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Publication Open Access Gendered farmer perceptions towards soil nutrition and willingness to pay for a cafetiere-style filter system for soil testing in-situ: evidence from Kenya(Heliyon, 2023-09-30) Kamau, Philip; Ndirangu, Ibrahim; Richardson, Samantha; Pamme, Nicole; Gitaka, JesseSoil nutrition is a key pillar in agricultural productivity. However, point-of-need testing for soil nutrition is not readily available in resource limited settings such as Kenya. We set out to study the perceived needs for soil testing among farmers in this country. A group of 547 farmers from Murang’a and Kiambu counties were recruited through multistage sampling and helped in assessing the attitudes and willingness to pay (WTP) toward a prototype technology for in-situ soil nutrition surveillance based on a cafetiere-style filter system for extraction and a paperbased analytical device (PAD) for nutrient readout. Considerations for the prototype to measure nutrient levels in situ included aspects of affordability, sensitivity, user-friendliness, and portability as well as willingness of farmers to make their own soil data publicaly available. The study revealed that currenlty extremely few farmers carry out soil testing. The cost of testing and that fact that testing centers are often far from the farmers are among the main reasons contributing to farmers not testing their soils. Farmers are generally willing to make their soil data publicly accessible especially with extension officers. The contingent valuation method (CVM) showed that uncontrolled WTP had a 94.24% premium above the Kes 1000 that is incurred by using the existing rapid testing method. Factoring the control variables and disaggregating the model into gender categories the findings showed that youth, women, and men had WTP values of Kes 1612.53, Kes 1558.68, and Kes 1504.83 respectively which indicates that farmers can indeed pay for convenience to test their soils in situ. The study concludes that women and youth should remain the subject of policy focus. Extension education can enhance the improvement of agricultural productivity if the government restores the department’s effectiveness.Publication Open Access Evaluation of Cyanide Levels in Two Cassava Varieties (Mariwa and Nyakatanegi) Grown in Bar-agulu, Siaya County, Kenya.(Journal of Food and Nutrition Research, 2017-11-01) Gervason, Moriasi A; Olela, Ben O; Waiganjo, Bibianne W; Wakori, Edith W. T; Onyancha, Jared MMannihot esculenta Crantz (Cassava) is the second highest producer of carbohydrates after sugarcane. However, some varieties have high levels of cyanogenic glycosides and therefore are potentially toxic for human consumption. Nyakatanegi is one of the local varieties cultivated in Bar-agulu village in Siaya County (Kenya) and has been severally in the recent past reported to cause fatal cyanide toxicity. The other variety which is rarely associated with cassava poisoning is Mariwa. The objective of the current study was to determine cyanide levels in the two cassava varieties (Mariwa and Nyakatanegi) which are locally cultivated in Siaya County. The study was based on three laboratory assays: the picrate paper, picrate in solution and titration. Whole root cassava tubers were collected from a farmer in Bar-agulu village, Siaya County, packaged separately and transported to Mount Kenya University Pharmaceutical Chemistry Laboratory for analysis. Voucher specimens were authenticated in the cassava laboratories at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. It was observed that all the cortex samples of Nyakatanegi variety had the highest concentrations of cyanide giving 400 ppm for the picrate paper assay, 14.10 mg/Kg for the picrate in solution and 63 mg/Kg for the titration assays. On the other hand, the cortex samples of Mariwa reported cyanide concentrations of 30 ppm, 11.20 mg/Kg and 27.20 mg/Kg for the picrate paper, picrate in solution and titration assays respectively. The results showed higher amounts of cyanide in the tested cassava varieties than the WHO recommended levels (10 mg/Kg) especially the Nyakatanegi variety. Based on these results, sensitization campaigns are necessary to minimize cases of cyanide poisoning following cassava consumption.Publication Open Access Overall Seasonal Energy Cost Analysis of Smallholder Pumped Irrigation Systems in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands of Kenya(Journal of Agriculture, Science and Technology, 2014) Kang’au, Stanley Njenga; Gathogo, Patrick; Gathenya, Jomo MwangiIn Kenya, there has been a tremendous increase in the number of smallholder farmers using motorized pumps in their farming operations. The recent increase in uptake of pumps in irrigated agriculture is as a result of need to increase food production to meet the rising demand as well as modernize farming operations and has been met by various challenges. Among the challenges facing adoption of pumps is rising cost of energy particularly fuel used, diminishing energy reserves as well as lack of technical knowledge in selection, design and operation of these pumps. The result has been significant rise in cost of crop production in pumped irrigated agriculture. Combined with other factors such as market competition for agricultural produce and low market prices, the operation costs of smallholder pumped irrigated agriculture has as a result tremendously increased. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the uptake rate as well as the cost of production due to pumps use in smallholder agriculture. This study was hence carried out in Kakuzi and Yatta divisions both located in the Arid and Semi Arid Lands and 80 smallholder farmers growing various horticultural crops such as French beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L), Tomatoes (Lycopersicon esculentum L) and Water melons (Citrullus lanatus) were considered. Face to face questionnaire as well as observational study was used to gather information. Detailed analysis of 10 pumps used in 10 sample farms was done to evaluate pumps working efficiency, fuel consumption rate and pumps water discharge under different operating conditions. This analysis helped in computing the overall seasonal energy cost of pumped irrigation. The study found out that despite the increase in cost of production as a result of pumping, farmers still adopted it with 80% of the studied population engaged in it. It emerged that high cost of fuel was the most limiting factor for 65% of the sampled population practicing pumped irrigation. Results indicated a big variation in fuel used to irrigate a unit piece of land from one farm setup to the other. In some farms growing similar crops, mean fuel (petrol) amount used to irrigate 1 hectare of land was in excess of 60L while in others, fuel used was as low as 5L. The overall seasonal energy cost in nearly all the farms investigated was over 50% of the total cost of production. The high value for overall seasonal energy cost could be attributed to several factors such as pump operating efficiency, fuel consumption rate and farm operating conditions (elevation, water conveyance distance and time of irrigation).Publication Open Access The status of potato leafroll virus in Kenya(Journal of Plant Pathology, 2003) Were, Hassan; Narla, Rama Devi; Huria, Nderitu John; Weidemann, H. L.A survey of potato leaf roll disease conducted in major potato growing regions of Kenya (Meru, Kiambu, Nyamira and Kisii districts) revealed the highest incidence in Kisima location, Timau division of Meru district and an absence of PLRV in leaf-rolled samples from Githongo location of the same district. The lowest incidence was recorded in Kisii district. The virus was detected in the phloem tissues of potato sprouts and leaves by tissue blot immunoassay (TBIA). The method was found to be simple, rapid and sensitive in detecting PLRV in infected potato plants. In Myzus persicae Sulz., the Acquisition Access Period (AAP), Inoculation Access Period (IAP) and the Latent Period of PLRV, isolated from potato variety ‘Pimpernel’ collected from Tigoni location, Kiambu district, were typical of PLRV. It is suggested that virus control in potato in Kenya can be made more effective by planting virus-free seed-tubers and by early treatment with insecticides. Additionally, volunteer plants and alternative hosts should be rogued and destroyed because they serve as sources of virus for subsequent infections.