Food Crops
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Item 4.6. Entomology report: Sorghum and millet(1973) Ovennan. J. L.; EAAFRO/USAID/ARS/USDA/Serer, UgandaThe entomological investigation of the US/ AID, ARS Major Cereals Project in Africa started at Serere, Uganda, in January, 1967. In the past, emphasis was placed on developing sorghum resistance to the sorghum shoot fly, Atherigona varia, and the stalk-borer, Chilo partellus. Investigations have been initiated to develop sorghum resistance to the maize stalk borer, Busseola fusca.Item Advisory Soil or Plant Analysis and Fertilizer Use I-Comparison of Soil Analysis is Methods(1968) Robinson, J.B.D; Semb, GOne hundred and twenty-four topsoil samples representing 16 different soil types, of which seven had pH values greater than 7.0, have been analysed for extractable phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium by four different methods. The degree of correlation between the methods is presented together with linear regression equations. Within the range of soil type and analytical data encountered it is possible to convert direct analytical values into predicted values by alternative methods of analysis. Extractable phosphorus, potassium, calcium and magnesium values are predictable for acid/-neutral soils, but it would be more reliable to use separate calibration data or more suitable analytical methods for alkaline pH soils. The larger proportion of phosphorus results in these samples were in the lower half of the full range encountered and the prediction equations are duly biased.Item Advisory Soil or Plant Analysis and Fertilizer Use Part IV-Evaluation of Plant Analysis with Maize Yield Data(1969) Robinson, J. B. D.Maize fertilizer trials carried out over two seasons in Western Tanzania were sampled for the purpose of carrying out leaf analysis. This paper presents and discusses relationships between maize leaf nitrogen or phosphorus figures, maize yield and maize yield responses to two rates of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers. The practical uses of the leaf analysis technique in this area are indicated.Item African ArmywormSpodoptera Exempta (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Wind Convergence in the Kenya Rift Valley, May 1970(1979) Margaret, J. H1970 the most important end of season outbreaks of African armyworm in Kenya were near Nakuru in the Rift Valley; much of the oviposition was inferred to have taken place in the first half of May. The seasons highest catch of Spodoptera exempta in the local light trap ,occurred on 9/ 10th May, coincident with a synoptic-scale weather disturbance which lay almost stationary over the area during 8-lOth May; detailed observations on the wind fields were made on two ,of those days by a specially instrumented aircraft. It was estimated that large numbers of moths were being produced at the time only at places distant from Nakuru, but all upwind from there while this convergent wind system was present. Later in the month further laying occurred in Nakuru area, again coincident with increased light trap catches and the persistence of convergent winds which would have held moths emerging locally trapped in the area. The wind fields are described and their effect on the contemporary S. exempta moths which produced the Rift Valley infestations discussed. It is considered that the persistence of wind convergence in the area led to the laying occurring there.Item Agri-business Development Support Project (ADSP) January-December 2001(Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, 2001) Kenya Agricultural Research InstituteThis report covers the period between January and December 2001. KARl Seed Units (KSUs) were visited to monitor and evaluate the activities. KSU started a variety maintenance program. 120 varieties, populations, and inbred lines out of 150 pr-releases/releases were maintained and nucleus seed will be harvested in February 2002. The total amount of seed crop and planting materials produced during the year include 281 tons of crop breeder, pre-basic, basic, and certified seed from KSU Katumani and Masongaleni, 250 (80 kg) bags of pre-basic and basic seed potato, 86,300 seedlings, 25 (50kg) flower seed, 33,000 corms, 130,000 cormels, and 59,000 flower stems, respectively.Item Agri-business Development Support Project (ADSP) July-Sept 2001(Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, 2001) Kenya Agricultural Research InstituteThe degeneration trials were harvested on the 15th, 16th, and 17th of August in Ngecha, Murengeti, and Tigoni Centre respectively. The treatments consisted of dressing with a systemic insecticide, foliar spraying with insecticides, and untreated and unsprayed plots. In addition, a trial to compare the yield difference between first, second, and third-generation seed tubers was harvested at Tigoni on 24th August. Two varieties, Tigoni and Asante were used. The experimental design was an RCBD replicated three times. The yields were 31.6, 28.0, and 18.9 tlha for the first, second, and third-generation seed tubers respectively. ii) Harvesting of the trial on early and medium maturing varieties was done in Kakamega, (Kabras East Division) and Laikipia (Ngecha Division) on 4th and 6th September respectively. Results showed that the best performer in both.Item Agriculture in Ethiopia(1943) Joyce, V.F.It was suggested that experiments be carried out with cinchona (for quinine salts), curraway seed (carum copicum; amhara HECC) for extraction of thymol, derris root, stramonium a universal weed in Africa, khat (catha edulis) and areca nut; cariander, ginger (grow wild), numeg, pepper etc. Kosso tree (Hagenia anthelmintica) should be explored. At Amani Institute in Tangazika these plants could be studied with tea, rubber and cotton.Item Agrobacterium-Mediated Transformation of Elite Kenyan Maize Germplasm with Cry3a Gene for The control of the Lager Grain Borer and Maize Weevil(Catherine O T, 2013) Catherine, O.T.In Kenya maize (Zea mays L.) is the most important staple food. Owing to its predominant role, food security in the future cannot be achieved without major increases in cereal production. An efficient in vitro regeneration and transformation system holds great potential for genetic improvement of maize against production constraints. This study was conducted with the objective of assessing the regenerative capacity, genetic transformation of Kenyan maize genotypes, and efficacy of transformed maize in controlling maize pests. Six Kenyan inbred lines and four CIMMYT lines and their single crosses were evaluated for their in vitro response on three different media (MS, N6, and N6CL). The embryogenic callus induction and regeneration capacity were higher on MS than on N6 basal salts. Plant regeneration was influenced by genotype. Transformation experiments were carried out using Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain EHA 1 0 1 containing pTFI02 binary vector harbouring a GUS gene. The transformation frequency was highest in 104 (15.2%) and lowest in QPM. The highest transformation efficiency was recorded in inbred T04, 104, and their crosse with CML 216 ranged from 2.4% to 3.0%. The transgene was detected in all the maize genotypes using GUS assays, and PCR. Maize genotypes were transformed using a Bacillus thuringiensis tenebrionis gene Cry3A . The highest transformation frequency was recorded in three inbred lines, H04, T04 and 104 (9.3%, 12.2% and 13.4% respectively). The transformation efficiency ranged between 0.5% to 2.5%. PCR and RT-PCR amplification of the Cry3A gene, and the DAS-Elisa confirmed the presence of the gene To, T 1 and T 2 generations. Insect bioassays established that transgenic maize provided protection against the larger grain borer and maize weevil This study established a reproducible regeneration and transformation system for tropical maize, which can be used in a pest management programme.Item Alectra Weed: A threat to Cowpea(Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, 2010) Kenya Agricultural Research Institute; Karanja, J.; Nguluu, S.Cassava is an important food crop and source of carbohydrate in dry-lands of Eastern Kenya. Production is low due to inadequate soil moisture and lack of technologies. This leaflet provides guidelines on improving productionItem Allium fistulosum Crude Extract and Optimum Irrigation Levels as Alternative Management Option of Tomato Bacterial Wilt in Greenhouse(IOSR Journal of Agriculture and Veterinary Science, 2021) Shikoli, E.M.; Ogweno, J.O.; Mwanarusi, S.; Wayua, F.O.; Egerton University ; Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization Kakamega- Non Ruminant Research InstituteTomato production in Kenya is limited due to abiotic and biotic constraints among them water availability and bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum. A study with objective of determining the effects of Allium fistulosumcrude extract concentrations and irrigation levels on Ralstonia solanacearum inhibition in-vitro, and bacterial wilt disease incidence and severity on tomato grown in the greenhouse was conducted at KALRO-Kakamega, Kenya. The experiment employed a single factor treatment design with combination of different levels of Allium fistulosum crude extract and irrigation treated as distinct treatments. A CRD, with three replications were used in both the laboratory and greenhouse experiments. Treatments in the laboratory experimentwere; negative control (distilled water), positive control (Greencop at 50g/20L) and Allium fistulosum concentrations at 0%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% while in greenhouse experiment were combinations of different levels of Allium fistulosum; 20%, 15%, 0%, positive control with four levels of irrigation, 0.5 L, 1L, 1.5 L and 2L/pot/week. Data were collected on diameter of zone of inhibition, disease incidence and disease severity and subjected to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) using PROC GLM of the Statistical Analysis System (SAS) programme version 9.1. Tukey’s Honestly Significant Difference (Tukey’s HSD) mean separation test was conducted at α= 0.05 level. The highest inhibition mean diameter of 11.48 mm was obtained under 20% concentration of Allium fistulosum in the in-vitro antibacterial assay while the lowest inhibition mean diameter of 5.8 mm was under negative control treatment. In the greenhouse experiment, all combinations of Allium fistulosum crude extract with irrigation levels generally reduced disease incidence and severity of tomato plant compared to positive and negative controls. The lowest disease incidence and severity was recorded with the use of 20% Allium fistulosum crude extract combined with either one litre or a half a litre of water while the highest disease incidence was recorded under positive control (Greencop) and negative control (0% extract) combined with two litres of water. In conclusion, Allium fistulosum crude extract concentration of 20% combined with one litres of water/pot/week is recommended to be used as alternative eco-friendly method in tomato production systems for the management of bacterial wilt. Future Studies should base on determining the concentration of allicin in Allium fistulosum crude extract that can be able to reduce bacterial wilt disease incidence and severity in the field.Item Altitude and Entries in the Environmental Responses of 1976 77 Eastern African Maize Variety Trial(1978) Mukuru, Z.; Darrah, L. L.Seed for the 1976-77 Eastern African Maize (Zea mays L.) Variety Trial (EAMVT) was distributed to over 100 sites in eastern Africa, the Middle East, the Cameroon, Nigeria, and Mexico. Twenty-seven sites returned data acceptable for inclusion in this summary. These sites 'were located in Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, ,Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. A few sites were discarded after analysis because of unacceptably high coefficients of variation, indicating that results of those sites were not reliable.Item Altitude And Environmental Responses Of entries in the 1970-71east African Maize Variety Trial(1974) Darrah, L.L; Penny, L.HSeveral countries in Eastern Africa now have established maize (Zea mays L.) research programmes, which are producing improved breeding populations and commercial varieties and hybrids. Regional trials have been used to evaluate nationally developed maize varieties in different environments. Ranges of wide adaptation have been found for Kenya's Hybrid 632 and the Rhodesian hybrid SR52, now produced commercially in Zambia [5].Eberhart, Penny, and Harrison [2] found current commercial varieties were adapted, in the appropriate altitude zone, throughout Eastern Africa. Harrison [5] gives length of the growing season, disease prevalence, and altitude as the primary factors determining the potential of an environment for a particular variety.Item Altitude and Environmental Responses of Entries in the 1972–73 Eastern African Maize Variety Trial(1976) Darrah, L.L.; East African Agriculture and Forestry Research OrganizationRegional maize (Zea mays L.) variety trials provide a means of assessing gains in yield potential and adaptation of breeding populations over a range of altitudes and environments. Such trials allow existing commercial hybrids and varieties to be compared with experimental. Results from past trials have showed that Kenya's hybrids 512 and 632 and Zambia's hybrid SR52 were well adapted to environments that ranged from 0.9 to 1.6 km above sea level. Kenya's hybrids 611C and 613B were superior at altitudes above 1.6 km. The mean response to altitude in the 1968-69 Eastern African Maize Variety Trial (EAMVT) [6] was 17 q/ha/km, whereas in the 1970-71 EAMVT it was 13 q/ha/km [I]. Adaptation was related to altitudinal and environmental responses that were greater for varieties and hybrids selected at or originating from high altitudes.Item Altitude and Environmental Responses of Entries in the 1974-75 Eastern African Maize Variety Trial(1976) Darrah, L. L.The 1974-75 Eastern African Maize Variety Trial (EAMVT) was conducted at 48 sites in East Africa, Somalia, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi, Malawi, Zambia, Zaire, Cameroon, Nigeria, and Saudi Arabia. Twenty-four entries were, contributed from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and the East African Community. These represented commercial varieties and hybrids, experimental hybrids, and breeding populations from national and regional maize programmes.Item Aluminum Phosphide for Bulk Grain Fumigation in Uganda(1958) Davies, J.C.; Kawanda Research Station, Department of Agriculture, UgandaAlthough aluminum phosphide has been used in Germany for over 20 years as a grain fumigant, it is only recently, with the patenting of a new formula, that the method has received renewed attention by outside countries. The new formulation consists of aluminum phosphide combined with ammonium carbonate, which latter readily decomposes into carbon dioxide and ammonia, enabling a much finer grinding of the aluminum phosphide to be carried out in the presence of the carbon dioxide evolved. A result of this is that the tablets decompose more readily and completely and at the end of the fumigation no special steps need be taken to remove any residues. The normal dosage is from to-15 tablets a ton depending on the conditions under which the grain is stored. Each tablet weighs about 3 grams.Item Ambrosia Beetle Researcb in West Africa(1960) Tecwyn, J.n January 1953, a team oftbree entomologists assembled at the Forest Products Research Laboratory for a brief period of post-graduate training. Their arrival at Princes Risborough signified the formation of the West African Timber Borer Research Unit and as such marked an important stage in the expansion of forest products entomology within the British Commonwealth.Item Analysis of Farmers' Preferences in Choice and Adoption of Maize and Bean Varieties in Kenya(2012) Odendo, M.; Ouma, J.; Menale, K.Maize and common beans are the backbone of food security in Kenya. However, production of the two crops has not kept pace with demand. Although farmers grow several varieties of maize and common beans, the attributes of the varieties that influence farmers' preferences and adoption are not clearly known. The objective of this study was to determine attributes of maize and bean varieties that influence farmers' choices and adoption of varieties. Data were collected from a random sample of 613 respondents from four Counties in Kenya using a structured questionnaire and analysed by descriptive statistics and hedonic pricing model. Results show that farmers used several criteria in choosing the maize and bean varieties they grew. Hedonic pricing analysis indicates that price of beans was mainly determined by bean grain colour and geographical location of the household. The identified attributes are important to the farmers in making their production and marketing decisions and for researchers to focus breeding research to attributes the farmers prefer.Item Analysis Of Flavour And Molecular Diversity Of Kenyan Lablab Bean (Lablab purpureus (L.) Sweet) Accessions(Esther Nyambura Kimani, 2010) Kimani, E. N.The legume species Lablab purpureus L. Sweet grows in most tropical environments. It is used as a cover crop and green manure and provides a high-protein food for humans and livestock feed. The study was carried out to analyse flavour components and molecular diversity of Kenyan lablab accessions. Twenty four accessions from the National genebank and farmers were evaluated for odour and bitter taste intensities using sensory tests. Analysis of cyanogenic glycosides was carried out using the picrate method and volatile compounds were isolated and separated using gas chromatography. The genetic diversity of 50 accessions was studied using Amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers. The sensory evaluations showed significant (p~0.05) differences for the bitter taste but none for odour. Accession 10706 and 13096 exhibited the highest and lowest means respectively for both bitter and odour taste. The levels of cyanogenic glycosides were not different for the 24 accessions, but significant (p~0.05) differences were observed in the volatile compounds isolated from the accessions with upto 89% similarity of the accessions. Two hundred and sixty two volatile compounds were identified using literature databases. The molecular study revealed a total of 180 polymorphic bands. The overall mean expected heterozygosity (He) for all the populations was 0.189. The Eastern population had the highest He of 0.297. The plot of the first and second principal coordinates for cluster analysis revealed an overlap of the accessions forming a tight cluster, with the exception of four; namely Mwingi-3 and 12000 from Eastern popUlation, 12187R3 and 10706R1 from Coast and Rift Valley populations. The Unweighted pair group using mathematical arithmetic averages (UPGMA) cluster analysis generated from the distance matrix revealed three major groups. Group 1 had accessions 10706R1 and Mwingi-3, group 2 had accessions 12187R3 and 12000, while group 3 had the rest of the accessions. The low diversity revealed from these results may be due to the narrow genetic base for breeding stocks, and exchange of germplasm across the country. Results obtained from this study will be of great help in lab lab accession management by ensuring maximization of exploitation of this vital resource as well as in developing breeding strategies for Lablab purpureus .Item Analysis of Maize-Common Bean Intercrops in Semi-Arid Kenya(1994) Okalebo, J.R.; Pilbeam, C.J.; Simmonds, L.P.; Gathuka, K.W.; Chemistry Division, National Agricultural Research Centre - Muguga; Department of Soil Science, University of Reading, LondonMaize (Zea mays L.) and common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) were each sown at four plant densities, including zero, in a bivariate factorial design at Kiboko Rangeland Research Station, Kenya during the long and short rains of 1990. The design gave nine intercrops with different proportions of maize and beans, and six sole crops, three of maize and three of beans. Seed Yields in both the sole crops were not significantly affected by plant density, so the mean yield was used to calculate the Land Equivalent Ratio (LER), which averaged 1·09 in the long rains but only 0·87 in the short rains. These low values were apparently due to the fact that beans failed to modulate and fix nitrogen in the study area, The difference in LER between seasons was probably caused by differences in the amount and distribution of rain in relation to crop growth. Maize was more competitive than bean, each maize plant being equivalent to between 0·7 and 3-4 bean plants depending upon the treatment and the season.Item Analysis of Structure Conduct and Performance of Sweet Potato Marketing the Case of Nairobi And Kisumu Kenya(Egerton University, 2010) Gichangi, A.W.Sweet potato can potentially contribute significantly to Kenya's national objective of enhancing food security. The crop withstands drought and it is easy to grow. It can also play an important role in the diets of many rural households. Despite this importance, sweet potato is not adequately market-oriented and the competitiveness of smallholder farmers is limited by low productivity and poor quality of traditional varieties. The crop is the source of raw materials for agricultural industries. The organizational structure of Kenya's sweet potato industry and its performance are poorly documented. The study aimed at assessing the structure, conduct, and performance of the sweet potato marketing system in Nairobi and Kisumu, identifying and characterizing the opportunities and constraints on market participants that influence its performance .. Data used for analysis in this work was collected using a formal survey instrument during 2009. The survey instrument was specially designed to track the alternative channels used in sweet potato transactions and to capture the associated prices, volumes, and transaction costs in the source and final markets along the value chain.
