A dusty path off the Katito-Homa Bay road just before Miriu bridge leads the Seeds of Gold to groundnut farms in Koguta village, Kisumu County. We find West Nyakach Ward Groundnut Farmers Group members involved in different chores. They easily walk in between rows without stepping on any plant. At this time two years ago, most plants would be withered. […]
Cashew nut farming in Kenya is mainly practised in the Coastal region, particularly in Kilifi, Kwale, Tana River, Lamu and parts of Taita Taveta. Varieties of Cashew Nut Grown In Kenya A75/ 83. A100. A81. A82. Ecological Conditions For Growing Cashew Nuts Deep and well-drained sandy loam soils with pH of 4.5-6.5. Altitude of 1000m above sea level. Temperature range […]
Mulch needs to be added to the nursery bed as soon as the seeds are sown. Mulching is the covering a bed with plants or other materials, such as seedless grass, straw and shade or mulching net to preserve moisture, inhibit weed growth, lessen erosion and enhance soil conditions. It facilitates quick and effective soil temperature regulation, which aids in […]
Youths face many challenges as they venture into agribusiness. However, for Judith Kipchumba, her biggest challenge is her parents who on a white collar job. Her parents expectations after she pursued a degree in Economics and Mathematics, to settle for a decent office job. Yet, Judith reveals her interest has been agribusiness. She has on several occasions tried to explain […]
The lifting of the ban on the trading and farming of genetically modified (GM) crops did not come as a surprise. Professionals had for long called for use of GM maize to lower the cost of animal feeds. But the GMO issue is complicated by the fact that apart from farmers, other players like consumers and politicians have to be […]
In many places across the country, farmers plant maize year-in, year out, during the short and long rainy seasons. However, the best practice when farming maize is to rotate with other crops. Crop rotation is the practice of growing a series of various crops from different families on the same farm in a sequential season. The succeeding crop belongs to […]
Want to improve your soil? Plant cover crops. A cover crop is grown primarily for the benefit of the soil rather than the crop yield. Cover crops are an important part of sustainable agriculture. They add fertility to the soil without chemical fertilisers via biological nitrogen fixation. Once a cover crop is fully grown, or the farmer wants to plant in an area that […]
Sultan Hamud, a town on the Nairobi-Mombasa highway, is once again roaring back to life after the government reverted port operations to Mombasa from Naivasha. Truck drivers, who give the town its vibrancy are back, boosting all manner of businesses –from food to hotel operators and clothes vendors. Equally, with the hotels reopening, farmers know it is just a matter […]
Julius Muchiri of Stokman Rozen Kenya says to produce a rooted apical cutting, vegetative materials from desired plants are collected and grown within a screenhouse in a laboratory under sterile conditions in a nutrient culture medium of known as cocopeat. They produce roots, stem and leaves so that they grow like any other plant. Once ready, they are transferred to […]
There is a kale variety in the market. Folks have nicknamed it Sukuma Matumbo; Matumbo being the Swahili word for intestines and Sukuma being kales. The reason it may have been called so is because of its physical appearance that resembles that of Matumbo. Its official name is Sukuma Malkia. Sukuma Matumbo is an early maturing kale variety that produces […]