MAIZE PRODUCTION PRACTISES FOR INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY AMONG SMALL HOLDER FARMERS IN CENTRAL KENYA

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1 MAIZE PRODUCTION PRACTISES FOR INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY AMONG SMALL HOLDER FARMERS IN CENTRAL KENYA 1 Mbure G.N., A.N.Kathuku 2, S.N. Njihia 1, Z. Saitoti 1, J.M. Kaiyare 1, and G.N. Ngae 1 1 Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, Muguga South P.O Box Nairobi, Kenya Abstract A baseline survey to document farmers perception and application of sustainable agricultural practices was conducted in three districts of central Kenya, namely, Kirinyaga, Murang a North and Murang a South. Some 223 farmers from 27 farmer field schools were randomly selected and interviewed using a semi-structured interview schedule. Use of organic manure as a sustainable soil fertility replenishment method at planting was popular among the farmers. Although 63% of the farmers reported use of chemical fertiliser at planting, there was no indication of the fertiliser being used in combination with manure. A common practice among the farmers was to apply the fertiliser immediately after maize had germinated. Stemborer was a major maize pest contributing to losses of 40-60% and 10-30% in the short and long rainy seasons respectively. Cultural methods like sprinkling the tussle with soil, tobacco snuff and wood ash were the commonly used methods of control. Awareness of push-pull technology was found to be minimal in the study area. Key words; farming practices, sustainable agriculture, baseline survey, maize production Introduction Central Kenya is the second smallest province covering an area of 13,220Km 2, approximately 2.3% of total Kenya s landmass. It is the third most densely populated province with about 282 persons per km 2. (CBS, 1999). Due to high population density, farms are small, about ha/household, (Gitau et al, 1994) and are intensively cultivated (Lekasi et al. (1998). Maize is the staple food crop but has increasingly become an important source of fodder on small holder farms supplying approximately 23% of the Dry Matter (DM) to dairy animals in form of dry maize stover, thinning and green stover (Methu et al 1996). Maize yields in central Kenya are low, about 1-2 t/ha against a potential of 6t/ha (Makokha et al,2001; Jaetzold, 2006) due to impoverished soils, unfavourable climatic conditions, pests and diseases(ampofo 1986; Seshu Ready and Sum 1992). These, among other constraints, present a serious threat to livelihoods and food security in the region. Application of farming practices that would sustain sufficient food production per unit area of land for along time without harming the environment is paramount. Some of the sustainable agricultural practices being advocated include use of compost/manure, cover crops and habitat management (Feenstra et al, 1997; Gold, 2007; Khan, 2010). In order to sustainably address the issue of soil fertility and stem borer infestation in maize, a project to disseminate push-pull technology was initiated from 2008 to 2010 in three districts of Central Kenya. The technology, initially developed by the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), involved intercropping maize with desmodim (the push) and Napier grass (the pull) as a border crop around the intercrop to control stem borers. Desmodium, besides being a good cover crop, fixes Nitrogen into the soil, improving soil fertility (Khan et al 2008). Using the farmer field school (FFS) approach, farmers were trained on establishment and management of the push-pull systems, manure and fertiliser use and other organic sources of Nitrogen. This study was conducted to document maize production practices among small scale farmers in central Kenya for increased maize production. The results will be used as baseline for conducting a post ante impact assessment of the project. Materials and Methods The study was conducted among members of 27 farmer field schools (FFS) participating in the push-pull dissemination project in three districts of central Kenya, namely, Murang`a North, Murang`a South and Kirinyaga between April and June In each FFS, a random sample of farmers was generated using the table of random numbers. In total 223 farmers were selected and interviewed using a semi-structured interview schedule. The questionnaires were coded and entered into a computer spread sheet. Analysis was done using the statistical package for social sciences version 12 (SPSS). 184

2 Results Socio-demographic and economic characteristics Majority (46%) of the respondents were aged years. Younger respondents constituted the minority (Fig.1). This indicates that majority (46%) of those involved in farming activities were aged between 36 to 55 years. Out of the farmers interviewed, majority (71%) were females Frequency Percentage (%) Frequency/percentage years years years Age bracket in years Fig. 1: Respondents age characteristics Most (89%) of the farmers interviewed had gone through formal schooling with 57 % of them having completed primary level. Majority (46%) of the farmers owned 1-2 acres of land. However, farmers in Kirinyaga district had relatively bigger pieces of land than their counterparts in Murang a North and South districts (Table 1). Table 1: Total land size in acres owned by the farmers Murang a South Murang a North Kirinyaga Land Size in Percentage Percentage Percentage acres Frequency (%) Frequency (%) Frequency (%) less than an acre acre acres acres acres acres acres and above Total

3 Maize is the priority food crop with 37% of the respondents having at least an acre of their land under maize. More (38%) farmers in Kirinyaga had bigger proportions of their land under maize than in the other districts (Table 2). Table 2: Proportion of land under maize Kirinyaga Murang a North Murang a south All sites Total land under Maize Freq. % Freq. % Freq. % Freq. % less than a quarter acre a quarter acre half acre three quarters one acre acres and above Total Mean maize yields are low, about 1.43t/ha in a good season and 0.60t/ha in a poor season. Kirinyaga district, despite farmers having larger acreages under maize had comparatively lower yields per unit area (Table 3). Table 3. Descriptive characteristics of maize yields in t /ha Murang a South N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation Good year harvest t/ ha Bad year harvest t ha Murang a North Good year harvest t/ ha Bad year harvest t ha Kirinyaga Good year harvest t /ha Bad year harvest t/ ha Farmers maize production practices Spacing and seed rate No standard spacing was used by farmers in the study area and farmers did not seem to know the recommended spacing for their area. Seed rate was variable with majority (55%) of the farmers planting two seeds per hole while 43% planted one seed. Depending on soil fertility inputs available, it is recommended that two seeds be sown and thinned to one plant per hill. Maize recommended spacing is 75 cm by 30 cm. Manure and Fertiliser use Most (89%) of the respondents use manure at planting mostly at the rate of double handful (51%) Although more than half (55%) of the farmers who plant with manure indicated preference of manure and fertilizer in combination, it was not evident on the ground. Planting with manure and top dressing with either compound fertilizer or Calcium Ammonium Nitrate (CAN) could have been misconstrued as manure/fertilizer combination. Animal manure was commonly used (97%) while only 2% of the farmers applied compost manure. Compost manure was least applied due to lack of know-how (46%), inadequate materials (13%) and high labour requirement (8%). Some 48% of the farmers did not apply manure on their maize patches every season mainly due to manure shortage occasioned by competition for the manure from other crops. Compound fertilizers were used at planting by 63% of the respondents either on its own or in combination with manure. The application rates were diverse, probably dictated by the farmers economic status. Calcium Ammonium Nitrate was used by 86% of those that top dressed. Irrespective of the season, maize was largely intercropped with beans. 186

4 Frequency Percentage (%) 100 Frequency/percentage NPK SSP TSP DAP CAN Mavuno Fig. 2. Fertilizer used during planting Fertilizer type used for planting Pest problems in maize Out of the farmers interviewed 92% of them reported having pest problems in maize. The ranking order of the major pests is as shown in Table 4. Stem borers were a major pest in all the districts studied. Termites were a major problem in Murang a North and South districts while chaffer grubs were uniquely in Kirinyaga and Murang a South districts. Table 4: Maize Pests in order of importance. Pests Frequency Rank Stem borer Weevils 66 2 Termites 20 3 Chaffer grub 17 4 Aphids 9 5 Short rains season had the highest stem borer attack with 76% of the farmers experiencing stem borer attack against that of long rains (16%). Only about 8% of farmers experienced stem borer problem in both the long and short rains seasons (Fig.3). 187

5 8% 16% 76% Long rains Short rains Both long and short rains Fig. 3. Stem borer attack by seasons Stem borer incidence was reported to be 40-60% during short rains and 10-30% during long rains (Table 5). Table 5: Level of stem borer attack in every 10 plants 10 plants SB High attack Frequency Percentage (%) plants SB Low attack Over 90% of the farmers applied wood ash, soil and tobacco snuff to control stem borers. Up to 60% of the respondents reported that the cultural methods effectively controlled stem borers and about 20% felt that they were not effective. Only about 2% found them to be very effective.chemical control, though considered very effective was unpopular. Only 5% of the farmers interviewed used pesticides due to fear of residual effects in maize stover and cost implications. Awareness of push-pull as a method of managing stem borers was generally low among the farmers as a majority of the farmers in Kirinyaga (97%), Murang a North (70%) and Murang a South (81%) were not aware. Discussion Maize yields in central Kenya were found to be low, a mean of 1.43t/ha in a good season and 0.60tha -1 in a poor season. The results are consistent with yields of 1-2tha -1 reported by Ampofo (1986) and Seshu and Sum (1992). 188

6 Use of animal manure was high as indicated by 97% of respondents, probably due to its availability on the farm. The high cost of artificial fertilisers at the time of the study meant that few farmers could afford them. Also, there is a widespread preference among farmers for organic fertilisers as 95% of the small holders in the highlands of Kenya use livestock manure for crop production according to Lekasi et al. ( 2001). Almost half (48%) of the farmers interviewed did not apply manure in maize patches every season citing shortage occasioned by competition from other crops e.g bananas, coffee and tomatoes. There is need to promote other types of manure e.g. compost through training. Although 63% of the farmers reported use of chemical fertiliser at planting, there was no indication of its combination with manure as recommended by Jama et al. (1997) and Mucheru et al, (2003). The common practise was to apply the fertiliser immediately after germination. The effect of this on soil fertility and overall crop performance need to be investigated. Stem borer infestation was quite high, between 40-60% and 10-30% during the high and low infestation season respectively which are within the range of up to 80% and an average of about 15-40% reported by Khan (2010). This was probably due to non-use of effective stem borer control measures. The high infestation levels in the short rains seasons could probably result from depressed rainfall in recent years. Over 90% of the farmers used cultural methods of stemborer control e.g. wood ash, tobacco snuff and soil with 60% of the farmers indicating that they were effective. This notion is however, highly questionable given the high stem borer incidence documented. Chemical control was found to be unpopular among the farmers as indicated by only 5% of the farmers. In addition to the cost implication, farmers feared residual effects of the pesticides on their animals as the stover is used as fodder. In the views of Khan, (2010), spraying with pesticides is not only expensive and harmful to the environment but usually ineffective as the chemicals cannot reach deep inside the plant stem larvae reside. This makes it unsustainable in the long term and therefore, need to promote a more sustainable method of control like push-pull technology. Push-pull has been shown to effectively control stemborers by about 25% (Khan et al., 2001; cited in Njihia et al., 2008). Conclusion Maize yields are still low due to non-use of sustainable agricultural practices. There was a high rate of manure use among farmers. However, farmers did not seem to use it in combination with chemical fertiliser. There is potential in the production and use of compost and other kinds of manure as animal manure is inadequate Stem borer infestation on maize is quite high and the cultural methods of control being used by farmers do not seem to work. There is need to promote push-pull technology as a sustainable method for stem borer control through awareness creation as this is currently low. Recommendations There is need to promote sustainable production practices to increase maize production in Central Kenya including recommended agronomic practices, push-pull technology to control stemborers and production, management and use of quality manure and fertilisers. The effect of applying chemical fertilisers for planting after germination needs to be investigated. Promote and train farmers on other kinds of manure e.g. composts Acknowledgement The authors are grateful to the Biovision Foundation for providing the funds to carry out this work. Many thanks to the Centre Director, Muguga South for ensuring that the team was adequately facilitated. The contribution of the agricultural extension officers from the three districts is recognised. Finally, the farmers patience and willingness to give the required information is highly appreciated. References Ampofo J.K.O. (1986) maize stalk borers(lepidoptera pyralidae)damage and plant resistance. Environs:Entomolol 15, Central Bureau of Statistics(CBS) (1999). Population and household census: counting our people for development. Vol. 1. Ministry of Planning and National Development, Nairobi 189

7 Feenstra G., Ingels C., and Campbell D Introduction to sustainability: What is sustainable agriculture. Sustainable agriculture and education program, University of California, Davis, CA Gitau, G.K., O Callaghan, C.J., McDermott, J.J., Omore, A.O., Odima, P.A., Mulei, C.M. and Kilungo, J.K. (1994). Description of smallholder dairy farms in Kiambu district, Kenya. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 21, Jaetzold R. (2006) Management Handbook vol. II 2 nd edition. Ministry of Agriculture, Nairobi. Jama, B., Swinkels, R.A. and Buresh, R.J Agronomic and Economic evaluation of organic fertiliser. Mimeo Khan, Z., Amudavi, D. and Pickett,J Push-pull technology Transforms small farms in Kenya, PAN North America Magazine spring. Khan, Z Push-pull: A novel conservation agriculture technology for integrated pest and soil fertility management in cereal farming systems, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology(ICIPE): Nairobi. Lekasi J.K., Tanner J.C., Kimani S.K., and P.J.C. (2001) Manure management in the highlands of Kenya. Second edition, HDRA Publications Makokha, S., Kimani, S., Mwangi, W., Verkuijl, H. and Musembi, F. (2001)Determinants of fertiliser and manure use for maize production in Kiambu District, Kenya. Methu, J.N., Owen, E., Abate, A., Mwangi, D.M., and Tanner, J.(1996) smallholder dairying in central Kenya highlands: practices in the utilisation of maize stover as a feed resource. In Agronam services Ltd(ed)Focus on Agricultural Research for Sustainable Development in a Changing Economic Environment. Proceedings of the 5 th Kenya Agricultural Research Institute(KARI) Scientific Conference. Pp KARI: Nairobi Kenya Mucheru M., Mugendi D. Kangai R. Mugwe K.J. and Mchini A. (2003). Organic resources for soil fertility management in eastern Kenya. In Savala E.N.(Ed) ( Organic resources management in Kenya: Perspectives and guidelines FORMAT Nairobi. Njihia, S.N., Mbure, G.N. and Saitoti, Z.N.(2008). Integrating and Disseminating push-pull technology in Central Kenya. In Annual Report Muguga South. ARC, Muguga South. Seshu Ready KV and Sum K.O.S. (1992) Yield infestation relationship and determination of economic injury levels of stem borers, Chilopartellus in three varieties of maize, zea mays. L.maydica 37, Nairobi, Kenya 190

Adoption of fodder legumes technology through farmer-to-farmer extension approach

Uganda Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 2004, 9:222-226 Printed in Uganda. All rights reserved ISSN 1026-0919 2004 National Agricultural Research oganisation Adoption of fodder legumes technology through