Preharvest and postharvest factors affecting yield and nutrient contents of vegetable amaranth (Var. Amaranthus hypochondriacus)

KEYWORDS: Traditional leafy vegetables, Amaranth, diammonium phosphate, manure, yields, nutrients, antinutrients, phenolics, oxalates, small-scale farmers, Kenya Agriculture in developing countries faces a number of pressing challenges including population growth, widespread poverty and food insecurity. Widespread poverty persists, contributing to severe malnutrition. This intolerable situation can be remedied in great measure by increasing production and consumption of traditional leafy vegetables (TLVs). The most commonly consumed TLVs in Kenya and most developing countries include the Amaranthus spp. (Pig weed), Vigna unguiculata (Cowpea leaves), Solanum nigrum (Black nightshade), Cleome gynandra (Cat’s whiskers), Cucurbita spp. (Pumpkin leaves) and Corchorus spp. (Jute). A market survey carried out in 31 major supermarkets and green grocers’ stores in the city of Nairobi found that the demand for TLVs was high. Of the TLVs, vegetable amaranth was the most preferred but had problems of a short shelf life and a negative image due to poor production practices. The distance from production sites to the markets for the vegetables in Nairobi ranged between 20 and 40 km. Amaranthus was found to contain reasonable amounts of proteins, ascorbic acid, zinc and iron. The levels of nitrates, oxalates and lead found in these vegetables were within safe limits allowed for human consumption, hence are of no public health concern. In field experiments, Amaranthus hypochondriacus yields were significantly increased when N was supplied via chemical fertilizer (diammonium phosphate (DAP)) but not when the N-source was cattle manure. The yield increased with increasing levels of N from 0 – 40 kg N ha-1 but decreased at 60 kg N ha-1., Leaf nitrate content, however, increased between 0 – 60 kg N ha-1 with the highest amounts being recorded at the highest level of N in DAP. In addition, DAP at 60 kg N ha-1 led to the highest levels of β-carotene, but with reduced ascorbic acid and total phenolic contents, when compared to the other levels of N. DAP at 20 kg N ha-1 and the use of cattle manure led to high amounts of ascorbic acid and total phenolic contents. During storage, the quality of the vegetables in terms of ascorbic acid, β-carotene and total phenolics is maintained when the vegetable was stored at 4oC for a period of up to 4 days. Gross margins calculated using the yield obtained at 8 weeks after planting from both manure (40 kg N ha-1) and DAP treated plots that received 40 kg N ha-1 demonstrated the feasibility of production of A. hypochondriacus as a commercial enterprise for small scale farmers. These gross margins were based on the small-scale farmers’ economic model of what they consider as ‘free’ resources. Overall the study shows that traditional leafy vegetables are sold in major supermarkets and green grocers in the city of Nairobi and are free of lead contamination hence safe for human consumption. It also demonstrates that A. hypochondriacus yields can be increased by using DAP fertilizer at 40 kg N ha-1. The vegetable is a valuable source of nutrients therefore can be used to reduce the malnutrition problems facing developing countries. As a commercial enterprise, A. hypochondriacus can be used to generate income that can be used to reduce poverty and food insecurity problems facing developing countries

The Bondo Stakeholders' Workshop, February 26th - 27th, 2001

This paper is a review of the workshop held at Bondo in Kenya to assess the role of local stakeholders in the of co-management of Lake Victoria's fisheries within the frame of the LVFRP

An alternative management strategy for Lake Victoria (Kenya)

In Kenya, fisheries resource management has been based on the top-down centralized approach since the colonial days. Stakeholders have never been consulted concerning management decisions. The 4-beaches Study was undertaken to investigate the potential for an alternative management system for Lake Victoria

Supporting 'young carers' in Kenya: from policy paralysis to action

African children who care for sick or dying adults are receiving less than optimal support due to confusion about whether or not young caregiving constitutes a form of child labour and the tendency of the authorities to play it “safe” and side with more abolitionist approaches to children's work, avoiding engagement with support strategies that could be seen as support of child labour. To challenge this view, and move from policy paralysis to action, we present a study from western Kenya that explores community perceptions of children's work and caregiving as well as opportunities for support. The study draws on 17 community group conversations and 10 individual interviews, involving 283 members of a Luo community in the Bondo District of western Kenya. We provide a detailed account of how integral children's work is to household survival in the context of poverty, HIV and AIDS as well as community recommendations on how they and external service providers can work together in supporting children faced with excessive caregiving and income-generation responsibilities. We use our findings to call for less restrictive regulations of children's work and to develop a plan for policy and action for young carers that identifies key actors, their roles and responsibilities, and how they might best collaborate—in a way that is sensitive both to concerns about child labour as well as communit

Caregivers’ Knowledge and Home Management of Fever in Children

Background: Fever is one of the most common complaints presented to the Paediatric Emergency Unit (PEU). It is a sign that there is an underlying pathologic process, the most common being infection. Many childhood illnesses are accompanied by fever, many of which are treated at home prior to presentation to hospital. Most febrile episodes are benign.  Caregivers are the primary contacts to children with fever. Adequate  caregivers’ knowledge and proper management of fever at home leads tobetter management of febrile illnesses and reduces complications.Objective: To determine the caregivers’ knowledge and practices regarding fever in children.Design: A cross-sectional study.Setting: Peadiatric Emergency Unit at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH)Subjects: Two hundred and fifty caregivers of children under 12 years  presenting with fever in August to October 2011 to the PEU.Results: Three quarters of the caregivers’ defined fever correctly. Their knowledge on the normal body was at 47.6%. Infection was cited as the leading cause of fever (95.2%). Brain damage (77.6%) and dehydration (65.6%) were viewed as the most common complication. Fever was treated at home by 97.2% of caregivers, most of them used medication.Conclusions: Fever was defined correctly by 75.2% of the study participants and a majority of them used touch to detect fever. Fever was managed at home with medications. Public Health Education should be implemented in order to enlighten caregivers on fever and advocate for the use of a clinical thermometer to monitor fever at home

Consumers' Perception of Food-System Vulnerability to an Agroterrorist Attack

This paper uses results from a 2004 survey (N=1,010) on consumer attitudes toward agroterrorism and food-system security to investigate heterogeneous attributes affecting vulnerability including risk perceptions and fear. Using 15 separate multinomial PROBIT regressions we distinguish between vulnerability on a number of aspects of food-system security including food type and position in the food-supply chain. Vulnerability is not found to be common across food groups or respondents, and a variety of distinguishing characteristics can be used to investigate how individuals might perceive vulnerability.Agribusiness, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Study protocol for a cluster-randomized controlled trial of an NCD access to medicines initative: Evaluation of Novartis Access in Kenya

INTRODUCTION: Novartis recently launched Novartis Access, an initiative to provide a basket of reduced price medicines for non-communicable diseases (NCDs) to be sold through the public and private nonprofit sectors in programme countries. This study will evaluate the impact of Novartis Access on the availability and price of NCD medicines at health facilities and households in Kenya, the first country to receive the programme. METHODS: This study will be a cluster randomised controlled trial. 8 counties in Kenya will be randomly assigned to the intervention or control group using a covariate constrained randomisation method to maximise balance on demographic and health characteristics. In intervention counties, public and private non-profit health facilities will be able to order Novartis Access NCD medicines from the Mission for Essential Drugs and Supplies (MEDS). Data will be collected from a random sample of 384 health facilities and 800 households at baseline, midline after 1-year of intervention, and end-line after 2 years. Quarterly surveillance data will also be collected from health facilities and a subsample of households through phone-based interviews. Households will be eligible if at least one resident has been previously diagnosed and prescribed a medicine for an NCD addressed by Novartis Access, including hypertension and diabetes. The primary outcomes will be availability and price of NCD medicines at health facilities, and availability, price, and expenditures on NCD medicines at households. Impacts will be estimated using intention-to-treat analysis. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Boards at Strathmore University and at Boston University. Informed consent will be obtained from all participants at the start of the trial. The findings of the trial will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals, international conferences, and meetings and events organised with local stakeholders

Effect of wheat bran supplementation with fresh and composted agricultural wastes on the growth of Kenyan native wood ear mushrooms [Auricularia auricula (L. ex Hook.) Underw.]

Nutrient supplements and agricultural wastes used for mushroom cultivation are important in improving establishment and production of mushrooms. Agricultural wastes such as sawdust, grass, sugarcane bagasse, wheat straw and maize cobs have successfully been used for the production of Kenyan wood ear mushrooms [Auricularia auricula (L. ex Hook.) Underw.]. However, the effect of varying concentrations of wheat bran supplements on their productivity has not been fully researched. In this study, fresh and composted agricultural wastes were supplemented with wheat bran at concentrations of 0, 5, 10 and 20%. The cultivation experiment was arranged in a completely randomized design (CRD) and replicated three times. Data was collected on days to spawn run, days to primordial initiation, primordial concentration quality and biological efficiency. The data collected was subjected to analysis of variance using SAS version 9.1. Mean separation was done using least significant difference (LSD) and effects were declared significant at 5% level. Key words: Wood ear mushrooms, fresh and composted agricultural wastes, wheat bran, Kenya