Nutrient Analysis of Iowa Grown Field Peas for Swine Feed

Peas are a new crop in Iowa and have potential as an ingredient for supplementing pig diets. However, it is essential to know the nutrient levels before incorporating peas in swine diets. Pea seeds can be ground and incorporated directly in the pig’s diet on the farm without further processing. Field peas (winter, spring, and summer types) grown in southeast Iowa during 2005 and 2006, were sampled and analyzed for nutrient content. The Iowa peas were about 86% dry matter or 14% moisture, which is a level that will store well. Crude fat averaged about 2%, although the 2005 spring varieties were low, less than 1%. Crude fiber was 5 to 6% and ash was about 3%. Crude protein averaged 20% compared with 22.8% reported in the NRC tables. Values reported are as fed basis. Field peas are a good source of lysine (about 1.54%), which is commonly the first limiting amino acid in pig diets. According to the NRC, lysine in peas is highly digestible (84%). This enhances the economic value of peas. The peas were low in methionine and tryptophan, 0.20%. Threonine in winter, summer, and spring peas averaged about 0.74% (Table 1). The amino acid levels in the Iowa-grown peas were similar to NRC table values

Effects of Feeding Iowa-Grown Field Pea on Finishing Pig Performance

Field peas(Pisum sativum L.) are a valuable and versatile nutrient source for a range of livestock species in several regions of the world. Interest in growing field peas as a feedstuff for livestock is increasing in the upper Midwest. Peas are a relatively new crop in Iowa where corn and soybean meal are the primary ingredients of swine diets. The growing season,seed characteristics, and other agronomic factors influence the nutrient content of peas. Hence, it is important to understand the nutrient levels of locally grown peas before incorporating them in swine diets

Community-Based Conservation: An Emerging Land Use at the Livestock-Wildlife Interface in Northern Kenya

In East Africa, an estimated 70% of wildlife populations are dispersed outside protected areas on community land. The way of life of the pastoralists, essentially support the thriving of wildlife. However, pastoralism is slowly transiting to more sedentary forms of livestock production. The region‘s wildlife populations future now largely depends on the conservation of habitats and migratory corridors on private and communally owned lands with competing land uses. Community wildlife conservancies are one of the approaches of decentralizing wildlife management and curbing biodiversity and habitat loss at the livestock-wildlife interface environments. Further, conservancies present an avenue for restoration of degraded grazing lands and improving pastoral livelihoods. This paper reviews the community-based conservation unfolding in northern Kenya using the case of Naibung’a Wildlife Conservancy in Laikipia County. Conservancies through land zoning and range rehabilitation have contributed to improved security of wildlife, people and their livestock. Conservancies’ success depends on continued investment in vegetation recovery, grazing management, livestock marketing and benefit sharing. The perceived threats facing conservancies are pasture scarcity, cattle rustling and human-wildlife conflicts. Conservation objectives and human livelihoods in Africa are closely interlinked and lessons learnt in Naibung’a Wildlife Conservancy could particularly be useful to other similar initiatives in Africa

Natural resources utilization by the Aweer in Boni-lungi and Dodori national reserves, Kenya

A study was conducted to record the utilization of Boni-Lungi and Dodori National Reserves by the Aweer community. Results indicate the procuring of a wide gamut of provisional, regulatory, cultural and supportive services from these reserves by the community ranging from wood forest products utilized in construction to their use in expression of religious beliefs to non-wood products. In addition, 16 wildlife species were found to be utilized as primary source of protein, with eggs (guinea fowls and ostrich), fish and honey were utilized as secondary products, while various fungi and algae were consumed as vegetables. Resource extraction occurred with a seasonal dissimilitude.  This study underscores the need for appreciation of Aweer ethnobiology input on native forest conservation.Keywords: Aweer community, Boni-Lungi and Dodori National Reserves, Indigenous Knowledge, Natural Resources Utilizatio

A Policy Brief on Adopting the Somali Camel for Enhanced Profitability and Pastoral Resilience in Northern Kenya

Persistent drought and high temperatures in Isiolo and Marsabit counties of northern Kenya repeatedly devastate livestock herds particularly cattle making the pastoralists less resilient, more vulnerable to climate change and poor. To address this challenge, an IGAD funded project promoted adoption of Somali camel breed, trained farmers on improved management and also estimated potential profitability of rearing the camel. Through the project, trainers were trained and facilitated to train 240 peri-urban Somali camel producers in Isiolo and Marsabit on breeding, health, routine husbandry and marketing. Impact study documenting positive stories of change was conducted at the end. Producers who hitherto made zero money from their camels were making KES. 42,000 a month from sale of 20 litres of milk daily from only 5 milking camels; producers had adopted a new grazing management strategy that ensured daily access of the camel milk market and conservation of grazing areas around settlements; motor bikes had been adopted as means delivering milk to collection centers thus creating jobs for the youth; the beneficiary producers were spending more money on production inputs. In terms of policy, the county governments of Isiolo and Marsabit need to appreciate the huge business potential in Somali camel rearing and the magnitude of positive change that can be brought about by capacity training of producers on improved camel management technologies and agree to allocate more funds in support of livestock production extension services

Combining ability of maize (Zea mays L.) inbred lines resistant to stem borers

Ten inbred parents with varying resistance levels to Chilo partellus and Busseola fusca were crossed in a half diallel mating scheme to generate 45 F1 hybrids. The hybrids and five commercial checks were evaluated across four locations in Kenya under artificial and natural infestation in 2009. Genotype (G) by environment (E) interaction (G x E) was non-significant for stem borer leaf damage, number of exit holes and tunnel length, suggesting that screening for stem borer resistance at one location would be adequate. On the other hand, G x E and general combining ability (GCA) x environment interactions were highly significant for gray leaf spot and turcicum leaf blight, indicating an inbred line resistance to a disease in one location may have a different reaction to the same disease in another location. The results of combining ability analysis showed that GCA effects were significant for stem borer resistance traits (leaf damage scores, number of exit holes, and tunnel length) while the opposite was true for specific combining ability (SCA) effects. Parents 5, 2, 6, 9 and 3, were good sources of genes for higher grain yield while parents 1 and 4 were good sources of resistance genes for stem borers. Hybrid 5 x 9 was the best performing hybrid in grain yield (6.53 t/ha) across the locations, while hybrid 1 x 4 was the least performing in grain yield (3.08 t/ha). The source of stem borer resistance identified in the study may be useful for improving levels of stem borer resistance in maize breeding  programs in eastern and southern Africa.Key words: Combining ability, maize, inbred lines, stem borers

Participatory Farmer Evaluation of Stem borer Resistant Maize varieties in three maize growing ecologies of Kenya

Insect Resistant Maize for Africa Project (IRMA) aims at developing and deploying insect resistant maize varieties to reduce grain losses due to insect pests. As part of incorporating farmer’s perceptions and improving the adoption of the developed varieties, participatory approaches are adopted. The paper analysis farmer’s preferences of maize germplasm developed through conventional breeding. The paper uses data collected from evaluations conducted at the end of 2006 April and October rains. Nine stem borer resistant maize varieties were evaluated alongside six commercial checks in the moist transitional zones (East and West) at vegetative and harvest stage, while in the dry transitional zone and dry mid altitude zones, 6 new varieties were evaluated together with four commercial checks at harvest stage. Each variety was assessed on a scale of 1(very poor) to 5 (very good) based on key criteria generated in earlier group discussions with farmers and overall score. Data was analyzed using ordinal regression model of Social Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). In DT zone, Katumani, CKIR06007 and CKIR06008 were more preferred to the checks based on overall score. CKIR06008 was also more preferred on yield and tolerance to insect pest criteria, while CKIR04002, CKIR06009, and CKIR04003 were perceived more superior to local check based on tolerance to insect pests. In moist transitional zone Embu only CKIR06005 was more preferred (p<0.01) to the check at harvest stage in April 2006 season based on early maturity. While there was no preference for the new varieties at vegetative stage in Embu in October rains 2006 season, a number of new varieties CKIR06001, CKIR06002, CKIR06003, CKIR06004, and CKIR06005 were more preferred based on early maturity at harvest in October rains 2006 season. In the moist transitional zone (west), CKIR06005 and CKIR06005 were more preferred on maturity criteria but CKIR06004 also had good attributes in terms of cob size vegetative stage in April rains 2007. We conclude that farmers perceive some varieties to have good tolerance to insect pests in addition to good yield and maturity characteristics attributes, which are critical to the farmers in the adoption of new varieties.Crop Production/Industries,

The decline of water hyacinth on Lake Victoria was due to biological control by Neochetina spp

There has been some debate recently about the cause of the decline of water hyacinth on Lake Victoria. While much of this evidence points to classical biological control as the major factor, the El Niño associated weather pattern of the last quarter of 1997 and the first half of 1998 has confused the issue. We argue first that the reductions in water hyacinth on Lake Victoria were ultimately caused by the widespread and significant damage to plants by Neochetina spp., although this process was increased by the stormy weather associated with the El Niño event; second that increased waves and current on Lake Victoria caused by El Niño redistributed water hyacinth plants around the lake; and third that a major lake-wide resurgence of water hyacinth plants on Lake Victoria has not occurred and will not occur unless the weevil populations are disrupted. We conclude that the population crash of water hyacinth on Lake Victoria would not have occurred in the absence of the weevils, but that it may have been hastened by stormy weather associated with the El Niño event