Farmers have been encouraged to plant hairy vetch not just for livestock consumption but also for a number of purposes that include nitrogen fixation into the soil, weed suppression, soil erosion prevention, and building of soil organic matter among others. This vine-like, vigorously-growing, cold-tolerant, winter-hardy, annual legume has been found by many experts to be […]
Vetch grass offers farmers multiple benefits Read More »
In meeting household and livestock needs, one farmer has resorted to intercropping fodder and food crops to beat the shrinking land while increasing milk yields with the protein-rich purple vetch feed. Joseph Maina, who is a mixed farmer, owns seven dairy cows. In cutting the cost of protein supplements in commercial dairy meals, the farmer
Farmer intercrops fodder and food crops to utilise shrinking land Read More »
A unique bean variety is helping fertilize degraded soils due to its nitrogen-fixing traits. Mucuna beans are capable of fixing 150kgs of nitrogen for every hectare. Kenyan soils are currently ranked amongst the worst due to exploitation and overuse of conventional fertilizers. Soil Regeneration Through Abundant Organic Matter: Mucuna not only fixes nitrogen but also
Kenyan Soils Rejuvenated by Mucuna Bean’s Nitrogen Fixation Read More »