| dc.identifier.citation | obara,D.A(1976). Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) production in Kenya is still restricted to the highlands, and yet its consumption has spread to almost allover the country including medium and low altitude areas. An attempt was made to introduce potato growing in medium altitude areas. The experimental o site, Bukura Institute of Agricultur~ is located at 0 13 o I North and 34 37 East, and is 1463M above sea level. Two experiments were conducted durinf the,short rains of 1979 and the long rains o£ 1980 to investigate the production potential as well as fertilizer requirements of the potatoes under Bukura conditions. Three potato varieties namely Anett, Roslin Eburu (B53) and Kenya Baraka representing early, medium-late and late maturing commercial cultivars in Kenya were used. Five levels of diammonium phosnhate were applied at equally spaced intervals starting from 0 to 600 kg/ha. The 15 treatment combinations were randomly distributed in each of the three replicates. The plants were sampled fortnightly for analysis starting from three weeks after the beginning of emergence. In terms of tuber yields Anett significantly outy~ elded both B5) and Kenya Baraka during the short rains. The difference between B53 and Kenya Baraka was not significant. However, the performance of the crop during this iv season was poor mainly due to low rainfall. During the long rainy season Kenya Baraka was significantly the best yielder. Anett also significantly outyielded B53 in this season as well. The fertilizer level, 300 kg/ha, gave rise to significantly the highest tuber yield during the short rains, while the level, 450 kg/ha, resulted in significantly the highest yield during the long rains. The tuber dry matter percent of the total fresh tuber yield was not responsive to the fertilizer treatments in experiment II, but showed slight decrease with increasing fertilizer levels in experiment I. The performance of the crop'in terms of leaf area developed, total and ware tuber yields was far better in experiment II than in experiment I. The interaction between variety and fertilizer in both expetiments was not sicnificant. This was thought to be so because the fertilizer was applied once at the time of planting thus providing no advantage for the late maturing variety, Kenya Baraka, to significantly benefit over the early maturing variety, Anett. 'The results of these experiments showed that potato production can be extended to medium altitude tropical areas provided water and fertilizer supplies are adequate. | en |
| dc.description.abstract | Due to a variety of favourable environmental factors,
Commercial Sugarcane development projects are centred in the
Coastal, Western and Nyanza Provinces of Kenya. However, previous
plans for sugarcane production expansion based on opening virgin
lands have not materialised because imports of sugar are still
running high, more than 80,000 metric tons in 1975. Like most
other commodities~ world market prices have undergone marked
swings in 1973/74, resulting in a difficulty to project sugar
production and consumption patterns within a reasonable degree
of error. In view of this problem, the current Kenya Dev~lopment
Plan focuses on self-sufficiency with an export rather than an import
overlap. To achieve this goal, agrarian reform, to tackle the
stumbling block of land holding and tenure patterns, is suggested
to be the sine guanon of economic development, the precondition
for increasing sugar production, improving income distribution,
facilitating employment opportunities and ~eyerping r~~l to urban
migration in the. Nyanza Sugar Belt. The area has a total of oyer
32 •.44 t.housand hect.ares of cane , . Kenya r-eLi.es more on the Sugar
Belt wm,Ch supplied 97.,.747.metric tons (59.5% of the total product.Lon
in Kenya) 'of .s'Ug~ :Ln1974. But the present expansion. of sugarcanea
well into margil1aJ, Lands :in the belt is doomed to f.ailure un'Less
solutions are found to _alleviate .environmental problems limiting
sugarcane growing and production. This thesis is an account of
the environmental problems affecting smallholder sugarciill8.produ,ction.
It inqicates th~t .a gap exists in the literature between cane. growing
in Kenya and, ot.her- Gountries. Need.Less to say, the increase of
sugarcane production in the future will largely depend on contribution
x
from the "traditional farmers" in the Sugar Belt.
The survey revealed that sugar production in the area is
being hampered by the vagaries of weather, diseases, pests and
weeds alike, although the actual spatial distribution and yield
of the crop will depend on a farmer's willingness and ability
to ameliorate environmental limitations. Rainfall is a limiting
factor in sugar production,. but the availability of moisture to
cane depencts on its amount and timing as well as on texture,
structure and organic matter content of the soil. A positive
relationship (r=0.670) has been observed between cane growth
rate and monthly rainfall. The probability of obtaining a
rainfall of 1500mm or more .per annum is 27% at Miwani and 17%
at Kibos. Rainfall unreliability in the area calls for timeliness
in land preparation, planting, weeding, toP-dressing and
harvesting cane, while irrigation is ~ prerequisite in areas
where optdmumj-afnf'a'Ll.required for cane growth cannot be obtained.
Temper'atureapd radiation. are not lim:i,.ting.factorsin cane growth
and pr-oduct.Lonj.b1J.t.sometdmes t.he losses caused by biotic agents
in afflic.ted areas lead to abandonment of..cane fields. Environmental
problems.s~cn as these willinevtt~bly le~d to a decline
in sugar yield unless technological innovt;ltions .are 'Used by
peasants. In reality ..the Sugar Belt is not 84 area of "mi.Ik
and honey" ':fherean et;lsyliyelihQog can be cter'ived.without
real effort. Analysis of sed.I,samples r-eveal.edtht;lt9Cf'/oof.
the sugar.pJ,ots aJ:'e.pa,rticularlydeficient in nitrogen which is
Lndd.spenaab'Le to sugarcane, Phosphor-us and sugar yield are
insignificantly correlated(r =--0.1240), while there is little
xi
relationship (r =0.2418) between cane yield and potassium.
Simple correlation between sugar and nitrogen shows a positively
high significant linear relationship (r=0.9642) at 99% level of
probability. Similarly, partial correlation between sugar and
nigrogen holding phosphorus and potassium constant reveals a
higher significant relationship (r=0.9648) at 99% level of probability.
The principal determinant influencing the spatial
variation in sugarcane productivity is nitrogen. It is clear
from this thesis that substantial nitrogenous fertilizer in the form ~
of Ammonia Sulphate Nitrate would be needed to boost sugar
yields i~ the absence of intercrppping with leguminous crops and
animal manure, which has become. a scarce commodity with the decline
of cattle population in the area.
One of the greatest problems is cane fire w.hich has b~come
a widespread. human ecolpgical factor in the Sugar Belt. Malicious
·~burning of cane in the area resulted into a. loss of 9,000 metric
tons of cane iIl 1973. A s.ig~ificant correlation (r=8273) exists
between increasing illega,l eal}e burrringjmd Lncr-easLng cane prices. -
Furthermore, a.test.was run to depict the relatiQnsb.ip between net
payment and amoUl1t of cane sol!i. The correlation coefficient
(r=0.8539) "between these two variables was signi,ficant at 99%
level of prob~bility. Hence, net payment to the farmer. is a -
limiting factor.in cane production. Another cause of cane shortage
is attributed to the diversion of cane from the white sugar zones
to. jaggery factories •..AlthOugl).the Sugar Belt is acceasfbl,e to
"Lal.anda" of heavy popul.atd.on concent.r-at Lon , labour. is a limiting.
f'acbor-, par-t.Iy because peasant s face acute competition from largescale
farmers'in terms of labour. Far~ers are further confronted
with a host of socio-economic problems arising from the farmers'
perception of environme~tal limitations to sugar production,
illiteracy, religious taboos, absenteeism, lack of title deeds
and inadequate credit schemes. In addition, demographic
charact~ristics of the farmers, incomplete migration of family
to the sugar farm in the settlement schemes, land us~ competition ,
inexperience of the farmer in sugar industry and lack of
extension services present further problems. The thesis has
exam~ed and established the impact of the environmental
limitations on peasant sugar production as well as giving
recommendations for policy planners and suggestions for further
research lines. There is urgent need for more direction and
encouragement of sugar production by the government because
there can be no progress or expansion without financial
incentives. In the absence of government intervention there
are likely to be shortfalls in sugarcane production. | en |
