Surface sterilant effect on the regeneration efficiency from cotyledon explants of groundnut (Arachis hypogea L.) varieties adapted to eastern and Southern Africa

Five groundnut (Arachis hypogea L.) varieties - ICGV-12991, ICGV-99568, ICGV-90704, CG-2 and Chalimbana - that are adapted to Eastern and Southern Africa were compared to variety JL 24 for their regeneration response in tissue culture. Sodium hypochlorite and mercuric chloride were compared for efficiency as sterilizing agents and subsequent effect on regeneration. All five varieties formed shoot buds that elongated well on shoot elongation medium. ICGV-90704 and Chalimbana performed betterthan the other three varieties for shoot organogenesis although all varieties produced healthy rooted plants in vitro that were successfully transferred to the greenhouse where they exhibited normal growth, flowering and seed set. Both sterilizing agents were suitable, but mercuric chloride was lessharmful than sodium hypochlorite. This study established a basis for genetic engineering activities on African groundnuts in the future

Surface sterilant effect on the regeneration efficiency from cotyledon explants of groundnut (Arachis hypogea L.) varieties adapted to eastern and Southern Africa

Five groundnut (Arachis hypogea L.) varieties - ICGV-12991, ICGV-99568, ICGV-90704, CG-2 and Chalimbana - that are adapted to Eastern and Southern Africa were compared to variety JL 24 for their regeneration response in tissue culture. Sodium hypochlorite and mercuric chloride were compared for efficiency as sterilizing agents and subsequent effect on regeneration. All five varieties formed shoot buds that elongated well on shoot elongation medium. ICGV-90704 and Chalimbana performed better than the other three varieties for shoot organogenesis although all varieties produced healthy rooted plants in vitro that were successfully transferred to the greenhouse where they exhibited normal growth, flowering and seed set. Both sterilizing agents were suitable, but mercuric chloride was less harmful than sodium hypochlorite. This study established a basis for genetic engineering activities on African groundnuts in the future

The relationship between long-term public domestic debt and private investment: a case study of Kenya

This study seeks to determine the impact of long-term public domestic debt on private investment in Kenya over the period 2000 to 2012 using quarterly data. Of particular interest, is whether long-term public domestic debt has a greater impact on private investment than short-term public domestic debt. An investment function with six independent variables-long -term public domestic debt, short-term public domestic debt, external debt , GDP, interest rate and public investment- was estimated by analyzing unit root tests, a co-integration test and a Vector Error Correction Model. The study finds that long-term public domestic debt crowds-out private investment in Kenya, and that its impact is greater than that of short-term domestic debt in the long-run. As such, the findings of this study call for the bolstering-of economic reforms aimed at strengthening public debt management -such as developing a framework to identify and manage the trade -offs between expected cost and risk in the government debt portfolio . The results have important implications for fiscal management as the government raises finances in order to implement flagship projects aimed at attaining Kenya's blue print for elevating Kenya to middle-income status, the Vision 2030