Browsing by Author "Mureithi, J.G."
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Item Effect of Burning Natural Pasture on Soil Chemical Properties and Dry Matter Production of Introduced Glycine and Siratro Grass Legume Mixed Pastures In Semi-Arid Rangelands of Kenya(2013) Macharia, P.N.; Mureithi, J.G.; Kinyamario, J.I.; Ekaya, W.N.; Gachane, C.K.K.; Thuranira, E.G.Fire is often used as g tool to stimulate new pasture growth that is of higher quality. However, fire has profound effects on the soil's nutrient dynamics and dry matter (DM) production of the pasture. This study was conducted in Kajiado District to study the effect of pasture burning on soil chemical properties and dry matter yield (DM) of introduced Neonotonia weight (Am.) Lackey (Glycine) and Macroptilium atropurpureum (DC) Urb (Siratro) forage legumes. On one site, herbage was subjected to a back fire while herbage in an adjacent site was slashed to ground level. Before planting the legumes, soil samples were collected at 0-15 cm depth and analyzed for pH (H20), organic carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and calcium (Ca). The results showed that the soil pH in the burned site (5.25) was higher (though not significant at PS:0.05) than in slashed plots (5.06). The soil organic C and N was higher in slashed plots than in burned plots. However, the soil's P, K and Ca levels increased after burning with P achieving a significant increase while the increase in K and Ca was not significant. Specifically, the soil N content was significantly higher in slashed (0.17 %) than in burned plots (0.15 %). The soil P was higher in burned (177.9 ppm) than in unburned plots (166.8 ppm). Potassium levels in burned plots (1.25%) was higher (though not significant) than in slashed plots (1.20 %). Calcium levels were also higher (though not significant) in burned (5.34 %) than in slashed plots (5.12 %). Glycine grown as monocultures yielded more DM in burned site (6.87 tlha) than in slashed plots (4.81 tlha). Monoculture stands of Siratro yielded more DM in slashed plots (2.84 tlha) than in burned plots (2.73 tlha). When the two legumes were grown as mixtures with natural pasture, the pattern was the same as in monocultures.Item The Effect of Introduced Forage Legumes on Improvement of Soil Fertility in Natural Pastures of Semi-Arid Rangelands of Kajiado District, Kenya(2013) Macharia P.N; Gachene, C.C.K ; Mureithi, J.G. ; Kinyamario, J.I. ; Ekaya, W.N. ; Thuranira, E.G; Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI), University of Nairobi, KARI Headquarters,This study was carried out to investigate the effect of introduced forage legumes on improvement of the quality and quantity of fodder in traditional pasture enclosures of Maasai livestock keepers in semi-arid rangelands of Kajiado District, Kenya. The forage legumes Glycine, Siratro and Shrubby Stylo were integrated into the natural pastures and their effects on natural pasture productivity studied. Data on dry matter (DM) production was collected at two defoliation heights (15 and 30 cm) and three defoliation intervals (2, 4 and 6 months). The highest DM yield was obtained at the two months defoliation interval at 15 cm height (though there were no significant differences between treatments), and inclusion of Glycine and Siratro into natural pastures resulted in combined DM yield of 3.79 and 3.84 tJha, respectively, which was 40 and 42 %, respectively higher than the DM yield of the natural pasture (2.71 tJ ha). Due to slow growth ofStylo as anintercrop, the mixed pasture yielded 2.59 tJha. Stylo as an intercrop needed more than four seasons of growth for it to contribute higher DM yield than the natural pasture. Forage quality determinations at vegetative, flowering and senescent stages showed that grasses in mixed pastures contained higher crude protein (CP) content and had higher digestibility and lower fibre content than grasses in natural pasture at all stages of growth.Item Effect of Introduced Forage Legumes on Productivity of Traditional Pasture Enclosures in Semi-Arid Rangelands of Kenya(2013) Macharia, P.N.; Mureithi, J.G.; Kinyamario, J.I.; Ekaya, W.N.; Gachene, C.K.K.; Thuranira, E.G.This study was carried out to investigate the effect of introduced forage legumes on improvement of the quality and quantity of fodder in traditional pasture enclosures of Maasai livestock keepers in semi-arid rangelands of Kajiado District, Kenya. The forage legumes Glycine, Siratro and Shrubby Stylo were integrated into the natural pastures and their effects on natural pasture productivity studied. Data on dry matter (DM) production was collected at two defoliation heights (15 and 30 cm) and three defoliation intervals (2, 4 and 6 months). The highest DM yield was obtained at the two months defoliation interval at 15 cm height (though there were no significant differences between treatments), and inclusion of Glycine and Siratro into natural pastures resulted in combined DM yield of 3.79 and 3.84 tJha, respectively, which was 40 and 42%, respectively higher than the DM yield of the natural pasture (2.71 tI ha). Due to slow growth of Stylo as an intercrop, the mixed pasture yielded 2.59 tJha. Stylo as an intercrop needed more than four seasons of growth for it to contribute higher DM yield than the natural pasture. Forage quality determinations at vegetative, flowering and senescent stages showed that grasses in mixed pastures contained higher crude protein (CP) content and had higher digestibility and lower fibre content than grasses in natural pasture at all stages of growth.Item Effect of Introduced Forage Legumes on Productivity of Traditional Pasture Enclosures in Semi-Arid Rangelands of Kenya(2013) Macharia, P.N.; Mureithi, J.G.; Kinyamario, J.I.; Ekaya, W.N.; Gachene, C.K.K.; Thuranira, E.G.; Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, , P.O. Box 14733-00800, Nairobi, KenyaThis study was carried out to investigate the effect of introduced forage legumes on improvement of the quality and quantity of fodder in traditional pasture enclosures of Maasai livestock keepers in semi-arid rangelands of Kajiado District, Kenya. The forage legumes Glycine, Siratro and Shrubby Stylo were integrated into the natural pastures and their effects on natural pasture productivity studied. Data on dry matter (DM) production was collected at two defoliations Heights (15 and 30 cm) and three defoliation intervals (2,4 and 6 months). The highest DM yield was obtained at the two months defoliation interval at 15 cm height (though there were no significant differences between treatments), and inclusion of Glycine and Siratro into natural pastures resulted in combined DM yield of3.79 and 3.84 tlha, respectively, which was 40 and 42%, respectively higher than the DM yield of the natural pasture (2.71 tJ ha). Due to slow growth of Stylo as an intercrop, the mixed pasture yielded 2.59 tlha. Stylo asan intercrop needed more than four seasons of growth for it to contribute higher DM yield than the natural pasture. Forage quality determinations at vegetative, flowering and senescent stages showed that grasses in mixed pastures contained higher crude protein (CP) content and had higher digestibility and lower fibre content than grasses in natural pasture at all stages of growth.Item Fodder Production under Small-Holder Agroforestry Systems(1996) Karanja, G.M.; Nyaata, O.Z.; Mureithi, J.G.; Wandera, F.P.This paper suggests that the use of fodder multi-purpose tree (MPT) species is a viable option for protein and mineral supplementation for-the “small-holder dairy farms. The paper reviews some past and current research on fodder MPTs in Kenya with regard to choice<5f species, establishment and management and highlights the challenges ahead. Nutrition is the most limiting factor to small-holder dairy production. Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum), With limited amounts of crop stover and other on-farm roughages, form the basic diet .The quantity, nutritive quality and seasonal distribution, however, do not satisfy the- animal requirements, thus necessitating supplementation. Use of commercial supplements –and inclusion of herbaceous legumes in Napier grass are possible supplemental options but for a variety of reasons, levels of commercial supplement feeding and the adoption 9f herbaceous legumes by the small-holder farmers are very low.Item Legume Screening Database (LSD|) Manual(Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, 2003) Mureithi, J.G.; Gatahi, F.; Kenya Agricultural Research InstituteThe Legume Research Network Project (LRNP) is a KARI project initiated in 1994 with technical and financial support from the Rockefeller Foundation. One of its main activities at inception was to screen a large green manure legume germplasm to identify those suitable for the major agroecological zones in Kenya. This screening work was conducted in 1995 and 1996 and all the screening data has been compiled into a database known as the Legume Screening Database (LSD). The LSD is comprised of performance data of 59 green manure legumes were screened in 11 sites covering major soil types and agroecological zones in Kenya. The legumes were screened for two years in 1995 and 1996 mainly on-station in KARI centers. The database includes information on screening sites and their characteristics, legume species screened per site, data on legume germination, ground cover, phenology, nodulation, dry matter accumulation, and tissue analysis. The database is in MS Access software and it is organized into five objects; Tables, Forms, Queries, Reports, and Macros. The maize database switchboard has four main operation tools that assist in carrying out desired operations in the database. These are Introduction, Add/View data tool, Summaries/Analysis, and Reports. This database is for use by research scientists, extensionists, NGOs, and all those interested in introducing legumes into the Kenyan farming systems. This instruction manual was prepared to assist users of the data in accessing selected information/data from the database based on their selection criteria.Item Manures in African Smallholder Farming Systems: A Review(2013) Muriuki, A.W.; Mureithi, J.G.; Lekasi, J.K.; National Horticultural Research Centre, KARI-Thika), P.O. Box 220-01000, Thika, Kenya.Agricultural development in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) is faced with a growing soil productivity crisis due to deterioration of the soil capital base, which is caused by among other reasons, greater removal of nutrients in crop harvests than those returned each year. Unlike other continents where intensification of crop production has been made possible through increased fertilizer usage, widespread use of fertilizers in Africa is still hampered by high commodity prices, poor infrastructure, a lower proportion of irrigated land compared to other continents, reliance on traditional crop varieties that are less responsive to fertilizers and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns due to climate change. Soil fertility replenishment therefore relies heavily on application of organic resources (where available), which benefit soil primarily by building up soil organic matter. Animal Manures though widely used by smallholder farmers are of low and variable quality, and bulky. This restricts application to homestead fields, in the process, aiding the creation of within-farm soil fertility gradients after repeated applications. On the other hand, green manures though effective have a high demand for labour, compete for land and moisture with crops, and seeds are scarce. Experts however, advocate combined use of organic and inorganic nutrient sources usually referred to as Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) because the relative nutrient compositions of organic resources do not normally match crop requirement ratios and neither do their nutrient release patterns commonly synchronize with crop demand. Future research needs should focus on increasing organic resource use efficiency through synchronization of nutrient release patterns with crop demand, increasing the concentration of nutrients in animal manures through innovative management techniques that improve efficacy and reduce bulkiness, developing whole-farm soil fertility recommendations to diminish formation of within-farm soil fertility gradients, and on studying the long-term effects of organic resources on soil properties, crop. Productivity and the environment within the context of climate change in SSA.Item Overview of the climate smart Brachiaria grass programme(Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, 2016) Djikeng, A.; Mureithi, J.G.This overview provides the rationale and genesis for conducting research on Brachiaria grasses for improving livestock productivity in Kenya.
