Summer (SAS) and fall annual species (FAS) can supplement animal forage requirements during times of slow growth of cool-season perennials. A 2-yr experiment was conducted in a perennial grassland (G) at the Reedsville Experimental Farm of West Virginia University to determine herbage accumulation (HA) and quality of two summer and two fall crops (in factorial combination) grown on the same land. Th e summer crops were sudangrass [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] or pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.], and the fall crops were triticale (×Triticosecale spp.) or a mixture of annual ryegrass (Lolium multifl orum Lam.) and turnip (Brassica rapa L.). Two methods, burning and glyphosate application, were used to control existing vegetation before seeding annual forages. Th ree levels of N (0, 50, and 100 kg ha −1 ) were applied to each sequence of crops on two occasions for a total of 0, 100, and 200 kg ha −1 yr −1 . On a 12-mo basis, G out-produced (at 0 and 100 kg N ha −1 ) or equaled (at 200 kg N ha −1 ) all combinations of SAS and FAS. Sudangrass produced the most herbage mass in summer and was of lower quality than pearl millet and G. Species established aft er glyphosate and receiving high N application produced more herbage mass than those established aft er burning or with lower rates of N. Pearl millet seeded aft er burning failed to establish. Grassland (2543 kg ha −1 ) and the mixture of annual ryegrass and turnip (2608 kg ha −1 ) out-produced triticale (1778 kg ha −1 ) in fall.
Lake Baringo is a Ramsar‐designated water body facing a myriad environmental challenges attributable to anthropogenic activities, thereby being an ecosystem under perturbation. At the same time, however, it is an important aquatic resource not only to the local community, but also to the international arena because of its rich biodiversity. It supports an artisanal fishery with four major fish of economic importance, including Oreochromis niloticus, Protopterus aethiopicus, Clarias gariepinus and Barbus intermidus australis. The once‐vibrant O. niloticus fishery that flourished before the small town of Kampi ya Samaki was transformed into a beehive of activity on the shores of the lake is no longer sustainable. O. niloticus contributed over 80% of the landed total catch up to the year 2002, averaging >600 tons annually, but had declined to about 12 tons annually by the year 2006. The introduced P. aethiopicus is currently the major fishery, representing more than 75% of the total fish landings, with the O. niloticus landing being just 1%. Although O. niloticus is listed as ‘endangered’ in the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species, it is evident that its fishery is threatened with a total collapse if sound management strategies are not implemented. Accordingly, the present study reviewed past studies on the Lake Baringo O. niloticus and critically analysed the possible reasons for its decline, as well as possible strategies directed to its recovery, conservation and management for sustainable exploitation.
Purpose: The study aimed at assessing the extension staff farm visits frequency effect on greenhouse technology performance in small scale farms in Gusii Highlands, Kenya. Research Methodology: The study employed a survey research design. The target population for the study was 1000 farmers practising greenhouse technology in Gusii Highlands (Kisii and Nyamira Counties). Purposive and multi-stage sampling techniques were used to sample 276 respondents from the target population. Primary data were collected using questionnaires and key informant interviews. Data was analysed using Microsoft excel and SPSS software. Regression analysis was conducted to determine the relationship between extension staff farm visit frequency and greenhouse technology performance. Findings: The study found out that extension staff farm visit frequency had a significant effect on technology performance (t-value of 7.066 and significance level 0.000) that is, there was a positive relationship between extension staff visit frequency and greenhouse technology performance, with an increase of extension staff farm visit by one resulted in an increased performance in tomato production by 305.97 kg. Practical Implications: There is need for extension support in terms of staff capacity building, mobility and employment to improve farmer coverage staff: farmer. Other identified constraints facing smallholder farmers investing in the technology like soil sampling and analysis, irrigation and water management, need to be addressed if green house technology performance is to be improved. Originality: The article presents actual data collected from famers in Gusii Highlands. Assessing the extension staff farm visits frequency effect on greenhouse technology performance in small scale farms in the Gusii Highlands.
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