Solar Maize Dryer Scholarly Research

Acacia senegal is a drought-tolerant, multi-purpose tree species, highly valued for gum arabic production and increasingly being used in agro-forestry in Sub-Saharan Africa. Despite its long history of use, there has not been exhaustive genetic evaluation of the extant genetic resource base of A. senegal in Kenya for genetic improvement of the species. Inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) and chloroplast microsatellite (cpSSR) markers were used to study genetic diversity among seven Kenyan populations of A. senegal embracing three putative varieties: kerensis, leiorhachis and senegal.

World crude prices, exchange rates and maize prices represent three markets namely the oil market, exchange rate market and the commodity market. World crude prices are exogenously determined hence any shock to the system ripples through to consumer prices. Foreign exchange enables international trade through imports and exports of goods and services. Turbulence in the foreign exchange market results in the transmission of volatility into input prices and eventually into product prices.

Over the last few years, the annual rate of food production has fallen below the annual rate of population growth. This has led to food shortages, sometimes culminating in famine situations. In order to assuage this situation, there is need to explore ways of increasing food production. Maize is one of Kenya's most important staple food crops and is grown by both large and small scale farmers. The importance of maize cannot be overestimated. Maize is so important that in Kenya, shortage of maize is synonymous with famine.

Nutrient intake and digestibility of untreated and ammonia-treated maize cob meal and maize stover by sheep are tabulated. Treatment increased DM and OM intake and in vivo digestibility of both cobs and stover. Daily liveweight gain also increased, probably due to increased digestibility.

The East African Community (EAC) committed to elimination of non-tariff barriers (NTBs) in order to realize the benefits of a single economic market, following gradual removal of tariffs on intra-regional trade by signing and ratifying the EAC treaty and customs union protocol. However, since its re-launch in 1999 numerous sources of non-tariff trade barriers persisted to impede trade among the EAC Partner States thereby defeating the purpose and spirit of regional integration.

Maize is a global crop. In terms of nutrient formation, maize contains approximately 72% starch, 10% protein, 4% fat supplying 365kcal/100g.It is a staple food in many African countries including Kenya with the largest production from small scale farmers. Investigating to understand the determinants of maize yields among small scale farmers is therefore an important area of study. The purpose of the study was to investigate the determinants of maize yields among small scale farmers in Trans Nzoia West Sub County of Trans Nzoia County in Kenya..

TiO~ th in lilills were doped with nitrogen (N2) gas and the presence of nitrogen atoms was confirmed in the films hv Energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) spectrum analysis. Undoped TiO: thin films had an energy band gap of ~.:!5eV while the doped films had 2.90 eV. The reduction in energy band gap was auributed 10 the introduction of N, impurity stares on the bands (conduction band and or valence). Effect of doping.

A study was conducted at the Kabete field station of the University of Nairobi, Kenya over two rainy seasons with the first crop planted in 1989 and the second in early 1990. The objectives was to investigate the best time to apply N to Maize (Zea Mays L.) crop. Three maize varieties, Katumani composite B, Embu 511 and Kitale 614 were used as the test varieties. The fertilizer timing treatments were based on the maturity periods of each variety but in general the applications were made at planting, 1/3 and 2/3 the periods to flowering and at flowering.

Maize is an important food crop that is grown in most regions of Kenya and it is consumed in various forms by over 80% of the population. Among the biotic constraints, foliar diseases cause heavy yield losses thus compromising food security in the country. This study was undertaken to determine the major foliar diseases infecting maize in different agro-ecological zones in Kenya and assess the reaction of various germplasm to these diseases.

Draft animal power (DAP) has been identified as an environmentally friendly technology that is based on renewable energy and encompasses integration of livestock and crop production systems. Draft animal technology provides farmers with a possibility to cheaply access al1d use manure from the draft animals and farm power needed to apply renewable practices for land intensification.