Abstract Application of Fungi for effective removal of hydrocarbon contamination from soil is being considered as the better option when it comes to biodegradation. Other method like physical and chemical bioremediation leads to production of toxic compounds and these methods are not cost effective. In the present study, soil samples from four different oil contaminated soils were assessed for any recovery of fungi present. Cultural characterization was used as preliminary identification usi...
Abstract Arthropods that have a direct impact on crop production (i.e. pests, natural enemies and pollinators) can be influenced by both local farm management and the context within which the fields occur in the wider landscape. However, the contributions and spatial scales at which these drivers operate and interact are not fully understood, particularly in the developing world. The impact of both local management and landscape context on insect pollinators and natural enemy communities and...
Abstract The sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas Lam) is a major staple food in many parts of the world. Sweet potato leaves and tubers are consumed as food and livestock feed. Biotic and abiotic stresses affect yield leading to a reduction in production. This review analyzes factors limiting sweet potato production and the progress made towards stress tolerance using genetic transformation. Genetic transformation could enhance yield, nutritional value and tolerance to stress. Transgenic sweet pot...
Abstract Seagrass habitats are important natural carbon sinks, with an average of ∼14 kg C m−2 buried in their sediments. The fate of this carbon following seagrass removal or damage has major environmental implications but is poorly understood. Using a removal experiment lasting 18 months at Gazi Bay, Kenya, we investigated the impacts of seagrass loss on sediment topography, hydrodynamics, faunal community structure and carbon dynamics. Sediment pins were used to monitor surface elevat...
Abstract Drought is the leading single factor that limits maize production thus inhibiting the crops genetic potential. In response to drought, maize and other plants synthesize Poly ADP-Ribose (PAR) protein. This process is controlled by the Poly ADP-Ribose Polymerase (PARP) genes and consumes cellular energy, leading to plant death. This study evaluated four tropical inbred maize (Zea mays L.) lines; CML 216, CML 144, A04 and E04 for their response to growth limiting water stress and their...
Abstract Purpose of Review We use the ‘seascape’ concept to explore how interactions between mangrove forests, tidal marshes and seagrass influence the storage of carbon in these ecosystems. Mangrove forests, with the other two ‘blue carbon’ habitats, are exceptionally powerful carbon sinks. Maintaining and enhancing these sinks is an emerging priority in climate change mitigation. However, managing any one ecosystem on its own risks is ignoring important contextual drivers of carbon...
Abstract +e emergence and persistence of antibiotic resistance remain formidable health challenges. +is study aimed at detecting and profiling antibiotic resistance of bacterial contaminants in vended food and the environment. Seventy antibiotic-resistant bacterial isolates were isolated from fried fish, African sausages, roasted meat, smokies, samosa, chips (potato fries), vegetable salads, and soil samples collected from Embu Town and Kangaru Market in Embu County, Kenya. +e antibiotic sus...
Abstract Termites perform key ecological functions and they also cause crop damage. Land use change resulting from agricultural intensification can result in changes in termite species diversity and abundance. Termite species occurring in natural vegetation, maize monocrop and maize-beans intercrop macrohabitats were investigated in Embu and Machakos Counties, Kenya. Influence of soil properties and seasons was also evaluated. Across the two Counties, seven termite species were recorded wi...
Abstract/Overview Long-term Earth observation based vegetation index records have been used extensively by researchers to assess vegetation response to global climate variability and change. However, the records exhibit multiple temporal gaps due to spectral and radiometric inconsistencies that inhibit accurate assessment of land surface vegetation dynamics. Here, we propose a new reconstruction procedure that approximates Bayesian time series model by using integrated nested Laplace appr...
Abstract/Overview Fall armyworm (FAW) Spodoptera frugiperda is a devastating pest of over 350 plant species especially the cereal crops such as, maize, sorghum and rice. The pest is currently posing threats to food security in Africa. FAW could be potential animal feed that can supplement chicken feed. However, there is little information on its nutritional profile as poultry feed. The aim of the study was to compare the nutrient content of FAW larvae to other chicken feeds. Proximate ana...
Abstract/Overview Technical efficiency measures the effectiveness of an enterprise given the available resources at disposal and how well it transforms these resources to get maximum output. This study therefore investigated the technical efficiency of cricket, A. domesticus and G. bimaculatus, production at JOOUST cricket farm using parametric approach. Stochastic frontier analysis was used to analyze the data collected from the farm between 2015-2017. Maximum likelihood estimates result...
Abstract/Overview Agricultural production in Kenya has stagnated since 1980s resulting in malnutrition in over 89% of Kenya’s population. Food insecurity has been identified as the prime cause of malnutrition. Low agricultural productivity due to declining soil fertile from poor cropping systems and use of non adapted exotic crop species has worsened this situation. Intercropping offers advantages if well planned including improved soil fertility and yields. Bambara groundnuts have show...
Abstract/Overview The use of Motorcycles Public Transport (MPT) is partly the cause of heavy traffic congestion in Kenya’s urban centers. Sustainable urban transport implies systematic change in approaches to urban transport service provision, regulation and efficiency improvement. This study was conducted in Kisii town, Western Kenya, a medium-sized town characteristic of high Motorcycle-related Traffic Congestion (MTC). Several scenarios in Kisii town have promoted and sustained use o...
Abstract/Overview The concentrations of catechins in a Kenyan tea germplasm collection of 102 accessions were determined by HPLC. Total green leaf catechin concentrations and the ratio of dihydroxylated to trihydroxylated catechins were used to establish genetic differentiation in the germplasm. Upon multivariate analysis, accumulation of the various catechins separated the tea clones into 3 major and 5 minor groups according to their phylogenetic origins. The Cambod teas had the highest ...
Abstract/Overview The variation in three NADP-linked dehydrogenase enzymes; glucose-6-phosphate dehydro- genase, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase and shikimate dehydrogenase as well as alpha and beta esterases was determined in 24 cultivars of Camellia sinensis and 2 other species of Camellia; C. japonica and C. irrawadiensis, using specific activity staining. The isozyme pro- files partitioned the cultivars according to their phylogenetic origins; (China, Assam, Cambodia and Japan). At...