to increase the productivity of the crop. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of blended NPS and nitrogen fertilizer rates on the yield and quality of head cabba...
Abstract: Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) is one of the most popular and widely consumed vegetable crops in many parts of the world including Ethiopia. However, it is highly perishable and post-harvest loss is the major problem that discourages production in many developing countries, including Ethiopia. Tomato fruit deteriorates in a short period due to its nature and poor postharvest handlings. Therefore, research was carried out to evaluate the effect of harvesting stages and posth...
Abstract: Carrot (Daucus carota subsp. sativus) is an important vegetable crop in Ethiopia. In many areas of the country, the rain fed season constitutes much of the area under carrot production. Despite areas increase, the productivity and production is much lower in the country. Optimum nutrient management and inappropriate plant population are some of the major yield limiting factors for successful carrot production. Northeastern Ethiopia has suitable agro-climatic condition for carrot pr...
Abstract: Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is an important vegetable crop in Ethiopia. The yield of the crop is often constrained by low and unbalanced nutrient supply in the soil. This study was undertaken to assess response of garlic variety Chelenko I to vermicompost and mineral N fertilizer application on growth and bulb yield of the crop during the 2016/2017 main rainy season. The treatment consisted of a factorial combination of four levels of vermicompost (0, 2.5, 5 and 7.5 t ha-1) and five...
Abstract/Overview Increased human population has led to increased vulnerabilities to hunger and reduced sources of affordable food. Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) is a root vegetable with large, starchy, tuberous roots, consumed worldwide. It is a potential food security crop, with high nutritional and economic value. Production of sweet potatoes in Kenya is low due to disease constraints such as sweet potato leaf spot (SPLS). Fungal SPLS results in reduced tuber yield, since the patho...
Abstract/Overview The wild-type Solanumu villosum is an important leafy vegetable in Kenya, which however is low-yielding mainly due to the early flowering and prolific fruiting. Two new genotypes of S. villosum, T-5 and octoploid with different flowering and fruiting characteristics from the wild-type have been developed. Field experiments were conducted to evaluate leaf yield, plant height and iron content of the genotypes under varying nitrogen levels. The experiments were laid out as ...
Abstract: In Ethiopia about 93 percent of cultivated area is rain fed and crop production primarily depends on rainfall. Present study was conducted in rain fed Sofi-District of Harari Region. The objectives of the study were to identify factors affecting participation of farmers in irrigation scheme and impact of irrigation on cropping pattern, farm income and human labor employment. The study was based on 260 sample house holds (130 participants in irrigation schemes and 130 non-participan...
Abstract: Vegetables play significant role in income generation and improving nutritional status in Ethiopia and Habru district in particular. However, the development of vegetable subsector faces various marketing problems in Habru district. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze vegetables (onion and tomato) market chain in Habru district. Both primary and secondary data were used for the study. A random sample of 147 vegetable producer households and 53 vegetable traders were used to gene...
Abstract: Hot pepper is an important spice and vegetable crop in Ethiopia, but its productivity is low due to poor agronomic practices including inappropriate nutrient supply and poor seedling management before transplanting. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted on the demonstration field at Agarfa Agricultural Technical Vocational and Education Training (ATVET) College in Bale Zone, south-eastern Ethiopia to evaluate the effects of nitrogen fertilizer and hardening seedlings on fruit...
Abstract: Amaranths are African indigenous vegetables (AIVs) that have recently gained importance as a food source in Africa owing to the high nutritional value of their leaves and grains. Production of this crop is, however, limited by arthropod pests especially the lepidopteran leaf-webbers, leaf-worms and stem weevils. The use of insecticides for their management is uneconomical and also present health and environmental concerns. Host plant resistance (HPR) to insects is an effective, eco...
Abstract: Vegetable production is increasing in order to feed the growing urban populations in subSaharan Africa. Net houses are one possible solution to increase the quality and yield of cowpea, an important leafy vegetable, and to reduce the use of pesticides. This study tested the hypothesis that net houses do not protect cowpea against the Black Legume Aphid,Aphis craccivora or Bean Flower Thrips, Megalurothrips sjostedti, two small but major cowpea pests. Thus, a possibility to suppleme...
Abstract: Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) is an important African indigenous vegetable in the tropics where it is considered as a key source of nutrients and income for small-holder farmers.The crop is drought tolerant and does well in poor soils because of its ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen. Cowpea is commonly used in soil fertility management and provides livestock fodder. However, the exploitation of the full potential of this crop is constrained by abiotic and biotic factors that...
Abstract: The southern root knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) is one of the highly polyphagous species of many cultivated plants. The losses associated with RKNs in small holder vegetable farms are not quantified but may range between 30-100% in tropical and subtropics. Application of broad spectrum nematicides is the common method of control and are to be highly toxic to humans and pollute the environment, hence the need for safer alternatives for small scale crop production systems. Bi...