Productivity and Nutritive Value of \u3ci\u3eUrochloa\u3c/i\u3e Grass Cultivars in Semi-Arid Tropical Kenya

There is increasing demand for high yielding and nutritious forages to meet the growing dairy farming in semi-arid Kenya. The productivity and nutritive value of seven Urochloa grass cultivars (Urochloa decumbens cv. Basilisk, U. brizantha cvs. Marandu, MG4, Piatá and Xaraes, U. humidicola cv. Llanero and U. hybrid cv. Mulato II) were evaluated in two diverse semi-arid environments, Katumani and Ithookwe in Kenya. At Katumani, the dry matter (DM) yield (5000 - 7500 kg/ha) was highest during the first harvest during the long rains (LR) 2014 season. Dry matter yield declined progressively with season and in the third season (LR 2015) only Xaraes achieved over 2000 kg/ha. All Urochloa cultivars died and no yield was recorded after the third harvesting season (LR 2015) due to prolonged dry season. At Ithookwe, all plants survived during the period of evaluation. Generally the DM yield was highest (4200 – 9200 kg/ha) in the second harvesting season during short rains (SR) 2014 with Llanero having the highest yield and Mulato II the lowest. Significant differences (P \u3c 0.05) in forage quality was recorded in calcium, phosphorus, ash, neutral detergent fibres (NDF) and lignin content. However, none of the cultivars consistently contained more than the other cultivars in all the forage quality parameters analysed. The cv. Xaraes had the highest calcium content and Marandu had the lowest while MG-4 contained the highest phosphorus and Basilisk the lowest. Mulato II contained the highest crude protein and lowest NDF. The study revealed that Urochloa could increase forage resources in the semi-arid regions of Kenya where annual rainfall exceed 700 mm without prolonged dry season

Production of Giant \u3cem\u3ePanicum\u3c/em\u3e in Contrasting Environments in Semi-Arid Kenya

Giant panicum (Panicum maximum Jacq.) is a tall, vigorous perennial grass that is native to tropical and sub-tropical Africa. It is drought tolerant due to its deep and dense fibrous roots system and grows in a wide range of soil types. It is an important livestock feed and has been extensively cultivated in Brazil (Santos et al. 2006). Despite its wide genetic diversity in East Africa, its potential for livestock feed has not been exploited there due to limited research. Our research was aimed at evaluating the production of several giant panicum ecotypes in contrasting environments in semi-arid areas of Kenya

Climate Smart \u3ci\u3eUrochloa\u3c/i\u3e Grasses Improves Soil Health in the Semi-Arid Tropics of Kenya

The measurement of soil aggregates stability and soil microbial biomass can be used as an early indicator of long-term changes in soil quality. A study was conducted to quantify the amounts of shoots and roots biomass of Urochloa grass cultivars (commonly known as Brachiaria) and their effects on changes in the size distribution and stability of soil aggregates and on microbial biomass carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in a structurally unstable sandy loam soil at Ithookwe and Katumani in semi-arid tropical Kenya. The Urochloa grass cultivars included Urochloa decumbens cv. Basilisk, U. brizantha cvs Marandu, MG-4, Piatã and Xaraes, U. humidicola cv. Llanero and U. hybrid cv. Mulato II. Rhodes and Napier grass were included in the treatments as controls. Roots biomass was evaluated using the soil-coring method to depths of 0 – 15 and 15 – 30 cm. Four aggregates-size fractions (\u3e 2000 μm, 250 – 2000 μm, 53 – 250 μm, and \u3c 53 μm) were isolated using the wet sieving method. Microbial biomass C, N and P were determined on field moist rhizosphere soil (18 - 23% by weight) from a depth of 10 cm using the chloroform fumigation-extraction technique. Shoots biomass of the Urochloa cultivars ranged from 3.0 to 11.3 t ha-1 and 5.5 to 8.3 t ha-1 at Ithookwe and Katumani sites respectively. Marandu, Xaraes, Basilisk and Piata had higher roots biomass than the controls (Rhodes grass and Napier grass). Aggregate stability differed among the grasses and was highest in soils under Mulato II and Marandu with mean weight diameters of 4.49 and 4.31 mm, respectively. Generally, microbial biomass N was higher in plots with grasses than in the bare plots. Among Urochloa cultivars, the highest microbial biomass C was recorded in plots with Mulato II and the lowest from the plots with MG-4

Milk Yield of Dairy Cattle Fed Common \u3ci\u3eUrochloa\u3c/i\u3e Grass in Kenya

Urochloa grass mainly grown in South America, East Asia and Australia has its origin in East and Central Africa. Its success in South America for animal production triggered interest in Kenya where the main forage species Napier grass was threatened by head smut and stunt diseases. Therefore, a study was carried out at Mtwapa research station in the coastal lowlands of Kenya under controlled condition to compare the lactation performance of dairy cattle fed on Urochloa hybrid cv. Mulato II, U. decumbens cv. Basilisk, U. brizantha cvs. Piata, MG-4 and Xaraes with Napier grass. An on-farm participatory study was conducted in eastern midlands of Kenya where farmers compared their local feeds (varied mixtures of Napier grass, maize stover and natural pastures) with either Piata, Xaraes, MG-4 or Basilisk). Results from the on-station experiment showed no significant differences (P \u3c 0.05) in daily milk yield between dairy cows fed Piata (4.7 kg) and those fed on Napier grass (4.6 kg) while cows fed on either Mulato II or Xaraes produced less (P \u3c 0.05) milk; 4.4 and 3.6 kg respectively. In the farmers’ trial, milk yield increased by 15 - 40% when they fed their cows on Urochloa grasses. The studies concluded that Urochloa grasses had potential to replace or compliment Napier grass in dairy feeding in Kenya towards increased milk production

Forage diversity and fertiliser adoption in Napier grass production among smallholder dairy farmers in Kenya

Feed scarcity is one of the major challenges affecting smallholder dairy production in Kenya. Forages are the foundation of livestock nutritional requirements; forage diversification and fertiliser are intensification options that can increase productivity. A sample of 316 and 313 smallholder farmers were surveyed in eastern midlands and central highlands of Kenya, respectively, to establish the types of forages cultivated and the factors that influence fertiliser adoption in Napier grass (Cenchrus purpureus Schumach.) production. Independent t-tests were applied to compare the effect of continuous variables on social economic and institutional characteristics between adopters and non-adopters on fertiliser and area allocated to different forages. Chi-square tests were used to compare nominal variables for the proportion of farmers growing different forages, criteria they consider in selection of suitable forages, and social economic and institutional characteristics of adopters and non-adopters of fertiliser. Binary logistic regression was used to determine factors that influence fertiliser adoption. The study revealed that forage diversification was low with Napier grass being the only forage cultivated by most farmers (~90%). Urochloa (Urochloa spp), Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana Kunth.) and Guinea grass (Megathyrsus maximus Jaq.) were cultivated by less than 11% of farmers. The fertiliser adoption rate was high (77%) and was influenced by gender of household head, membership of groups, access to extension services and labour. Future research should focus on promoting of forage diversification and investigate quantity and fertiliser application regimes in order to enable development of appropriate advisory services

PLANT SHOOTS AND ROOTS BIOMASS OF BRACHIARIA GRASSES AND THEIR EFFECTS ON SOIL CARBON IN THE SEMI-ARID TROPICS OF KENYA

Grassland management practices that improve carbon uptake by increasing productivity or reducing carbon losses can lead to net accumulation of carbon in soils. A study was conducted to quantify the amounts of shoots and roots biomass of Brachiaria grass cultivars and their effects on soil carbon in two sites, Ithookwe and Katumani in semi-arid tropical Kenya. The grass cultivars were Brachiaria decumbens cv. Basilisk, B. brizantha cvs. Marandu, MG4, Piatã and Xaraes, B. humidicola cv. Llanero and B. hybrid cv. Mulato II. These were compared with two locally cultivated grasses (Chloris gayana cv. KAT R3 and Pennisetum purpureum cv. Kakamega 1). The grass treatments were evaluated with fertilizer application (40 kg P applied at sowing and 50 kg N ha-1 in each wet season) and with no fertilizer application. Shoots biomass of the Brachiaria cultivars ranged from 3.0 to 11.3 t ha-1 and 5.5 to 8.3 t ha-1 at Ithookwe and Katumani sites respectively in year 1. The highest shoots biomass recorded at Ithookwe was from cv. Piata while cv. MG4 gave the highest biomass at Katumani. Similar trends were recorded in year 2 of growth though the shoots biomass was lower at Katumani. However, the yields were significantly lower than those recorded from control, Napier grass in both years. The cv. Marandu, Xaraes, Basilisk and Piata had higher roots biomass than the controls (Rhodes grass and Napier grass) indicating greater potential for the Brachiaria grasses to sequester more carbon in the soil. The results of this study indicate that introduction of Brachiaria grasses in the semi-arid tropics of Kenya and in other similar environments can help increase soil carbon stocks that would mitigate the adverse effects of climate change and have greater economic returns

Participatory Evaluation and Selection of Improved \u3ci\u3eUrochloa\u3c/i\u3e Grass Cultivars in Kenya

Low adoption of superior agricultural technologies has been attributed to insufficient attention given to farmers’ priorities and perceptions while developing technologies. There is therefore a need to involve farmers in development of new forage technologies in order to increase adoption. Participatory variety selection (PVS) was conducted on eight Urochloa grass cultivars in the coastal lowlands, eastern midlands, central highlands and northwestern highlands of Kenya to select cultivars that are more adaptable in each region. The eight Urochloa cultivars; U. brizantha cvs. Marandu, Xaraes, Piatã, MG4, U. decumbens cv. Basilisk, U. humidicola cvs. Llanero and Humidicola, and U. hybrid cv. Mulato II were evaluated against cultivated local grasses; Rhodes grass (Chloris gayana cv. KATR3) and Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum cv. Kakamega 1). In each region, farmers were engaged in development of selection criteria through focus group discussions. For each criterion, farmers’ scored on individual grass cultivars using a Likert scale of 1 to 4 with higher scores indicating high cultivar preference. Farmers considered 12 to17 plant attributes in the selection of the most suitable forages for planting. The attributes included plant height, colour, spread, biomass among others. MG4 was the most preferred Urochloa cultivar in eastern midlands, central and northwestern highlands while Mulato II was most preferred in coastal lowlands. The study concluded that, the selected Urochloa cultivars met the farmers’ needs and were advanced for on-farm testing and evaluation for livestock benefits

Establishment and Early Growth of Improved Brachiaria Cultivars in Different Agro-Ecological Zones of Kenya

Livestock feed scarcity is a salient feature in East Africa (Njarui et al., 2011) and it is a major constraint to livestock productivity particularly during the dry seasons. The recent interest in livestock development in Kenya fueled by rising demands of animal products has led to research in identifying drought tolerant, productive and persistence forages to support livestock productivity. Brachiaria grasses have shown a great potential in South America and Australia as livestock feed. It is the most widely cultivated forage in tropical America, with estimated acreage of 99 million hectares in Brazil alone (Jank et al., 2014), supporting a highly vibrant beef industry. Although the Brachiaria genus is native to East and Central Africa, its potential as livestock feed has not been exploited in the region because of limited research on its benefits. Several Brachiaria cultivars selected and improved in South America were introduced in East Africa and are being assessed for their contribution to livestock feed base in Kenya and Rwanda. This paper reports on preliminary results on establishment and early growth of eight Brachiaria cultivars under different climatic and soils in Kenya

Accelerate Scaling up Forage Intensification Using Novel Digital Extension Approach in Kenya

Wide scale adoption of diverse forages improves livestock productivity and farmers welfare. However, limited access to information and knowledge on forage production results in slow adoption in Kenya. There is need to enhance information and knowledge exchange among farming communities for efficient and effective adoption and decision-making. An inter-institutional pilot project was initiated in 2017 to scale-up forages in Kenya using a novel extension approach - the village knowledge centre (VKC). A VKC is an information and communication technology (ICT) digital platform-based linking farmers through smart phones and social media as a conduit for faster and effective information and knowledge. This paper shares the experiences of VKC intervention to scale up Urochloa grass technology among smallholder farmers for livestock productivity. Through the VKC support there has been increased access of information and knowledge on Urochloa grass management, conservation and livestock feeding. Approximately 702 farmers out of which 28% were women visited the VKC to seek information on Urochloa grass from May 2018 to May 2020. It has trained 22 lead farmers on the establishment and management of Urochloa grass. The VKC has created two WhatsApp groups for networking among farmers with over 330 members. Between September 2018 and May 2020, the groups shared 2550 messages on Urochloa management, conservation, and livestock feeding with other farmers in their communities. Additionally, the VKC has improved availability of Urochloa grass seeds to farmers. Over 530 farmers received the seeds through the VKC, while 500 made request though mobile phone Short Message Services (SMS) and were supplied using courier services. It was evident that VKC intervention has not only improved the adoption rate, but also led to increased forage productivity and higher income for farmers. There is a need to continue using tools such as the VKC in the dissemination of information on Urochloa grass and explore suitable funding for sustainability of the centre after the end of the project

Identification of Niches for Integration of Brachiaria Grasses in Smallholder Mixed Crop-Livestock Farming Systems in Kenya

Inadequate quantity and quality of feed is the major constraint to livestock productivity in Kenya. Low rainfall, lack of adapted forages and poor management of sown forages are major factors that affect feed resources production. In most of the farming systems, forages are relegated to the less fertile and degraded soils resulting into poor growth. As a result the growth is poor resulting in deficient in minerals content, low crude protein (CP) and energy. The situation in exacerbated by climate variability and frequent drought. On the other hand, feed resources derived from crop residues, particularly cereals are of poor quality and not sufficient to meet animal production (Njarui and Mureithi, 2006). A research programme was initiated in 2012 to explore superior feed resources and increase availability of high quality forages to increase livestock productivity in East Africa. The program focuses on evaluation of drought and marginal soil adapted improved Brachiaria cultivars from South America. The genus Brachiaria is predominantly an African grass with about 100 species. The Brachiaria grasses are the most widely grown forages in South America (Miles et al., 2004). These grasses produce high biomass, enhance soil fertility and reduce greenhouse gas emission (Peters et al., 2012), are highly nutritious and are known to increase milk (Njarui, pers. comm.) thus suitable for different farming systems of Kenya. However, before integration of these grasses into farming systems, it was imperative to identify suitable niches suitable for growing these grasses. The knowledge gained from the study will facilitate development of suitable approaches for promoting these grasses across diverse production systems of Kenya