Major pests of African indigenous vegetables in Tanzania and the effects of plant nutrition on spider mite management

Pest status of insect pests is dynamic. In East Africa, there is scanty information on pests and natural enemy species of common African Indigenous Vegetables (AIVs). To determine the identity and distribution of pests and natural enemies in amaranth, African nightshade and Ethiopian kale as well as pest damage levels, a survey was carried out in eight regions of Tanzania. Lepidopteran species were the main pests of amaranth causing 12.8% damage in the dry season and 10.8% in the wet season. The most damaging lepidopteran species were S. recurvalis, U. ferrugalis, and S. litorralis. Hemipterans, A. fabae, A. crassivora, and M. persicae caused 9.5% and 8.5% in the dry and wet seasons respectively. Tetranychus evansi and Tetranychus urticae (Acari) were the main pests of African nightshades causing 11%, twice the damage caused by hemipteran mainly aphids (5%) and three times that of coleopteran mainly beetles (3%). In Ethiopian kale, aphids Brevicoryne brassicae and Myzus persicae (Hemipterans) were the most damaging pests causing 30% and 16% leaf damage during the dry and wet season respectively. Hymenopteran species were the most abundant natural enemy species with aphid parasitoid Aphidius colemani in all three crops and Diaeretiella rapae in Ethiopian kale. Coccinellids beetles were present in all crops. Based on the survey findings, further studies were carried out to determine the effects of fertilizer and water regimes on host selection, population and damage of Tetranychus evansi on Solanum scrabrum. The effects of these regimes on leaf alkaloid content were also evaluated. When fertilizer and water regimes experimentally varied, mite population and leaf damage increased with a decrease in soil moisture and nutrient with 35% leaf damage observed in the highest regime and 73% in the lowest. In addition, alkaloid content was highest in the high moisture and low fertilizer regimes and low in all regimes with the lowest moisture level. The alkaloid content of the tested plants negative correlated with mite population at extreme regimes. Knowledge generated from this study will inform farmers and extension service providers on the major pests of these vegetables and help in prioritizing pest management resources. African nightshades farmers ought to ensure crops are well watered and receive adequate fertilizer particularly during the dry season when the crop is mainly grown under irrigation. This could suppress red spider mite populations and increase yields

Mobile technology & entrepreneurship (in Kenya)

Paper presented at ICT conference of 2009.Paper presented at Strathmore ICT Conference, 200

Traditional strategies used by pastoralists to cope with la nina induced drought in Kajiado, Kenya

Pastoralists traditionally relied on herd mobility to cope with drought. In the pastoral areas of Kajiado, Kenya this strategy is now threatened by increased individual land ownership as compared to communal access. Drought frequency as related to El-Nino and Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is predicated to increase with climate change. The aim of the study was investigate the use of herd mobility strategy in the ENSO related 1999/2000 la Nina induced drought under different land tenure types and varying household cattle wealth. The study found that despite changes in land tenure, herd mobility was used as a coping strategy. Households rich in livestock applied the herd mobility strategy more than the poorer ones by moving a larger proportion of their herds. Poorer households applied the strategy of keeping drought resistant animals more than richer ones by having a higher proportion of goats and sheep than cattle. Institutional land units of Kiboko Range Research Station and Chyulu National Reserve which had higher herbaceous biomass were the most favored refuge areas for livestock during the drought. In conclusion poorer families are likely to be impacted more from increased incidents of ENSO droughts due inability to use the herd mobility option.Key words: La-Nina, climate change, drought, pastoralist, herd mobility, land use type

JOB AUTONOMY AND EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE IN THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT OF ISIOLO, KENYA

Employees are a company's strategic asset, and their efforts help the organization to sustain itself in an increasingly competitive world. Previous research has shown that high job autonomy will allow workers to take part in some activities, thereby increasing their willingness and motivation to learn and prepare further. This study therefore sought to examine the influence of job autonomy on employee performance in county government of Isiolo. This study adopted a descriptive research design involving a mixed method approach. Employees in county government of Isiolo formed the target population for this study. At sample of 140 employees was arrived at by stratified sampling. A structured self-administered questionnaire and interviews were used for the study. Descriptive statistics and chi-square analysis were employed with the help of SPSS. The study found that there was a high job autonomy among employees in county government of Isiolo. Findings also showed as a high employee performance in the sample. There was a significant relationship (χ2 = 27.602, df = 16, p = 0.035) between job autonomy and employee performance. The study concluded that job autonomy influences employee performance in county government of Isiolo. Human resource managers in the public sector ought to enhance job autonomy by increasing the control among employees have over what they are supposed to accomplish. Article visualizations

One sim, multiple networks

Paper presented at ICT conference of 2009

Effects of Catha edulis on kidney and liver function among chewing adults in Meru County, Kenya

Background: Catha edulis chewing is common in Kenya and is a daily activity in Meru. According to the National Authority for the Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) 2012 drug-use study, there are 1.6 million Catha edulis users in Kenya. The habit of khat chewing is widespread with a deep-rooted socio-cultural tradition in Kenya and as such poses a public health problem. Some studies have been done to investigate the effects of Khat on kidney and liver in animals. However, only a few of these studies have been conducted in human.Objective: To investigate the possible effects of Catha edulis on the levels of various biochemical parameters to assess kidney and liver function.Design: Cross sectional study.Setting: Meru County, Kenya.Subjects: Three hundred and ninety one (198 C. edulis chewers and 193 C. edulis non-chewers)were enrolled in the study.Results: Total bilirubin, direct bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase activity was significantly increased in the serum of Catha edulis consumers than non-consumers. Total protein and creatinine concentration were significantly decreased in the serum of Catha edulis consumers as compared to non-consumers.Conclusion: Catha edulis chewing is not associated with electrolyte imbalance hence no predisposing effect to renal disorders. Chewing C. edulis might not be responsible for kidney damage but might be responsible for liver damage

Role of Bryophytes And Tree Canopy In Mist Trapping In Mt. Marsabit Forest

Mt. Marsabit forest, is an isolated Tropical Rain Forest, oasis, located 560 Km north of Nairobi, Kenya; and surrounded by deserts of Chalbi, Kaisut and Bubisa. The forest is under threat mainly by anthropogenic effects before the forest biota is studied. This research was to investigate the role of bryophytes and forest canopy in trapping mist water, for supporting Mt. Marsabit forest community development. The experiments were located 1450 m. asl windward of Mt. Marsabit. Stem simulates of varying circumferences were dressed with bryophytes and bryophytes mounted mist traps were located on same site. The water retention capacity was 6 times own dry weight with a hygroscopic capacity of 13%. The mist water trapped by bryophytes was 8 liters of water / m ²/ mist day translating to 196 mm of rainfall per year. The stem simulates of 20 cm circumference, 50 cm long trapped 30 ml of water per mist day using surface area of 0.05 m² translating to 914 ml of water per m² per mist day equivalent to 65 mm of rainfall per year. The study revealed that vegetation is an important catchments area surface (attract rain) whose loss leads to reduced water resource for plant and animal use; climate moderation. Further, mist water is the compensation factor that supports the forest ecosystem. The cooling effect of water is lost with the loss of vegetation. The loss of water leads to drier environment with climate change as the ripple effect. The change in river regimes and the general hydrologic cycle is due to loss in vegetation, where mist water was not accounted for by science. The mist water resource is renewable water resource that can be used to recharge ground water, conserve and rehabilitate forest and provide water for domestic, agricultural and industrial use

Using COPE to improve quality of care: The experience of the Family Planning Association of Kenya

This is the first of several editions of Quality/Calidad/Qualité that describe methodologies designed to assist family planning program managers and staff to self-assess the quality of services they are providing. These tools give program sponsors an opportunity to identify shortfalls in their service environment and propose solutions. This issue focuses on AVSC International\u27s COPE (client-oriented, provider-efficient) methodology, a self-assessment tool that has now been used in 35 countries around the world. The report examines the experience of the National Family Planning Association of Kenya, provides some lessons learned, and demonstrates that these self-assessment exercises are, in fact, resulting in system-wide quality improvement