ABSTRACT Rice is considered main source of calories and protein especially in many countries of Africa as it constitutes a major part of the diet. It is steadily becoming a major staple food for many households in Kenya as annual consumption has increased by 12 % for rice; compared with 4% for wheat and 1% for maize hence, increasing its productivity is paramount, as eating habits changes especially among the youth. Threat of climate change continues to impede agricultural activities, resulti...
ABSTRACT Maize is still largely a subsistence food crop under promotion as a food security crop and source of income for smallholders. In a bid to attain self-sufficiency, Rwanda made remarkable efforts to develop the subsector. These were mainly directed towards the expansion of the area under maize, organisation of farmers’ cooperatives and easy access to inputs. In improving maize productivity and marketing of maize several both public and private interventions were added in Musanze and...
Abstract The term water quality is applied universally to refer to the water status that meets the universal standards set for legitimate and vital water use at any scale i.e. local, regional and international levels (WHO, 2000). The evolution of the term water quality has been due to the expansion of water requirements and ability to measure and interpret water characteristics. The definition of water quality depends on the factors that determine it, and other variables that affect the natur...
ABSTRACT Amaranth is one of the African indigenous vegetables that is gaining popularity due to its nutritional, medicinal and economic values. Its potential as a source of food security in East Africa and most parts of the world has heightened demands for the once neglected crop. In Kenya and Tanzania, the Lepidopteran defoliators are important pests of the crop which can cause up to 100% yield loss. Little information on the population dynamics of these pests make their management difficul...
Abstract In Kenya, there are more than 200,000 farmers who have been trained on organic farming technologies and systems. Currently certified land under organic management in Kenya stands at 104,211 ha while the organic sub sector employs 12,647 farmers who are directly involved in production of different organic products. Although there are many documented reasons that make farmers to adopt organic farming system, economic benefits present one of the major motivations. These benefits however...
ABSTRACT Finger millet (Eleusine coracana) is an important subsistence cereal grain grown mainly in the relatively marginal and dry areas of Kenya. The crop has particular relevance in food security as it is more resilient to abiotic and biotic stresses than other cereals and even fetches higher prices in the market. It provides valuable sources of minerals and nutrients and is recommended for pregnant and nursing mothers and infants. However, productions of the crop both in hectareage and yi...
ABSTRACT The Lake Victoria Basin (LVB) rivers and streams once rich in biodiversity have been undergoing degradation over the years resulting in decline in fish productivity. Studies have mainly focused on large rivers in Kenya and Uganda. Impacts of habitat alteration by weir installation as a river management tool are lacking. This study aimed at comparing the limnological responses of Rivers Awach Seme (Kenya) and Nambale (Uganda), after weir installation. Data was collected monthly for si...
ABSTRACT In Kenya, fish farming has been expanding in recent years, with Government support through financial and input subsidies to small scale farmers. The sub sector generates a variety of benefits such as food and nutrition and develops trade. However, the sub sector faces the challenges of fish diseases, given that the fish production facilities support high-density living conditions that are favorable for spread of parasitic diseases. Besides, when fish that is infected is consumed by h...
ABSTRACT French bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is an increasingly important vegetable crop in Kenya accounting for a significant proportion of foreign exchange earned from horticulture. Farmers in Kenya experience insufficient and unreliable rainfall that affects yields and subsequent family incomes. Attempts to address this situation have been further hampered by poor rainfall distribution. Integration of plant growth regulators in French bean production are among the options that have been su...
ABSTRACT River Ruiru flows in areas where it is subject to pollution due to industrial, municipal, urban and agricultural wastes. It is reported to harbor various species of fish such as tilapia, catfish, eel, and common carp, which may be contaminated by heavy metals present in such wastes. Metals damage fish organs, endangering the species inhabiting the river. In addition, when other organisms, including humans consume such fish, they are exposed to heavy metal contamination. Hence, it is ...
ABSTRACT Inoculation of soybean (Glycine max) is an efficient and convenient way of introducing rhizobia to soil and subsequently the rhizosphere of the crop. However, its full potential in sub-Saharan Africa is yet to be realized due to effects of varying soil limiting conditions. Critical levels of nitrogen (N) below and above which response is not guaranteed are unknown. The objective of the study was to determine the critical range of N outside which response to inoculation is hindered. ...
ABSTRACT The maintenance of proper levels of soil organic matter (SOM) has been advocated as one of the main ways of combating soil fertility decline in sub Saharan Africa (SSA). SOM levels can be increased through increased aggregate formation as soil aggregates physically protect SOM, from its loss through decomposition. The objective of this study was to investigate how the amendment of soils of varying texture and fertility levels with fertilizer-N and organic resources affects aggregate ...
ABSTRACT The Tourism sector plays a significant role in the development of many economies worldwide. Ideally, the sector has been credited with the creation of millions of jobs to populations globally. Although tourism has experienced continued growth over the years, the nature of employment the sector has generated still remains an issue of discussion. In fact, there has been wide-ranging apprehension that despite this growth, the sector has not availed satisfactory opportunities for the cre...
ABSTRACT The Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, is a tropical fish species of commercial importance in both aquaculture and in the wild. It plays a great role in human nutrition and food security. Industrial effluents, contaminated with pollutants such as heavy metals are released into water bodies such as streams and rivers, in most countries. River Ruiru is one of the rivers faced with pollution from nearby industries. It is inhabited by various species of fish such as catfish, tilapia a...
ABSTRACT Sweet yellow passion fruit (Passiflora edulis var. flavicarpa) is widely gaining adoption in Kenya, emerging as an important high market value horticultural crop. However, its current yields are low due to poor agronomic practices among other reasons. The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of vine length on growth, yield and nutrient concentration of sweet yellow passion fruits in Embu County and evaluating orchard management practices for sweet yellow passion frui...