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: Understanding the effects of land use types and slope positions on soil physicochemical properties is an essential for sustainable soil management. Therefore, this study was initiated to assess selected physicochemical properties of the soils under different land uses and slope positions at Gola Wachu sub-watershed, east Hararghe Zone, Ethiopia. The study area was divided in to three topographic unit based on slope positions (upper, middle and lower) and selected soil physicochemic...
Abstract: Renewable eco-friendly options for crop protection are fundamental in achieving sustainable agriculture. Here, we demonstrate the use of a biodegradable lignocellulosic banana-paper matrix as a seed wrap for the protection of potato plants against potato cyst nematode (PCN), Globodera rostochiensis. Potato cyst nematodes are devastating quarantine pests of potato globally. In East Africa, G. rostochiensis has recently emerged as a serious threat to potato production. Wrapping seed ...
Abstract: Avocado (Persea americana Mill.) is a major horticultural crop that relies on insect mediated pollination. In avocado produc-tion, a knowledge gap exists as to the importance of insect pollination, especially in East African smallholder farms. In thisstudy, conducted in a leading smallholder avocado production region in Kenya, we assessed the dependence of avocado fruitset on insect pollination and whether current smallholder production systems suffer from a deficit in pollination ...
Abstract: Pollinators are of essential importance for sustainable agriculture. However, pollination efficiency depends on interacting factors such as pollinator behaviour and morphology. We compared the effect of probing time length and visit frequency of two distinct body size African stingless bee species (Meliponula bocandei, Dactylurina schmidti) as alternative pollinators to Apis mellifera scutellata on greenhouse cultivated cucumber. We found differences in morphometric characteristics...
Abstract: In order to meet the increasing demands from an exploding human population, sustainable agriculture relies on the availability of crop varieties with high yields and optimal defenses to pests. However, ample work has suggested that domesticated plants could have reduced defenses at the expense of increased biomass or yield, and these potential trade-offs can vary among plant species and genotypes. Herbivory coping mechanisms such as tolerance and resistance can be expressed differe...
ABSTRACT Leucaena leucocephala plays a significant role in sustainable agriculture through their ability to improve soil fertility and health. Leucaena leucocephala, with a mutual symbiotic relationship with some bacteria in soil, can improve nitrogen (N) amount through biological N-fixation (BNF). But to maximize such functions, legumes need more phosphorus (P) as it is required for energy transformation in nodules. Besides, P also plays a significant role to root development, nutrient upta...
Identification of the plant diseases is the key to preventing the losses in the yield and quantity of the agricultural product. Almost 70% people depend on it & shares major part of the GDP. Diseases in crops mostly on the leaves effects on the reduction of both quality and quantity of agricultural products. Perception of human eye is not so much stronger so as to observe minute variation in the infected part of leaf. In this paper, we are providing software solution to automatically detect a...
ABSTRACT The purpose of this research is to evaluate the extent to which wetland agricultural production allows the wetland ecosystems of the developing countries to be tempered with due to the increased human activities i.e. agro-production. Similarly, it allows us to establish quantitative relationships between anthropogenic activities and ecological responses. Effect of farming practices on wetlands in Kisumu District was determined through assessment of farmers’ environmental awareness....
ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of monocuiture on the environment. The study identified out Igara tea factory as the case study for this research.. Specific objectives of the study were to: investigate the importance of agricultural sustainability on the environment; investigate the consequences of agricultural monoculture specialization on the environment and to suggest alternatives to agricultural monocuiture aimed at conserving the environment. The methods...
ABSTRACT River Nyangores experiences an all year round forage detrital input with previously unknown breakdown fate. Determination of in-situ processing coefficients of forage allochthonous detritus is important as it provides critical indication on: the level of biochemical oxygen demand, the rate at which food nutrients are distributed downstream, monitoring ecological changes in the aquatic ecosystem and as a climate change mitigation response for riparian forage agriculture. The study was...
ABSTRACT The rapidly increasing global population, climate change and dwindling resources have made it very difficult to meet global food demand. To address the issue of food insecurity, sustainable intensification of agriculture (SIA) has been proposed. However, the consequences of poorly managed agricultural intensification can negatively affect the ecosystem. Biochar and compost application has been widely recommended as a highly promising soil fertility replenishment option to promote sus...
ABSTRACT In Kenya, 35% of the Kenyan population is youth of ages between 15 to 34 years old. They are recognized as Kenya’s most critical untapped resource with the highest unemployment rate of 67%. Due to the increasing population of unemployed youths in Kenya, the Government of Kenya (GoK) started youth initiatives programs to provide training and Internship aimed at providing relevant work experience and skills to enhance sustainable livelihoods and selfemployment. Kenya’s agriculture...
ABSTRACT A green house study was conducted to investigate the ability of an isolate of Trichoderma harzianum (P52) and Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in enhancing growth in tea cuttings, tomato seedlings and napier grass cuttings. Trichoderma harzianum is a saprophytic fungus that enhances plant growth through solubilization of nutrients and is antagonistic to many soil pathogens. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi forms symbiotic associations with plant roots promoting phosphorous absorption a...
ABSTRACT The consequence of intense permanent cultivation of land has been severe loss of soil nutrients through removal of harvested produce, removal of crop residue, leaching and gaseous losses. Experiments were designed to investigate the effect of soil amendment with cow manure, chicken manure and fertilizer on nodulation and nitrogen fixation in climbing beans (MAC 64) and soybeans (Gazelle). Isolation and characterization of isolates together with greenhouse experiments were carried out...