African Journal of Tropical Agriculture

African Journal of Tropical Agriculture ISSN 2375-091X Vol. 4 (2), pp. 001-008, February, 2016. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Farmer evaluation of improved soybean varieties being screened in five locations in Kenya: Implications for research and development

Jonas Chianu^1*, Bernard Vanlauwe¹, John Mukalama¹, Akin Adesina², Nteranya Sanginga¹

¹Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility institute of the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (TSBF-CIAT), Nairobi, Kenya.

²Rockefeller Foundation, Nairobi, Kenya

Accepted 10 November, 2015

Abstract

In order to determine the improved soybean varieties that if recommended to the farmers would have a high probability of adoption, a farmer participatory approach was used to evaluate 12 soybean varieties at full podding in five locations (Oyani, Riana, Kasewe, Akiites, and Mabole) in western Kenya. These comprised of 11 improved varieties (TGx1871-12E, TGx1895-4F, TGx1895-33F, TGx1895-49F, TGx1878-7E, TGx1893-7F, TGx1893-10F, TGx1740-2F, TGx1448- 2E, NAMSOY 4m, and MAKSOY 1n) and one local variety (Nyala). Farmers generated all the 17 criteria for use in the evaluation, with researchers only facilitating. One hundred and two farmers (52% females) participated in the evaluation. A scoring matrix was employed to articulate the results. Data analysis was done using Microsoft Excel. This paper shows that of the seven dual-purpose varieties tested in all the five locations, only TGx1740-2F was acceptable in all. Some varieties were acceptable in specific locations: TGx1895-49F in Oyani, Nyala in Kasewe, TGx1448-2E in Akiites, and TGx1893- 7F in Mabole. This result shows that to avoid low adoption, a blanket recommendation of varieties that were accepted only in selected locations must be avoided. TGx1740-2F was the only variety that could be recommended across locations and that was clearly better than the existing farmers’ own variety, Nyala.

Key Words: Adoption, Effective recommendations, Improved soybean varieties, Participatory farmer evaluation, Western Kenya.

African Journal of Tropical Agriculture ISSN 2375-091X Vol. 4 (2), pp. 001-009, February, 2016. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Seasonal temperature-based models for reference evapotranspiration estimation under semi-arid condition of Malawi

Yu-Min Wang^1*, Willy Namaona², Seydou Traore² and Zhao-Cheng Zhang¹

¹Department of Civil Engineering, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Neipu Hsiang, Pingtung 91201, Taiwan.

²Department of Tropical Agriculture and International Cooperation, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Neipu Hsiang, Pingtung 91201, Taiwan.

Accepted 17 July, 2015

Abstract

The importance of evapotranspiration in agricultural water management has been widely reported without doubt. The FAO Penman Monteith (FPM) equation is the sole recommended estimation method of reference evapotranspiration (ETo), but its application is limited due to large number of meteorological data required. In such circumstance, Hargreaves (HGR) and Blaney-Criddle (BCR) temperature-based empirical models are still used in Malawi, regardless of their accuracy in some semiarid areas. This study explored the potential of using HGR and BCR temperature-based models, in Ngabu and Chileka, located in Southern Malawi, where decade climatic data required for FPM equation was collected from 1985 to 2004. The data sets were divided into dry and rainy season to take into account the tendency of over and under estimation of ETo by the models. It was found from this study, that splitting the data into dry and rainy season improves the accuracy of the temperature-based models. From the statistical comparison with FPM, in both sites, HGR performed better than BCR during dry season while BCR showed superior performance over HGR during rainy season. Therefore, seasonal consideration is strongly recommended when temperature-based models are applied under semiarid climatic condition like Malawi where radiation (r = 0.87) and wind speed (r = 0.89) affects ETo. Finally, seasonal temperature- based models are determined and recommended in this study to be used as alternatives of FPM for ETo estimation in Ngabu and Chileka of Malawi.

Key words: Irrigation, agricultural water management, crop water requirement, wind effect, modeling.

African Journal of Tropical Agriculture ISSN 2375-091X Vol. 4 (1), pp. 001-005, January, 2016. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

The sedentarisation process of the Bahima in Uganda: An emic view

M. Wurzinger^1,2*, A. M. Okeyo², D. Semambo³ and J. Sölkner¹

¹BOKU-University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna, Department of Sustainable Agricultural Systems, Gregor-Mendel-Strasse 33, A-1180 Vienna, Austria.

²ILRI – International Livestock Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya.

³National Animal Genetic Resources Centre and Data Bank, P.O. Box 183, Entebbe, Uganda.

Accepted 11 August, 2015

Abstract

The traditional lifestyle of nomadic pastoralists is vanishing rapidly, because of human population growth which often leads to land scarcity or political pressure on pastoralists to settle. The sedentarisation of the Bahima pastoralists in Western Uganda started in the 1940s and is still going on. In this study former nomadic cattle keepers, who have settled with their families, were interviewed in order to document the decision to settle and the subsequent changes in the lifestyle of these people. All interviewees expressed their satisfaction with their sedentary life. Land scarcity, access to education, better availability of water and the possibility of crop production were given as factors for settlement. The decisions were influenced by Christian missionaries, the government and friends.

Key words: Sedendarisation, Uganda, Bahima, pastoralist, nomadic life.

African Journal of Tropical Agriculture ISSN 2375-091X Vol. 3 (12), pp. 001-007, December, 2015. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Long-term effects of different burning frequencies on the dry savannah grassland in South Africa

Fatunbi Abiodun Oluwole, Johan Mackson Sambo and Dube Sikhalazo

Livestock and Pasture Science Department, Faculty of Science and Agriculture, University of Fort Hare, PB X1314, Alice 5700, South Africa.

Accepted 16 May, 2015

Abstract

The use of fire in the management of grassland is a common rangeland practice in South Africa. This portends ecological implication for the sustainability of the savannah rangelands as a system. A long term trial was established in August 1980 at the University of Fort Hare, to evaluate the effects of this practice and determine the frequency of burning that yield optimum benefits. The experimental treatments consisted of five different burning frequencies, viz., no burning (K), annual burning (B1), biennial burning (B2), triennial burning (B3), quadrennial burning (B4) and sexennial burning (B6). Surface soil chemical characteristics and macro fauna densities were assessed from each experimental unit after 25 years of treatments implementation. Burning significantly affect the surface soil concentration of total N, organic C, exchangeable K, Mg and Na, but soil pH increased slightly in the short run. The macro fauna density was significantly higher in the annual, biennial and triennial burned plots compared with the unburnt plots. The soil macro fauna density increased by 31.4% in the B1 plots, while longer burning frequencies (B2- B6) ranged between 15.1 – 51.4% which increases with reduced frequency of burning until a peak at B3 and thereafter a reduction. A significant inverse correlation (r= -0.56*) was observed between the grass biomass and fauna density. There was also a relative reduction of 23% in grass biomass in the frequently burnt plots (B1). The B3 plots had the highest suitability index of 44, which indicated the frequency of burning at which optimum benefit could be derived based on the measured variables. Frequent burning of savannah grassland led to reduction of surface grass biomass and increase in the soil organic carbon content which we speculated to be due to increase in underground carbon pool from dead roots.

Key words: Fire treatment, rangeland management, soil nutrients, soil macro fauna, grass biomass.

African Journal of Tropical Agriculture ISSN 2375-091X Vol. 3 (11), pp. 001-010, November, 2015. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Tillage system and genotype effects on rainfed maize (Zea mays L.) productivity in semi-arid Zimbabwe

W. Gwenzi¹, M. Taru², Z. Mutema ¹, J. Gotosa³* and S. M. Mushiri³

¹Save Valley Experiment Station. Department Agricultural Research and Extension Services. P. Bag 2037 Chipinge, Zimbabwe.

²Department of Agric Engineering and Technical Services, P. O. Box 1884 Masvingo, Zimbabwe.

³Bindura University of Science Education, Department of Environmental Science, P. Bag 1020, Bindura, Zimbabwe.

Accepted 10 May, 2015

Abstract

Maize is the staple crop that is grown under rainfed conditions by smallholder farmers in most of Sub-Saharan Africa. A study was conducted during the 2002/3 and 2003/4 cropping seasons at a semi-arid site in South-east Zimbabwe to determine the response of five maize genotypes to four tillage systems (hand holing out, no till, inter-row furrow, tied ridge) under rainfed conditions. The trial was set up in a randomised split- plot design with tillage system as the main plot factor and maize genotype as the sub-plot factor. Grain yield, grain moisture content at harvest, total above ground biomass yield, days to flowering and maturity were highly affected (p < 0.001) by genotype. Tillage systems significantly affected (p < 0.05) number of days to physiological maturity, total above ground biomass yield and final stand count but not at harvest. The tillage furrow system significantly (p < 0.001) delayed emergence in the 2003/4 season compared to other tillage systems. Tillage and genotype interactions had a significant (p < 0.05) effect on yield, final stand count and number of cobs per plot. Hybrids had better (p < 0.001) biomass partitioning into grain and higher (p < 0.001) rainfall use efficiency than open-pollinated genotypes. The results of this study showed that maize genotypes grown on tillage systems that concentrate moisture (ridge/furrow systems) perform better than those on flat systems depending on the quality of the rainfall season. By selecting adapted genotypes grain yields can be increased without much additional investment in tillage systems.

Key words: Tillage, hybrid, open-pollinated, yield, rainfall use efficiency, cropping season.

African Journal of Tropical Agriculture ISSN 2375-091X Vol. 3 (10), pp. 001-007, October, 2015. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Influence of stocking rate on herbage production, steers livemass gain and carcass price on semi-arid sweet bushveld in Southern Botswana

W. N. Mphinyane¹*G. Tacheba³, S. Mangope² and J. Makore²

¹Department of Enivironmental Science. Faculty of Science, University of Botswana. P/ Bag UB 00704, Gaborone, Botswana.

²Department of Agricultural Research P/Bag 0033, Gaborone, Botswana.

³Botswana College of Agriculture, Private Bag 0027, Gaborone, Botswana.

Accepted 10 April, 2015

Abstract

The influence of stocking rate on vegetation and animal performance was investigated over a period of 15 years in the Semi-arid Sweet Bushveld of Southern Botswana. The objective of the study was to establish an appropriate stocking rate for the area and evaluate the relationship between animal performance and the available herbage. The trial compared steers grazing at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 ha per livestock unit and a non-grazing area. Herbage yield, steer live mass gain and carcass price were the responses measured. Herbage yield was collected from randomly clipped quadrats at the end each growing season. Grass species were grouped according to nutritive value as good, intermediate and poor. The trial was restocked each year with 18-months steers. Steer were weighed at monthly intervals and were slaughtered at the end of the grazing year where carcasses were graded and given a price. Forage yield of good and poor grasses increased and decreased, respectively with decreasing stocking rate. The yield of intermediate grasses increased at heavy grazing and declined at lower stocking rates due to competition from more productive perennial grasses. Live mass gain of individual steers increased with decreasing in stocking rates. Steers at 8 ha lsu^-1 gained almost similar to those in 10 and 12 ha lsu^-1 at the expense of the good grasses suggesting that range deterioration may progress for a considerable time before the change is reflected in animal condition. Therefore herbage condition is more sensitive indicator of range deterioration than the condition of the grazing animals. Mean annual livemass gain of approximately 100 kg or more can be achieved on Semi-arid Bushveld with only phosphorus supplementary feeding at 8 ha lsu^-1 or lower stocking rates. Annual livemass gains for individual steers varied considerably from year to year suggesting flexible stocking rates between 8 - 10 ha lsu^-1 could be applied depending on rainfall amount. Optimum stocking rate on the basis of good grass species is 10 ha lsu^-1 for the Semi-arid Sweet bushveld.

Key words: Semi-arid sweet bushveld, grazing, herbage yield, hectares per livestock, stocking rate, livemass gain.