Farmers in the breadbasket of North Rift have been urged to grow wheat, barley, and fodder this season following failed rains that have derailed the March planting season amid the worst drought in 38 years. Chief Administrative Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture Andrew Tuimur said any farmer who will plant maize when the rains […]
State Directs Maize Farmers to Fodder After Delayed Rains Read More »
Still waters run deep. This is the term that best describes Vincent Chelule, the farmer we chose to feature in this quarter’s issue of The Sower. Chelule as he is popularly referred to as hails from Chesoton village in Njoro sub-county, Nakuru County. At forty-five years of age, he remains an inspiration to not just
Vincent Chelule: The Secret to Harvesting 40 Bags of Maize an Acre Read More »
By David Jones What follows is a list of highland maize varieties grown in Kenya, their strong attributes and their vulnerabilities, especially to certain pests & diseases. Pannar 691 Still arguably the standard for yield despite being released in 2001. In most highland areas it requires 160 days to maturity. Good disease resistance and as
Highland Maize Varieties To Plant in 2019 Read More »
The benefits of fertilizers can only be realized when they are used in an efficient manner, that is by minimizing losses and maximizing the gains in terms of the yields. Therefore, as a farmer, how much fertilizer you apply, from which source, at what time and how you place the input on the farm is
Here\’s How To Reap Maximum Benefit From Fertilizer Read More »
By Suleiman Okoth The ban on genetically modified organisms (GMOs), also known as transgenic or genetically engineered crops (GE), is not only baffling but tantamount to denying smallholder farmers an opportunity to improve their lives and holding hostage the advancement of biotechnology research. While more than a million Kenyans face starvation due to poor performance
Opinion: GMO Ban Denying Farmers An Opportunity To Reap Better Read More »
Farmers have been urged to join hands and work together through cooperatives and associations as a way of strengthening the agricultural marketing systems in Kenya. This was during a public participation forum where the Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) presented the proposed draft food crops regulations for public scrutiny at KALRO headquarters on the 14th
Farmers urged to join associations in proposed food crops regulations Read More »
Each and every year, farmers get poor harvests because they planted the wrong varieties in their regions. Before you try and new variety, if you had never grown it before, isolate a small portion of land and observe how it grows into full production. When sure that the variety can do well in your region.
Maize Varieties To Plant in Each Region in Kenya Read More »
By Pauline Kairu In the first decade of the 20th century, two German chemists Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch developed a way to produce synthetic nitrogen cheaply and on a large scale. The agricultural industry fell in love with the chemical. Today, according to the United Nations, approximately 250 million tonnes of nitrogen are used
Is it Time To Let Go of Synthetic Nitrogen Fertiliser? Read More »
By Michael Zappa Below are technologies related to agricultural and natural manufacturing under four key areas of accelerating change: Sensors, Food, Automation and Engineering. Sensors help agriculture by enabling real-time traceability and diagnosis of crop, livestock and farm machine states. Food may benefit directly from genetic tailoring and potentially from producing meat directly in a
Emerging Agriculture Technologies That Will Change The World Read More »
Vegetables out of thin air? Learn more about this environmentally-friendly approach to food production. Aeroponics Defined Aeroponic systems nourish plants with nothing more than nutrient-laden mist. The concept builds off that of hydroponic systems, in which the roots are held in a soilless growing medium, such as coco coir, over which nutrient-laden water is periodically
You Have Heard of Hydroponics, Here Comes Aeroponics! Read More »