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<title>School of Agriculture &amp; Biotechnology</title>
<link>http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/30</link>
<description/>
<items>
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<rdf:li rdf:resource="http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/2786"/>
<rdf:li rdf:resource="http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/2775"/>
<rdf:li rdf:resource="http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/2763"/>
<rdf:li rdf:resource="http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/2761"/>
<rdf:li rdf:resource="http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/2759"/>
<rdf:li rdf:resource="http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/2755"/>
<rdf:li rdf:resource="http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/2754"/>
<rdf:li rdf:resource="http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/2745"/>
<rdf:li rdf:resource="http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/2744"/>
<rdf:li rdf:resource="http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/2742"/>
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<dc:date>2026-06-29T13:53:46Z</dc:date>
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<item rdf:about="http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/2786">
<title>Prevalence of Fasciola Gigantica in Cattle and Sheep Slaughtered at the  Eldoret Slaughterhouse, Kenya</title>
<link>http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/2786</link>
<description>Prevalence of Fasciola Gigantica in Cattle and Sheep Slaughtered at the  Eldoret Slaughterhouse, Kenya
Tawane, Fardosa; Omega, Joseph; Kitilit, Jackson
Fasciolosis impact livestock production globally, particularly in Sub-&#13;
Saharan Africa, necessitating studies to develop intervention strategies.&#13;
&#13;
The objectives of the current study were The main objective of the study&#13;
was to determine the prevalence of Fasciola gigantica in cattle and sheep&#13;
slaughtered at the Eldoret Slaughterhouse in Kenya with a null hypothesis&#13;
of Ho1: There is no Fasciola gigantica in cattle and sheep slaughtered at the&#13;
Eldoret Slaughterhouse in Kenya. The livestock traders are not aware of&#13;
the nutritional depletion associated with fasciola and hydatid cyst. From&#13;
3rd May,2024 to 3rd June, 2024, a 30-day study was carried out at the&#13;
Eldoret Slaughterhouse on cattle and sheep slaughtered. The study was&#13;
carried out on a total of 479 cattle and 313 sheep which were examined in&#13;
30 days. The results at the slaughter house revealed a high Fasciola&#13;
gigantica prevalence of 64.8% in cattle and 33.2% in sheep. There were&#13;
higher detection rates in bile compared to faecal samples. In Conclusion&#13;
there was high prevalence of fasciola gigantica and hydatid cyst in cattle&#13;
compared to sheep. Recommendations include Implementing a&#13;
comprehensive parasite control program, including regular deworming of&#13;
livestock with effective fasciolicides. Improving pasture management to&#13;
reduce the risk of Fasciola gigantica infection, such as fencing off wet areas&#13;
and providing clean drinking water sources. Educating farmers on the&#13;
lifecycle of Fasciola gigantica and preventive measures they can take to&#13;
reduce infection rates in their herds and flocks. Conducting regular&#13;
monitoring and surveillance of fasciolosis in livestock to track the&#13;
effectiveness of control measures over time.
</description>
<dc:date>2025-01-01T00:00:00Z</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/2775">
<title>NUTRITION KNOWLEDGE, SOCIOCULTURAL PRACTICES AND NUTRITION STATUS AMONG PREGNANT AND LACTATING ADOLESCENTS IN TURKANA SOUTH SUB-COUNTY, KENYA</title>
<link>http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/2775</link>
<description>NUTRITION KNOWLEDGE, SOCIOCULTURAL PRACTICES AND NUTRITION STATUS AMONG PREGNANT AND LACTATING ADOLESCENTS IN TURKANA SOUTH SUB-COUNTY, KENYA
NGIPUO, BENJAMIN
Worldwide, teen pregnancies are on the rise, with the majority of instances (99%)&#13;
being recorded in poorer nations. The World Health Organization report in 2018&#13;
showed a global increase in teenage pregnancy at a rate of 46 births per 100 girls. In&#13;
Kenya teenage pregnancy rate is at 18% and lactation at 12%. The cultural practices&#13;
coupled with the high food insecurity status in the region tend to exacerbate the&#13;
situation in Turkana risking major health conditions including malnutrition. This&#13;
study investigated the nutrition knowledge, sociocultural practices and nutritional&#13;
status of pregnant and lactating adolescents in Turkana South Sub-County. The study&#13;
adopted a cross-sectional analytical design to collect primary data. The target&#13;
population was adolescent girls aged 15-19 years (9,361) from which 384 respondents&#13;
were selected. A multistage sampling technique was adopted to identify the&#13;
respondents. Data was collected using researcher-administered questionnaires, focus&#13;
group discussions and direct observations. Data collected was analysed using&#13;
GENSTAT version 18.0. and Nutri-Survey version 20. Correlation between mothers’&#13;
knowledge and their nutritional status was tested using Pearson’s correlation. The&#13;
results indicated that most respondents were unemployed (62.3%), and their&#13;
households were in the poorest quintile (71.5%), negatively affecting their dietary&#13;
diversity. Most (44.4%) of the respondents had no formal education and 67.3% had&#13;
low nutrition knowledge, which directly affected their dietary diversity (p&amp;lt;0.05).&#13;
Most respondents did not meet their daily caloric energy intake (725.06 and 805.29&#13;
kcal for pregnant and lactating women, respectively) and other vital minerals&#13;
including calcium and iron, vital during pregnancy and lactation. While education&#13;
level was positively associated (p&amp;lt;0.05) with nutrition knowledge, dietary diversity&#13;
was significantly linked to it, likely due to cultural food restrictions and economic&#13;
limitations. The low dietary diversity, coupled with cultural practices that limited the&#13;
intake of nutritious foods, contributed to insufficient energy and nutrient intake&#13;
among both pregnant and lactating mothers, leading to a high prevalence of&#13;
underweight and suboptimal nutritional status among lactating (39.6%) and pregnant&#13;
(75.8%) mothers respectively. The findings indicate that improving education,&#13;
especially nutrition education among adolescent mothers could aid in promoting good&#13;
eating practices and, hence, maintain proper health for the mother and baby. These&#13;
findings underscore the urgent need for targeted interventions, including&#13;
comprehensive nutrition education programs and improved access to nutritious foods,&#13;
to address the complex challenges facing adolescent mothers in Turkana County and&#13;
ensure the health and well-being of both mothers and their children.
</description>
<dc:date>2025-01-01T00:00:00Z</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/2763">
<title>HYGIENE AND MICROBIAL SAFETY OF ROADSIDE ROASTED MEAT FROM NAMAWOJJOLO AND LUKAYA FOOD MARKETS, UGANDA</title>
<link>http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/2763</link>
<description>HYGIENE AND MICROBIAL SAFETY OF ROADSIDE ROASTED MEAT FROM NAMAWOJJOLO AND LUKAYA FOOD MARKETS, UGANDA
T NANFUKA, ANNET
Roadside roasted meats provide a rich source of proteins, especially for long-distance travelers.&#13;
However, there are many food-borne illnesses associated with their consumption, necessitating&#13;
continuous assessment of the quality and safety. The objective of this study was to investigate&#13;
hygiene and microbial safety of roadside roasted meats from two food markets of Namawojjolo&#13;
and Lukaya in Uganda. Using an observation checklist and questionnaire, 90 meat vendors were&#13;
observed and interviewed on compliance with standard hygiene practices. Also, a total of 89&#13;
meat samples of chicken, beef and goats’ meat comprising 30 fresh (raw), 28 hot from fire and&#13;
31cold ready-to-eat meat that had been exposed to consumers for about 30 minutes, were&#13;
obtained. The samples were analyzed using enriched specific media for E. coli, Salmonella, S.&#13;
aureus, Listeria and Campylobactor. Descriptive analysis of the hygiene practices of the vendors&#13;
in meat handling was done and scores above 70% were used to determine good hygiene&#13;
practices. The study found that only 6.7% vendors had good hygiene practices and 88.9% did not&#13;
store leftover meat in refrigerators. Laboratory findings revealed that bacterial contamination&#13;
was higher than Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) levels. Raw samples exhibited&#13;
the highest contamination across all pathogens where S. aureus in raw chicken (8 ± 0.56 log10&#13;
CFU/g) and raw goat (8 ± 0.97 log10 CFU/g) far exceeded the limit. Similarly, cold samples&#13;
mostly matched or surpassed hot samples in contamination. For example, cold beef showed&#13;
higher Listeria counts (5 ± 1.93 log10 CFU/g) than hot beef (3 ± 2.71 log10 CFU/g). All&#13;
tested meat types showed microbial contamination above UNBS safety limits for all&#13;
microbes examined which is ≤2 log10 CFU/g for S.aureus and E.coli or completely absent&#13;
for Salmonella, Lysteria and Campylobacter. However, S. aureus was consistently the highest&#13;
for all the three meat types for example 8.4 ± 9.0 log10 CFU/g for goat meat compared to 5.5 ±&#13;
5.7 shown for Salmonella in goat meat The study found that there were food safety concerns in&#13;
roadside roasted meat vending, with contamination linked to poor hygiene practices and&#13;
inadequate sanitation measures. Fresh/raw meat had the highest contamination levels compared&#13;
to hot and cold meat, highlighting significant public health risks. There is need to sensitize&#13;
vendors on food safety and hygiene plus routine health inspections of these markets.
</description>
<dc:date>2025-01-01T00:00:00Z</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/2761">
<title>BREEDING WITH WILD RELATIVES: SCREENING SORGHUM PRE- BREEDING MATERIAL FOR PERFORMANCE AND ADAPTATION IN  WESTERN KENYA</title>
<link>http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/2761</link>
<description>BREEDING WITH WILD RELATIVES: SCREENING SORGHUM PRE- BREEDING MATERIAL FOR PERFORMANCE AND ADAPTATION IN  WESTERN KENYA
OKOTH, KENNEDY
Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) is an essential cereal for food security and&#13;
resilience to climate change in Kenya. Continuous utilization of traditional landraces&#13;
coupled with biotic and abiotic stresses have led to low sorghum yields in western Kenya.&#13;
Further, the limited amount of genetic variation within the cultivated sorghum gene pool&#13;
has constrained breeding efforts to overcome major production constraints. The&#13;
development of new sorghum diversity through the use of wild and weedy species to enrich&#13;
cultivated sorghum germplasm offers a novel and promising opportunity. The objectives&#13;
of this study were to: (i) determine agronomic performance of sorghum wild relatives&#13;
(SWR) in western Kenya (ii) determine genotype by environment interaction and stability&#13;
of SWR in selected sites in western Kenya. (iii) Introgress genes from sorghum wild&#13;
relatives into selected cultivated Kenyan Lines and determine the amount of heterosis in&#13;
the sorghum crosses for selected traits. Twenty-one (21) SWR plus 4 checks were&#13;
evaluated for performance in a 5 X 5 alpha lattice replicated thrice at Kibos, Nyabisawa,&#13;
Sega and Godkwer agro-ecologies. Genotype by Environment interaction (GEI) and yield&#13;
stability was determined using the Additive Main Effect and Multiplicative Interaction&#13;
(AMMI) model across 4 environments. A total of 9 crosses were developed and evaluated&#13;
at Kibos site using RCBD replicated thrice.Results showed significant variation at p &lt; 0.05&#13;
among sorghum tested for majority of traits studied at the four sites which indicated the&#13;
existing genetic, difference among the entries tested. The mean grain yield was higher in&#13;
Kibos (2.1t/ha) in comparison to the other 3 sites mainly because of higher soil fertility&#13;
levels while Nyabisawa site had the least mean yield of 1.6 t/ha. Entries 466 and 588 were&#13;
the most promising for grain yield. The AMMI ANOVA for grain yield showed significant&#13;
effects for genotype (G), environment (E) and GEI. For grain yield, the differences among&#13;
the (E) accounted for 8.7% of the total variation while the G and GEI accounted for 42.1%&#13;
and 15.4% respectively of the variation. About 20% of SWR Genotypes were more stable&#13;
&#13;
than the checks. A total of 9 crosses were developed and 85% of them exhibited high mid-&#13;
parent heterosis on majority of the phenotypic traits tested which showed transgressive&#13;
&#13;
inheritance and hence possibility for further breeding using the SWRs. The best grain yield&#13;
per plant heterotic cross combination identified was (RUC26 X 586) which expressed high&#13;
positive heterosis over both mid and better parent (194.27% and 137.89%, respectively).&#13;
&#13;
This cross also showed significant positive average heterosis and heterobeltiosis for yield-&#13;
contributing components. This study has identified and developed potentially diverse new&#13;
&#13;
sorghum germplasm which can be useful in further breeding and yields improvement in&#13;
western Kenya.
</description>
<dc:date>2025-01-01T00:00:00Z</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/2759">
<title>HYGIENE AND MICROBIAL SAFETY OF ROADSIDE ROASTED MEAT FROM NAMAWOJJOLO AND LUKAYA FOOD MARKETS, UGANDA</title>
<link>http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/2759</link>
<description>HYGIENE AND MICROBIAL SAFETY OF ROADSIDE ROASTED MEAT FROM NAMAWOJJOLO AND LUKAYA FOOD MARKETS, UGANDA
NANFUKA, ANNET
Roadside roasted meats provide a rich source of proteins, especially for long-distance travelers.&#13;
However, there are many food-borne illnesses associated with their consumption, necessitating&#13;
continuous assessment of the quality and safety. The objective of this study was to investigate&#13;
hygiene and microbial safety of roadside roasted meats from two food markets of Namawojjolo&#13;
and Lukaya in Uganda. Using an observation checklist and questionnaire, 90 meat vendors were&#13;
observed and interviewed on compliance with standard hygiene practices. Also, a total of 89&#13;
meat samples of chicken, beef and goats’ meat comprising 30 fresh (raw), 28 hot from fire and&#13;
31cold ready-to-eat meat that had been exposed to consumers for about 30 minutes, were&#13;
obtained. The samples were analyzed using enriched specific media for E. coli, Salmonella, S.&#13;
aureus, Listeria and Campylobactor. Descriptive analysis of the hygiene practices of the vendors&#13;
in meat handling was done and scores above 70% were used to determine good hygiene&#13;
practices. The study found that only 6.7% vendors had good hygiene practices and 88.9% did not&#13;
store leftover meat in refrigerators. Laboratory findings revealed that bacterial contamination&#13;
was higher than Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) levels. Raw samples exhibited&#13;
the highest contamination across all pathogens where S. aureus in raw chicken (8 ± 0.56 log10&#13;
CFU/g) and raw goat (8 ± 0.97 log10 CFU/g) far exceeded the limit. Similarly, cold samples&#13;
mostly matched or surpassed hot samples in contamination. For example, cold beef showed&#13;
higher Listeria counts (5 ± 1.93 log10 CFU/g) than hot beef (3 ± 2.71 log10 CFU/g). All&#13;
tested meat types showed microbial contamination above UNBS safety limits for all&#13;
microbes examined which is ≤2 log10 CFU/g for S.aureus and E.coli or completely absent&#13;
for Salmonella, Lysteria and Campylobacter. However, S. aureus was consistently the highest&#13;
for all the three meat types for example 8.4 ± 9.0 log10 CFU/g for goat meat compared to 5.5 ±&#13;
5.7 shown for Salmonella in goat meat The study found that there were food safety concerns in&#13;
roadside roasted meat vending, with contamination linked to poor hygiene practices and&#13;
inadequate sanitation measures. Fresh/raw meat had the highest contamination levels compared&#13;
to hot and cold meat, highlighting significant public health risks. There is need to sensitize&#13;
vendors on food safety and hygiene plus routine health inspections of these markets.
</description>
<dc:date>2025-01-01T00:00:00Z</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/2755">
<title>EVALUATION OF AGROECOLOGICAL DIVERSITY AND SOIL PRODUCTIVITY OF SMALLHOLDER FARMS IN BUSIA COUNTY, KENYA</title>
<link>http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/2755</link>
<description>EVALUATION OF AGROECOLOGICAL DIVERSITY AND SOIL PRODUCTIVITY OF SMALLHOLDER FARMS IN BUSIA COUNTY, KENYA
NYAGUTI, SUZZETTE KERUBO
Agroecological biodiversity signifies the above ground variety and variability of different&#13;
biological elements in agricultural systems; crops, livestock, tree species, and farm&#13;
activities. Soil productivity relates to how capable a soil is concerning supporting plant&#13;
growth and maintaining agricultural production over an area and time. The term, therefore,&#13;
is synonymous with physical features of the soil in question as well as chemical, which&#13;
include fertility, organic matter, and microbial activity. This research initiated in 2024, was&#13;
fundamentally designed to critically assess the influence of agroecological biodiversity on&#13;
soil productivity within the context of smallholder farming systems in Busia County,&#13;
Kenya. The overarching goal was to empirically determine if diversification practices,&#13;
specifically those aligned with established agroecological principles, yield a measurable,&#13;
positive effect on soil productivity indicators. To quantify the degree of agroecological&#13;
biodiversity practiced by farmers, the study employed the FAO’s Tool for Agroecology&#13;
Performance Evaluation (TAPE) framework. This structured approach integrated four key,&#13;
interlinked indicators; crop, livestock, tree, and diversified farm activities, to derive a&#13;
composite agroecological biodiversity score for each participating farmer and the study&#13;
area as a whole. The requisite sample size (n=210) was purposively acquired from the&#13;
Ministry of Agriculture, livestock and Fisheries of Busia County's smallholder farmer&#13;
population using Fisher's formula to ensure statistical representativeness. The specific&#13;
criterion for inclusion was documented exposure to, and current implementation of,&#13;
agroecological biodiversification practices since 2020, facilitated either by government&#13;
agencies or private development entities. A random sampling technique was then&#13;
strategically applied to select farmers. Six distinct administrative wards were initially&#13;
identified for the study. In wards where the number of eligible farmers exceeded 35 (n&gt;35),&#13;
a simple random sampling procedure was executed using Microsoft Excel to select the final&#13;
participants. For wards containing fewer than 35 farmers, or where selected farmers were&#13;
unavailable or declined consent to participate, a snowball sampling method was utilized.&#13;
This ensured that the target sample size of n=210 was achieved across the study area.&#13;
Primary data collection was executed via a structured questionnaire survey administered&#13;
using the mobile data collection platform, KoboCollect. The survey instrument was&#13;
comprehensive, capturing essential information on farmer demographics, detailed&#13;
inventories of crops cultivated, livestock held, and trees planted, the range of farm activities&#13;
undertaken, and critically, actual maize yield data from the most recent harvesting season.&#13;
The data was analysed through mixed methods evaluation using both Microsoft Excel and&#13;
R software. Most of the households were male headed, with most (67.0%) in the age&#13;
category of 18–35 years and 42.7% having attained tertiary education. Agriculture (87.9%)&#13;
accounted as a major source of income. The observed agroecological diversity pattern&#13;
showed unsustainable extents of practice: crops scored 40.5%, livestock 31.25%, trees&#13;
45.5%, and farm activities 41.75%. Despite observed diversification such as predominance&#13;
of kienyeji poultry, maize cultivation, and single-species tree systems; soil productivity&#13;
remained predominantly low, with most farms falling under SPI Class V (0–19%).&#13;
Correlation analysis of agroecological biodiversity with soil productivity results in an R&#13;
value of -0.0383, implying no significant relationship between agroecological biodiversity&#13;
and soil productivity. These findings imply that although to a minimal extent&#13;
&#13;
v&#13;
&#13;
agroecological diversification exists, soil productivity is not directly influenced by it.&#13;
However, the diversification might promote the resilience of soil over time, as influenced&#13;
by climate change or from some other secondary intervention on soil vitality. Farm-specific&#13;
interventions such as soil testing are recommended to address productivity challenges,&#13;
while future research should explore the resilience benefits of agroecological biodiversity.
</description>
<dc:date>2025-01-01T00:00:00Z</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/2754">
<title>ANALYSING THE POTENTIAL OF CARBON FARMING FOR INCOME IMPROVEMENT AND CLIMATE RESILIENCE AMONG SMALLHOLDER  FARMERS IN BARINGO COUNTY, KENYA.</title>
<link>http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/2754</link>
<description>ANALYSING THE POTENTIAL OF CARBON FARMING FOR INCOME IMPROVEMENT AND CLIMATE RESILIENCE AMONG SMALLHOLDER  FARMERS IN BARINGO COUNTY, KENYA.
KIPROP, JOHN
Smallholder farmers in Kenya face the dual challenge of declining soil fertility and&#13;
increasing vulnerability to climate change, both of which constrain agricultural&#13;
productivity and household income. However, sustainable carbon farming presents an&#13;
opportunity to enhance income generation through carbon trade while improving&#13;
household incomes. Despite its potential, limited awareness and access to climate&#13;
information hinder its full realization. This study addressed this practical problem by&#13;
quantitatively examining how socio-economic factor influencing climate information for&#13;
carbon farming, potential of agroforestry in generating carbon incomes, efficiency of&#13;
water harvesting and management practices towards drought resilience, effect of minimal&#13;
land tillage for better crop productivity and improved household livelihoods influence&#13;
carbon-farming among smallholder farmers in Eldama Ravine and Baringo Central Sub-&#13;
counties, Baringo county, Kenya. The study adopted a correlation design and utilized a&#13;
mixed-methods approach combining structured household surveys (n = 374), field&#13;
observations, and key-informant interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed using&#13;
multiple linear regression with heteroskedasticity standard errors, supported by&#13;
descriptive and diagnostic tests for classical OLS assumptions. The dependent variable&#13;
Carbon Farming was constructed from four measurable indicators: access to climate&#13;
information, perceived carbon income, efficiency of water harvesting and management&#13;
practices towards drought resilience, and effect of minimal land tillage for better crop&#13;
productivity and improved household livelihoods. Empirical results demonstrated strong&#13;
model performance and significant predictive capacity across all objective-specific&#13;
models. The pooled regression model achieved an adjusted R² = 0.608 and F = 189.875 (p&#13;
= 0.000), confirming that approximately 61% of variation in carbon-farming could be&#13;
explained by the combined effects of the independent variables. Socio-economic&#13;
variables such as Gender (β = 0.014, p = 0.048), (β = 0.021, p = 0.058), and household&#13;
income (β = 0.062, p = 0.007) emerged as significant determinants of climate information&#13;
for carbon farming, suggesting that human capital and resource endowments substantially&#13;
shape farmers’ ability to adopt and sustain carbon-farming. Agroforestry, Indigenous&#13;
drought tolerant agroforestry trees, Exotic drought tolerant agroforestry trees, Fruit&#13;
farming and Fodder trees statistically significantly predicted Carbon incomes with R 2 =&#13;
0.545, while Water harvesting and management practices, Spring restoration and&#13;
protection, Riparian restoration and protection, and Roof water harvesting statistically . R 2&#13;
= 0.681, p-values for all variable pairs exceed 0.05 indicating that the assumption of&#13;
homoscedasticity was met. These findings confirm that practical, low-cost interventions&#13;
yield measurable carbon and productivity benefits. The aggregated analysis further&#13;
estimated an average perceived carbon income of 56.98 (KSh. 7,407.4) per month,&#13;
underscoring the economic potential of verified carbon-credit participation for rural&#13;
livelihoods. In conclusion, carbon farming offers a viable income-generating opportunity&#13;
for smallholder farmers in Baringo County, but its success depends on improved climate&#13;
information access and targeted awareness efforts. The study recommends capacity&#13;
building on agroforestry and carbon farming, distribution of tree seedlings to farmers, and&#13;
sensitization programs on carbon trading. Additionally, gender-sensitive approaches&#13;
should be integrated into agricultural extension services to bridge the gender gap in&#13;
climate information access and empower women in decision-making. Strengthening&#13;
climate information dissemination channels and enhancing extension services will be&#13;
crucial in optimizing the benefits of carbon farming and improving household incomes in&#13;
the region.
</description>
<dc:date>2025-01-01T00:00:00Z</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/2745">
<title>SOIL BIOASSAY AS A DIAGNOSTIC TOOL IN THE DETECTION OF SOIL- BORNE PATHOGENS OF COMMON BEAN (Phaseolus vulgaris) IN WESTERN  KENYA</title>
<link>http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/2745</link>
<description>SOIL BIOASSAY AS A DIAGNOSTIC TOOL IN THE DETECTION OF SOIL- BORNE PATHOGENS OF COMMON BEAN (Phaseolus vulgaris) IN WESTERN  KENYA
NDUATI, GABRIEL
Lack of accurate and precise diagnostic tools and methods for detecting soil pathogens and&#13;
their impacts on crop yields hinders the productivity of various crops, including beans. This&#13;
highlights the need to link field disease severities to bioassay results to ease not only the&#13;
accuracy in detection but also ensure the reliability of the predictions of crop performance.&#13;
The study was set to evaluate the effectiveness of existing soil bioassays for screening,&#13;
&#13;
detecting, and quantifying soil-borne pathogens (Fusarium spp., Pythium spp., and root-&#13;
knot nematode) and predicting impacts on grain yields and severity levels in smallholder&#13;
&#13;
fields. The study was conducted in 50 farmer fields in five counties across Western Kenya.&#13;
Field demonstration trials consisting of four bean varieties planted on the 4 by 4 m&#13;
treatment plots were established in each of the five sites. At planting, soil samples were&#13;
collected for physical and biochemical analysis. A subset of the soil samples was bulked&#13;
at the field level and assessed for bioassays targeting Fusarium, Pythium, and plant&#13;
parasitic nematodes. The bean varieties were assessed for disease severities, and agronomic&#13;
indicators recorded. The study employed descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and&#13;
stepwise linear regression using R software. Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r) indicated&#13;
a significant but weak negative relationship between the Fusarium stem assay and vascular&#13;
browning (r= -0.27, p = 0.0091). In addition, Pythium seed assay had no association with&#13;
field root rot severity, while the root knot nematode assay showed a marginally significant&#13;
but weak positive relationship with field galling infestation (r = 0.14, p = 0.05). Also, a&#13;
strong negative correlation between vascular browning and bean yield (r = -0.28, p&lt; 0.001),&#13;
and between disease pressure and yield (r = -0.22, p &lt; 0.001) was observed. A stepwise&#13;
linear regression model revealed that the interaction between Fusarium stem assay&#13;
infestation and pH influenced vascular browning (p&lt; 0.001) and stand count (p&lt; 0.01).&#13;
Similarly, the interaction of Pythium seed assay infestation with POXC significantly&#13;
affected stand count (p&lt; 0.001), and the association between Root knot nematode assay&#13;
infestation and stand count was influenced by soil clay content (p&lt; 0.001). Apart from the&#13;
Root knot nematode assay, the soil pathogen bioassays tested here were not effective in&#13;
predicting the field incidence. However, our findings revealed the ability of the fusarium&#13;
stem assay to predict other symptoms associated with disease pressure, suggesting that the&#13;
bioassays result together with soil fertility assessment can led to a more effective prediction&#13;
of early disease pressure and yield.
</description>
<dc:date>2025-01-01T00:00:00Z</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/2744">
<title>EVALUATION OF IMPACTS OF INTEGRATED LIME AND FERTILIZER APPLICATION ON SELECTED SOIL CHEMICAL PROPERTIES AND SORGHUM PRODUCTIVITY IN ACID SOILS OF WESTERN KENYA</title>
<link>http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/2744</link>
<description>EVALUATION OF IMPACTS OF INTEGRATED LIME AND FERTILIZER APPLICATION ON SELECTED SOIL CHEMICAL PROPERTIES AND SORGHUM PRODUCTIVITY IN ACID SOILS OF WESTERN KENYA
ROTICH, EDWIN
This research assessed sustainable strategies aimed at enhancing soil fertility and&#13;
sorghum production in the acidic soils of western Kenya. Microdosing trials were&#13;
&#13;
carried out in Kakamega and Siaya. These were executed under two conditions: lime-&#13;
treated (4 t ha−1) and untreated (0 t ha−1), and were factorially combined with varying&#13;
&#13;
application rates of nitrogen (18.8, 37.5, and 75 kg ha−1) and phosphorus (6.5, 13, and&#13;
26 kg ha−1). The study employed a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with&#13;
treatments analyzed using ANOVA, followed by Tukey’s HSD for mean separation.&#13;
Results revealed liming significantly increased soil pH (from 4.50 to 6.19), reduced&#13;
exchangeable Al, and improved grain N and P uptake. SOC rose across sites, with lime–&#13;
fertilizer treatments showing strong positive trends. The application of lime&#13;
significantly (p &lt; 0.001) enhanced both sorghum biomass and grain yield by increasing&#13;
soil pH, which in turn mitigated Al toxicity, improved root access to P, and promoted N&#13;
assimilation. Micro-doses of N and P fertilizers were superior to recommended doses&#13;
in grain and biomass yield, agronomic efficiency (AE), and harvest index (HI). Nutrient&#13;
uptake efficiency ranged from 21.91–34.54%, with the maximum at N18.8P6.5.&#13;
Increasing doses of fertilizer reduced NUE and AE. Combining 4 t ha−1 lime with N75P26&#13;
fertilizer maintained the highest gross margins and benefit–cost ratios (BCR &gt; 2.0;&#13;
p &lt; 0.001) at sites and seasons. Seasonal differences affected profitability, with 2018-&#13;
LR performing better than other years. The combined application of lime and fertilizer&#13;
yielded the highest economic efficiency among the treatment options, with lime +&#13;
N37.5P13 treatment proving to be the most economically viable option among the&#13;
smallholder farmers. The integration of site-specific fertility management with the&#13;
conventional application of lime (4 t ha−1), along with microdoses of N and P fertilizers,&#13;
has the potential to rehabilitate acid-degraded soils in western Kenya, thereby&#13;
significantly improving sorghum productivity and increasing farmers' incomes.
</description>
<dc:date>2025-01-01T00:00:00Z</dc:date>
</item>
<item rdf:about="http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/2742">
<title>AN ASSESSMENT ON TRAINING OF SMALL SCALE FARMERS IN MOIBEN SUB-COUNTY, UASIN GISHU COUNTY AFFECTS HOUSEHOLD  FOOD SECURITY</title>
<link>http://41.89.164.27:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/2742</link>
<description>AN ASSESSMENT ON TRAINING OF SMALL SCALE FARMERS IN MOIBEN SUB-COUNTY, UASIN GISHU COUNTY AFFECTS HOUSEHOLD  FOOD SECURITY
YATOR, MARGARET
Food security revolves around the availability, access, and intake of nutritious food.&#13;
Therefore, to realize food security, trainings for farmers is often encouraged to enhance&#13;
productivity. However, most small-scale farmers often rely on their traditional&#13;
knowledge and patterns for farming. The main purpose of this research was to examine&#13;
the establishment of a relationship between training small-scale farmers and food&#13;
security and evaluate training carried out in Moiben sub-county with the aim of&#13;
improving household food security status. The specific objectives were to establish the&#13;
effectiveness of food production training on food security among small-scale farmers,&#13;
&#13;
to examine the effectiveness of financial literacy training on food security of small-&#13;
scale farmers and to determine the effectiveness of adoption of agricultural technologies&#13;
&#13;
on food security of small-scale farmers in Moiben sub-county and socioeconomic&#13;
factors influencing food security. The study adopted a mixed-methods design focusing&#13;
on positivism philosophy. The target population was 10,869 small-scale farmers from&#13;
which a sample size of 385 small-scale farmers within Moiben sub-county was derived.&#13;
The instrument for collecting data used for the research was a questionnaire which&#13;
contained items to address each objective and was able to measure household food&#13;
security status using food insecurity experience-based measurement scale. The findings&#13;
of food insecurity status showed that the prevalence rate for severity and moderate&#13;
severe food insecurity were 40.062% and 58.74% respectively. Research experts&#13;
checked validity, while reliability test was performed by use of Cronbach Alpha test&#13;
and the result of reliability was set at a level of 0.81. Descriptive and inferential&#13;
statistics was analyzed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) Version 29.&#13;
Inferential statistics such as Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient&#13;
(PPMCC) and Multiple Linear Regression Analysis was performed to test hypotheses.&#13;
Descriptive data was presented in tables, figures and pie charts, while inferential&#13;
statistics was presented using multiple linear regression and Pearson Product Moment&#13;
Correlation Coefficient. Qualitative data was analyzed thematically as per objective as&#13;
they emerged. Results indicated that, training small-scale farmers on food production&#13;
improved food security by 0.036 units, increase in one unit of financial literacy&#13;
increased food security by 0.102 units and increase in one unit of the adoption of&#13;
agricultural technologies decreased food security by 0.000824units.Statistical&#13;
significance indicated the F- ratio using Analysis of variance that training on food&#13;
production, financial literacy and adoption of technologies was statistically significant&#13;
&#13;
at a value of P ≤ 0.05. Further, correlation analysis was conducted between socio-&#13;
economic and food security was conducted education level positively correlated with&#13;
&#13;
food security with a value of 0.151 indicated a significant value of P ≥ 0.05.&#13;
The findings are significant with regard to increasing the information available on food&#13;
security to small-scale farmers where agriculture institutions act as resource centers&#13;
such as KALRO (Kenya Agriculture Livestock and Research Organization), Ministry&#13;
of Agriculture, academic institutions such as Universities and Colleges, and Journals.&#13;
The study recommends more training session and diversity of information on areas to&#13;
be trained, which directly influence food security such as new technology, and adequate&#13;
awareness about the training to be conducted among small-scale farmers.
</description>
<dc:date>2025-01-01T00:00:00Z</dc:date>
</item>
</rdf:RDF>
