Despite the benefits of liming adoption, only about eight per cent of farmers utilise it on their soils. This is due to the limited knowledge and awareness about lime application and benefits of lime. The abundance of lime in Kenya, which can sustain the country for over 900 years accelerates the need to tap into …
Most farmers across the country remain unaware that soil acidity reduces crop yield by almost 50 per cent regardless the amount of fertilizer you use. This poses a major threat to the agricultural sector– the country’s economic backbone. Through a comparison done on farms where liming was applied production doubled, a small holder farmer in …
KALRO informs soil liming can double crop yields, launches farmer handbook 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 »
Developed in 2017 by the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), push-pull technology, has been shown to reduce infestation by the devastating fall armyworm by 80 per cent. This is in addition to mitigating the effects of the equally deleterious Stemborer pest and Striga weed. First confirmed in 2016 in Nigeria, by 2020, …
How push-pull technology arrests devastating Fall armyworm, Stemborer & Striga weed Read More »
Sadik Sadique, a maize farmer from Trans Nzoia County is has been able to double his crop production by adopting new methods of planting which include increasing spacing and adopting soil testing to determine fertiliser ratio following experts’ advice. In 2016 he used to produce 500-600 kilos per acre from his 700 acres farm but …
Trans Nzoia maize farmer doubles production embracing expert advice Read More »
Farmers can easily improve their soil fertility and further prevent pests and diseases through rotations, cover cropping and the application of animal and plant materials as opposed to using chemical substances. Recent researches show that plant resistance to insects and diseases is linked to optimal, chemical, physical and biological properties of soil. According to a …
Farmers, who make up to 100 per cent losses due to attack of crops by nematodes and wilts, can control the microbes by dredging soils using trichoderma fungus. Nematodes, bacteria wilt, fusarium wilt among other disease causing pathogens have been classified by other farmers as ‘HIV’ to mean that once they attack crops, recovery is …
Funguses helping farmers fight soil-borne diseases Read More »
The chronically acidic soils of Western Kenya has meant endless woes to the farmers in the area, but a new method of applying lime to the tired soils is changing fortunes and rekindling hope to thousands of farmers who had abandoned farming. In 2008, Isaac Ochieng Okwangi from Nyangera, Siaya harvested just two 90kg bags …
Liming improves yields of depleted Western Kenya soils Read More »
Weeds tell farmers the kind of soils they have and crops to grow on them Farmers can easily tell the type of soils in their farms by simply observing the type of weeds that grow in it. This is a cost -free and accurate method of soil sampling that can save farmers from hefty laboratory …
By George Munene According to a report by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agriculture Office, Kenya’s maize harvests will remain unchanged this year due to a 71 per cent rise in fertilizer prices and the emergence of more lucrative alternative crops. Per the report, rice production is forecast to increase by 12 …
