A comparative study of the household food access by farmers in farmer field and life schools in gatanga constituency, Murang’a county, Kenya

Many programs have been initiated to assist farmers diversify food production. The Farmer  Field and Life Schools (FFLS), an agricultural extension methodology, is an example. Dietary assessment methods are used for nutrition assessments. This study compared household food consumption patterns, by using the Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) of households who participated in the FFLS at baseline and after intervention and Non-FFLS households in the Gatanga Constituency in Murang’a County. The study was based on a United Nations Joint Program implemented from 2009 to 2013. A comparative cross-sectional design was used in this study to compare FFLS at baseline, after intervention and Non-FFLS households. 112 households (56 for cases and 56 for comparative group) participated in this study. The baseline survey with 390 households was in 2009. Data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 21. Paired and independent T-Tests were used to determine the difference in the household dietary diversity score between FFLS at baseline and after intervention, and post intervention FFLS and Non-FFLS, respectively. Results show that 42.8% (n=56) of the FFLS households and 28.5% of non-FFLS household respondents were over 50 years of age. 49% of FLS and 11% non FFLS households have incomes ranging from 0-5,000 Ksh. per month, with 41% of FFLS and 32% non FFLS having incomes ranging from Ksh. 5,001- 10,0001. Mean for Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) at baseline was 8.16 and Non-FFLS was 8.45. Minimum food groups consumed across all groups were cereals, milk and milk products, oils and fats. Comparing FFLSat baseline and post intervention, the percentage of households consuming all food groups increased with exception of fruits and meat. There was a significant difference (p=0.007 against p<0.0005) in the HDDS when FFLS groups post intervention were compared with their baseline. There was no significant difference (p=0.176, against p<0.0005) in the HDDS between FFLS post intervention and non-FFLS households. Compared with the baseline information, FFLS participants who were of low economic status improved their HDDS. Targeting of vulnerable households to participate in such programs has the potential of improving their HDDS compared with the regular HDDS population. Integration of nutrition in agricultural programs with strong extension systems like the - has great potential to improve access and consumption of diversified foods for vulnerable households.Keywords: Agriculture, Nutrition, Farmer Field and Life Schools (FFLS), Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS)Afr. J. Food Agric. Nutr. Dev. 2019; 19(3): 14622-1463

The APSIM manure module: improvements in predictability and application to laboratory studies

应用RACE方法获得斜带石斑鱼膜结合型免疫球蛋白M（membrane-bound immu-noglobulin M,mIgM）,膜结合型免疫球蛋白D（mIgD）,分泌型免疫球蛋白Z（secretory immu-noglobulin Z,sIgZ）的重链基因。斜带石斑鱼膜结合型IgM重链恒定区包含3个恒定区结构域（μ1,μ2,μ3）以及两个跨膜外显子（TM1,TM2）,TM1外显子与μ3结构域末端相连接。氨基酸序列相似性分析结果显示,斜带石斑鱼mIgM各恒定区与牙鲆mIgM恒定区相似性最高,为53%-78%。mIgD的cDNA全长为3 375 bp,开放阅读框包含3 006 bp,其恒定区由1个μ1外显子,7个δ外显子以及跨膜区组成。斜带石斑鱼IgD恒定区与鳜IgD各恒定区氨基酸序列相似性最高,δ1-δ7的相似性分别为75.5%、75.8%、65.4%、76.6%、88.1%、90.6%、82.8%,TM结构域为82.7%。sIgZ的基因结构与其他硬骨鱼类sIgZ的结构相似,包括4个外显子和3个内含子,内含子长度分别为222、129和458 bp。利用半定量PCR分别检测了这3种基因在斜带石斑鱼各器官/组织中的表达,发现mIgM在头肾、肾脏、脑、脾脏、肠、鳃、心脏和胸腺中均有表达;mIgD的mRNA在头肾、肾脏以及胸腺中有较高的表达,在肠中表达量较低;sIgZ mRNA主要分布于淋巴组织如头肾、肾及脾脏中,而在鳃、心脏和胸腺中的丰度较低

Effects of poultry litter amended steer diets and subsequent manure collecting systems on nutrient recovery in composted manures

Concentrate feeds have become an important feature of dairy cattle diets on small-scale farms in the Central Kenya Highlands. Excreta derived from such diets can be of high quality if nutrient losses are minimized. Steers were fed a basal diet of Napier grass supplemented with either commercial dairy meal at 0.5% of liveweight (low concentrate - LC) or dairy meal (0.5% liveweight) plus poultry litter (0.5% liveweight) (high concentrate - HC). The amount of faeces and urine collected, and the dry matter, N and K contents of the resulting manure composted with wheat straw were significantly higher with the HC than with the LC diet, and this was the case also for P and Ca content when urine was added. Significant linear relationships were observed between the daily N intake and the daily N collected in faeces and urine. Dry matter, N, K and Ca were also higher when urine was added to the faeces and straw during accumulation than when urine was excluded, and this was the case also for P with high concentrate diets. Appropriate manure management could significantly improve nutrient conservation on smallholder farms in the Central Kenya Highlands and contribute to the sustainability of intensive cropping

Cattle manure quality in Maragua District, central Kenya: Effect of management practices and development of simple methods of assessment

Three hundred mixed, smallholder farms in Kariti location, Kandara Division, Maragua District, Central Kenya, were surveyed. Dairy cattle management practices, including type of animal enclosure, roofing, floor type, drainage, use of bedding, feeding of concentrates; and manure management practices, including methods of manure handling and storage prior to utilization, and the addition of urine and organic materials to manure were documented. The concentrations of C, N, P, K, Ca, and Mg, and the C:N ratio of manure-composts prepared on-farm were analysed. The P concentration of manure was higher from zero-grazing units than from improved or traditional housing, higher from housing with roofs than from that without, higher when animals were fed concentrates than when not, and higher when manure was stored in a heap or pit rather than in a deep littering system. Use of bedding in the livestock housing resulted in manure with lower mineral N concentration and higher C:N ratio. Turning manure during composting resulted in manure with a higher mineral N concentration and lower C:N ratio. Results suggest that modification of traditional livestock housing (boma) to the zero-grazing system may have beneficial effects on some aspects of manure quality. Data on manure texture, colour, smell and biological activity were collected in an attempt to relate manure nutrient concentration and C:N ratio to easily discernible characteristics of manure-composts on-farm. Significant relationships were found between manure texture and the concentrations of P and mineral N, and C:N ratio. Significant relationships were also found between manure colour and N concentration and between manure age and mineral N concentration. Thus, there is scope for the development of decision tools to predict manure-compost quality from at least some manure characteristics. Dichotomous keys were prepared to determine mean manure C:N ratio and mineral N concentration on the basis of manure age and texture