Soil health and ecosystem services: Lessons from sub-Sahara Africa (SSA)

Management practices to improve soil health influence several ecosystem services including regulation of water flows, changes in soil biodiversity and greenhouse gases that are important at local, regional and global levels. Unfortunately, the primary focus in soil health management over the years has been increasing crop productivity and to some extent the associated economics and use efficiencies of inputs. There are now efforts to study the inter-relationship of associated ecosystem effects of soil health management considering that sustainable intensification cannot occur without conscious recognition of these associated non-provisioning ecosystem services. This review documents the current knowledge of ecosystem services for key management practices based on experiences from agricultural lands in sub-Sahara Africa (SSA). Here, practicing conservation agriculture (CA) and Integrated Soil fertility management (ISFM) have overall positive benefits on increasing infiltration (> 44), reducing runoff (> 30%) and soil erosion (> 33%) and increases soil biodiversity. While ISFM and Agroforestry increase provisioning of fuelwood, fodder and food, the effect of CA on the provisioning of food is unclear. Also, considering long-term perspectives, none of the studied soil health promoting practices are increasing soil organic carbon (SOC). Annual contributions to greenhouse gases are generally low (< 3 kg N2O ha−1) with few exceptions. Nitrogen leaching vary widely, from 0.2 to over 200 kg N ha−1 and are sometimes inconsistent with N inputs. This summary of key considerations for evaluating practices from multiple perspectives including provisioning, regulating, supporting and cultural ecosystem services is important to inform future soil health policy and research initiatives in SSA

Report on the evaluation of surveillance systems relevant to zoonotic diseases in Kenya, 2015: A basis for design of an integrated human–livestock surveillance system

The Zoonoses in Livestock in Kenya (ZooLinK) is a project that seeks to enable Kenya develop an effective surveillance programme for zoonotic diseases (infectious diseases transmissible between animals and human beings). The surveillance programme will be integrated across both human and animal health sectors. To achieve this goal the project will work in close collaboration with Kenyan government departments in responsible for animal and human health. As a prelude to the start of the project, an evaluation of the existing surveillance systems for human and animal health was carried out. The evaluation focused on the national surveillance system and the systems at the western part of Kenya (Busia county, Kakamega county and Bungoma county) where the initial programme will be developed. In conducting the evaluation the investigators used key informant interviews, focused group discussion participant questionnaires, audio recordings and observation for data collection. Data analysis for the qualitative data focused on generating themes or theory around the responses obtained in the key informants interviews and focused group discussions. Univariate analysis was performed by use of simple proportions in calculation for surveillance system attributes like sensitivity, completeness, PVP and Timeliness for the human health surveillance systems. The findings of the evaluation revealed that there was poor linkage between animal health surveillance and the human health surveillance systems. None of the systems had surveillance structures dedicated to zoonotic diseases. Most practitioners used clinical signs for diagnosis of diseases with little reference to acceptable case definitions. Laboratory diagnosis in animal health services focused more on suspected notifiable diseases as opposed to being a standard operating procedure for diagnosis. In Human health services the health care facilities that had laboratory within the facility conducted laboratory diagnosis for cases referred by the clinicians. However, some clinicians preferred using clinical signs for diagnosis to avoid the wait or turn-around time in the laboratory. For effective surveillance of zoonoses to be realized it would be advisable to establish surveillance structures specific to zoonoses and the necessary resources allocated to the surveillance activities. In addition, an integrated approach that incorporated both human and animal disease surveillance should be employed in the surveillance of zoonoses

Neural networks in FPGAs

As FPGAs have increasingly become denser and faster, they are being utilized for many applications, including the implementation of neural networks. Ideally, FPGA implementations, being directly in hardware and having parallelism, will have performance advantages over software on conventional machines. But there is a great deal to be done to make the most of FPGAs and to prove their worth in implementing neural networks, especially in view of past failures in the implementation of neurocomputers. This paper looks at some of the relevant issues

Micronutrient deficiencies in African soils and the human nutritional nexus: opportunities with staple crops

A synthesis of available agronomic datasets and peer-reviewed scientific literature was conducted to: (1) assess the status of micronutrients in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) arable soils, (2) improve the understanding of the relations between soil quality/management and crop nutritional quality and (3) evaluate the potential profitability of application of secondary and micronutrients to key food crops in SSA, namely maize (Zea mays L.), beans (Phaseolus spp. and Vicia faba L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and rice (Oryza sativa L.). We found that there is evidence of widespread but varying micronutrient deficiencies in SSA arable soils and that simultaneous deficiencies of multiple elements (co-occurrence) are prevalent. Zinc (Zn) predominates the list of micronutrients that are deficient in SSA arable soils. Boron (B), iron (Fe), molybdenum (Mo) and copper (Cu) deficiencies are also common. Micronutrient fertilization/agronomic biofortification increases micronutrient concentrations in edible plant organs, and it was profitable to apply fertilizers containing micronutrient elements in 60–80% of the cases. However, both the plant nutritional quality and profit had large variations. Possible causes of this variation may be differences in crop species and cultivars, fertilizer type and application methods, climate and initial soil conditions, and soil chemistry effects on nutrient availability for crop uptake. Therefore, micronutrient use efficiency can be improved by adapting the rates and types of fertilizers to site-specific soil and management conditions. To make region-wide nutritional changes using agronomic biofortification, major policy interventions are needed

Impact assessment on the farmers milk marketing plants : a case of Ol'kalou Dairy Ltd

Generally, it is accepted that impact assessment is a critical element in further improving community development initiatives and promoting intervention. Also existing impact assessments have made an important contribution to understanding some of the complex interactions between community development interventions, livelihoods and different dimensions of poverty reduction and empowerment (Linda Myoux, 2003). This research project on the social-economic impact of farmers' milk marketing plants in OPkalou Division, Nyandarua District was conducted in the month of March 2007. The main aim of the research was to determine the effectiveness of collective marketing initiatives of the farmers, in partnership with Heifer International - Kenya. The results were envisaged to enhance the collaboration of farmers and Heifer International in its bid to achieve its vision of poverty alleviation and improving nutrition. The study was done for the purpose of examining how collective marketing though the establishment of a milk marketing plant has impacted on the smallholder dairy farmer, effect on their livelihoods and addresses the challenges that are being experienced so as to make recommendations on the way forward in replication of such projects. The study also intended to establish the employment created through direct involvement in milk production and through several support services tied to dairy production. By using questionnaires, interviews and observation 156 respondents were contacted and the data revealed that collective marketing of milk products has greatly benefited the farmers who now, no longer experience serious price fluctuation and inability to sell their produce. This initiative has also rejuvenated their participation in milk production to earn higher incomes to better their lives as most of the earnings from milk sales is used for daily sustenance. The buyers also appreciated such arrangement as it led to a reduction in their costs because they would find the produce ready in bulk unlike if they had to go collecting it all over the locations. However it has been learnt that, a lot more needs to be done to create a buy in to many more farmers so that they would enjoy the economies of scale. Community mobilization in this respect is important for the success of such initiatives. Also to be included in the programs is access to credit to enable the farmers re-stocking their lost herd. The establishment of milk marketing plants has therefore, provided the farmers opportunity to sell their milk, participate in the management of the plant and create window for sustainable rural development. (Author abstract)Otieno, S. O. (2007). Impact assessment on the farmers milk marketing plants: a case of Ol'kalou Dairy Ltd. Retrieved from http://academicarchive.snhu.eduMaster of Science (M.S.)School of Community Economic Developmen

Cross-amplification and characterization of polymorphic microsatellite markers from Acacia (Senegalia) mellifera and Acacia brevispica to Acacia senegal (L.) Willd.

Seven polymorphic microsatellite markers isolated from Acacia brevispica and Acacia mellifera were successfully cross-amplified in Acacia senegal. The loci were surveyed for polymorphism using 30 samples. Allelic diversity ranged from 4 (Ame02, Ab06 and Ab18) to 13 (Ab26) per locus. The expected heterozygosity (HE) ranged from 0.543 (Ame02) to 0.868 (Ab26) while observed heterozygosity (HO) ranged from 0.516 (Ame05) to 0.800 (Ame03). Cross amplification of these loci represents a potential source of co-dominant marker and will be useful in the study of genetic diversity, structure, gene flow and breeding systems of this important Acacia species

Cost of milk production in EADD Tanzanian dairy hubs

Irish Ai

#KenyaDecides 2013 – Part 2 – Running a village campaign: funerals, motorbikes, goldmines and Obama.

It is less than a week to the Kenyan national elections but in contrast to the usual media coverage of “big men” and “eminent personalities”, LSHTM’s Gemma Jones, anthropologist, and J.Omondi, a Kenyan candidate for county ward representative describe village electoral campaigns in one small corner of Kenya