Browsing by Author "Wamae, D. K."
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Item Assessment of Early Calves’ Weaning Diet as Milk Replacer for Smallholder Dairy Production Systems in Kenya(Book Publisher International, 2022-03-17) Syomiti, M.; Mugo, B.; Gachuiri, C.; Wamae, D. K.Small-scale dairy farmers in Kenya are increasingly interested in selling milk to supplement their income, particularly during dry seasons when milk prices rise. This leads to low calf growth rates, high calf mortality rates, late maturation, and overall economic losses in smallholder dairy production systems. Innovative development of early calves weaning formulae as milk replacers would provide a long-term solution for calves' nutrition and household income. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance and economic efficacy of an early calves weaning formula as a milk replacer for small-holder dairy production systems. This would in turn establish the effectiveness and economic returns to replacing milk with formulated early calf weaning diets (EWDs) on the survival and general performance of dairy calves in Kenya. Milk feeding for up to 105 days (Control) and milk (28 days) + EWD, fortified or not fortified with effective microorganisms (EM), diamond-V, or Diatomite (DT), for up to 105 days were used as treatments. The treatments had no effect on the calves' average daily weight gain (P>0.05). The EM- treatment, on the other hand, had significantly (P<0.01) higher calve dry matter (DM) intake (g kg-1) than the other treatment groups. The total milk saved for the farmer as a result of EWD feeding was 9 kg-1cow-1day-1; equal to 945 kg for the 105 period, valued at US$614. Total milk saved for conventional milk feeding (control) was 5 kg-1 cow-1 day-1, equal to 525 for the 105 period, valued at US$ 341. Diarrhea was observed in significant amounts in both the control (milk) and the Diamond-V fortified treatments. In DT-fortified EWDs, signs of hair loss and discoloration were observed. Because EM fortification reduced disease incidences, EWD fortified with this microbial feed additive can be an effective milk-replacer in smallholder dairy production systems, allowing dairy calves to be weaned at 28-35 days with good economic and performance results.Item Phosphate fertilizer recommendation domains for maize using Geographical information systems (GIS)in Kisii District.(DR D. K. WAMAE, 2012) Okoth, P. F.; Wamae, D. K.A comprehensive GIS database was established for fertilizer recommendation domains in Kisii district by using PURP fertilizer trial results, KSS soils data and MDBP climatic data. These were manipulated in ESRI's (Personal Computer Environmental Systems Research Institute) ARCINFO and ARCVIEW software’s. The extrapolations were only done for the long rains season (March-August) with three to four years data. GIS technology was used in cluster fertilizer recommendation domains as a geographical area expressed in terms of variation over space and not limited to the site of the experiment where a certain agronomic or economic fertilizer recommendation was made. The extrapolation over space was found to be more representative for any recommendation, the result being digital maps describing each area in the geographical space. GIS techniques made it possible to model and extrapolate the results using the available data. The extrapolations still need to be verified with more ground data from fertilizer trials. Data gaps in the soil map left some soil mapping units with no recommendations. Elevation was observed to influence yields and it should therefore be included in future extrapolations by clustering digital elevation models with rainfall data in a spatial model at the district scale.
