Maize silage Easy to establish and reliable, maize produces a very palatable and high-energy silage provided that it is well chopped and ensiled properly. Typically over 11 Mj of metabolisable energy per kilo, it is a great way of storing crop to feed for livestock later. The main drawbacks are that it needs to be […]
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I. Introduction Maize is an important crop in many parts of the world, and its success largely depends on proper land preparation. To achieve optimal maize yields, farmers need to know the essential techniques for preparing their land before planting. This article will cover the various stages involved in maize land preparation, from soil analysis […]
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As we approach the potato planting season, good planning is essential to achieve the best from the crop and maximise your profits. We take a look at the steps to consider: Number 1 is certified seed; you do not need the crop to be held back by diseases such as Blackleg, Black Dot, and Rhizoctonia […]
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Legumes for a crucial part of the crop rotation on many levels, adding valuable soil nitrogen, reducing root diseases such as Take-all and Fusarium in cereals, improving soil structure and allowing control of grass weeds such as Brome and Ryegrass. Something that I have seen first-hand over the last few years in Kenya is the […]
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Choosing the right wheat variety is one of the most important steps to growing a profitable and reliable wheat crop. Disease resistance, yield, grain quality, sprouting risk, and many other factors should be taken into consideration so that the chances of achieving a high yield and Grade 1 quality with minimal risk and expenditure on […]
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A good crop begins with putting the seed in the ground well, into a good growing environment. This means a well-structured soil with plenty of oxygen so that the roots can explore and grow rapidly in length and access as much soil volume as possible. In turn, this allows the growing crop to access more […]
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Background information While many approaches, such as nutrient omission trials, have been shown to be beneficial in adjusting fertilizer recommendations such as nitrogen (N) fertilizer-based rates, severe nitrogen deficiencies persist across Kenyan farms. These can be attributed under application of N, or N loss. A large amount of the applied N is lost due to […]
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My name is Robert Kariuki, I work with farmers to help increase the quantity and quality of their farm produce through sustainable and affordable soil management practices. We do this by training and advising on good soil management as well as sourcing and availing credible soil inputs and soil amendments. I am also a composting […]
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In many places of the world, soil acidity is a substantial constraint to soil productivity. Sodium, aluminum, manganese, and hydrogen ion toxicity, as well as deficits in critical elements such as nitrogen, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and molybdenum, all contribute to plant growth suppression. Agricultural management practices have increased shifts in soil pH, raising concerns about […]
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In my last article, we dealt with the many benefits of cover crops and how they can really help improve soil health, soil structure, nutrient availability (especially phosphorous), and water infiltration and moisture holding capacity. These are some of the most important yield destroyers in African soils. Cover cropping, if done properly can really make […]
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Today, September 29, is the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste. On this day, we take the opportunity to raise awareness of practices and innovations that help reduce food loss and waste and build more resilient food systems. Food loss and waste undermine the sustainability of our food systems. When food is lost […]
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In recent months, a number of amendments to the EU 396/2005 Regulation have been published. Some of these changes are already active since April 14 and 28 and May 3, 2022. Regulation EU 2021/476 is an amendment of Annexes II, III and IV to Regulation EU 396/2005; and indicates a change in Maximum Residue Levels […]
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Cover crops are planted to cover the soil rather than for the sole purpose of being harvested. Commercial cropping and removal of crop residue leaves the soil surface bare until the next crop is planted. Bare soils are very fragile and prone to erosion, capping, heating, and degeneration. Bare soils cause floods and dust storms. […]
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Biochar is the new buzzword in farming. What is it? Biochar is basically ‘charred’ agricultural waste created through slow-burning of organic matter in the absence of oxygen (pyrolysis). This creates a porous, high carbon, stable material that can be added to the soil to improve soil properties. The claims for the benefits of biochar are […]
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Soil is important not just for growing plants and supporting our farmers, but it plays a major function in the health of the planet. Soil provides us with what are known as ecosystem services, essential for global health. The resilience of the soil is its capacity to recover and bounce back after a change of regime […]
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Cover crops will have an important role for us in Kenya, especially in terms of weed control and input cost reduction, but farmers need patience and an independent mindset to understand how to make them successful. I’m not sure entirely what cover cropping will look like for us yet, but improved Mallow control, lower fertiliser […]
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Faba Beans look very exciting on the right soil types. Thinking back to the UK, I was always struck at how Peas and Fabas thrived on alternate soil types, and that may be the case here in Kenya too; where peas are inconsistent, we perhaps need to give fabas a serious go. Peas Faba Beans […]
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I recently purchased a bag of what I thought was lime recently to use on trials, only to discover that it was actually gypsum. I included it in the trial anyway out of curiosity, and it got me thinking, why don’t we think about gypsum more often? Essentially calcium sulphate, gypsum contains two very important […]
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Anyone considering growing potatoes over the coming months should know the benefits and importance of buying clean, certified potato seed variety. This is the best way to ensure the seed is free from Cyst Nematode, Blackleg, and Viruses such as Leaf Roll, all of which can all lead to significant yield or even crop loss. […]
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Edible beans such as Rosecoco, Kidney and Yellow Beans can be highly lucrative, but can farmers successfully scale this up to more than just a few acres?
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The trials team certainly had high expectations for their Nakuru Maize Variety Trial, but this extraordinary average yield certainly opened their eyes. The Nakuru site is just one of the 8 sites across the country that we’ve test varieties in different climates over the past 12 months. Had we grown the top-yielding variety in this […]
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Sunflowers are a fantastic crop for Kenya and can provide extra income for farmers in the off-season as well as many rotational benefits to the soil. But to get top yields it is crucial to check on your herbicides and keep the crop free from weed competition for the first 6-7 weeks. Good planting ensures […]
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We hope that you will read this newsletter with great interest. The aim of this newsletter is to keep you updated on the new MRLs for certain pesticides that have recently been published by the EU. Of emphasis, are the updates on EU- MRLs for Chlorate and Perchlorate in particular. If you have any questions, […]
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For the past three seasons growers have been reporting Fall Armyworm in the tips of cobs from silking right through to maturity, with damage at harvest similar to the photo below. Fall Armyworm numbers have clearly been on the decline since they first arrived in 2017, with some exceptions, and this year they appear to […]
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Bushel weight can make the difference between a profitable crop and one that you can’t even sell. Carrying on from our previous newsletter on how to improve your bushel weight, we take a look at how to get the fungicide program right to maximise your chances of getting a top price for your wheat. Fungicide […]
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When it comes to Potato Farming, Getting weed control right in potatoes is crucial. Furthermore, weeds generally make mechanical harvesting difficult and compete with the crop for nutrients just as the tubers really start bulking. Here, we take a look at some of the weed control herbicides options to receive great yields from Potato Farming: […]
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With malting barley plantings down considerably this year, many farmers will be growing extra acres of wheat to make up for the area lost. But what varieties should you grow to manage the risks of a big wheat area? Robin Still yields very well in our trials, and most importantly of all is consistent across […]
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Yields in high value cash & export crops such as coffee, potatoes, avocados, pawpaws, watermelons, oranges, cucumber, passion fruit, etc, hugely depend on the pollination activities carried out by bees, butterflies, birds & other pollinators. Pollinators are essential to the production of many of the micronutrient rich fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and oils we eat. […]
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Think Agronomy 15th May 2020 If you set out to collect several hundred Fall Armyworm larvae for an experiment, I can tell you that it is a long task, which seems to take longer each year. Sure, if you look for them they are easy enough to find in fields that have perhaps not received […]
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Soil or land preparation for farming is foundational when growing cereals like maize wheat and barley. In this article we’ll explore the key critical soil requirements for cereal production namely: soil sampling, soil preparation and planting & Deep Nitrogen Testing Soil Sampling Why soil sampling improves profitability How to sample properly Grid vs zone sampling […]
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What are you going to do there? You hardly have any knowledge of Agriculture. How do you fit there? My family and friends asked me when I announced that I was joining Cropnuts. When I was younger, I knew I would join a technological company. And this meant a company whose core business was selling […]
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Turning soils into sponges: Opportunities to reduce flood and drought risks You may think that the common factor between drought and flood in many places in Kenya is water, especially lately. Other than the lack or abundance of rain, the major reason for droughts and floods is the soil’s health status and its inability to […]
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As crops progress through the growth stages, weed control in maize up to 7-8 leaf stage is crucial to avoid yield loss. There are a number of maize herbicide options on the market, so we explore their strengths and their weak points… Stellar Star Stellar Star is very strong on Gallant Soldier, Datura and Mexican […]
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Knowing your farm cost of production is absolutely crucial for any farming business, and it is an integral part of the advice we give the farmers that we work with at Cropnuts. So every year we take a look through the actual farm input costs of growing different cereal crops (maize wheat & barley) and […]
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Maize plant population and seed rate comparison data from our maize variety trial sites has been very enlightening. Last week we looked at the results of our Cropnuts Maize Variety Trials in 2019 and highlighted how some maize varieties perform very differently at higher plant populations. Within the Variety Trials last year at every site, […]
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Plant disease & pest management using chemical pesticides raises serious concerns about food safety, environmental quality and pesticide resistance. These concerns have dictated the need for alternative plant disease & pest Management techniques. In particular, plant nutrients could affect the disease tolerance or resistance of plants to pests and diseases. This is evident in the […]
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In Kenya, the current population is estimated at 47 million and expected to nearly double to 95 million by 2050. Agriculture in Kenya is a fundamental instrument for sustainable development, poverty eradication, and food security.
Image c/o: pixabay
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Choosing the right variety is important for any crop, but with a crop like maize where there is just so much choice, where do you start? Last season we carried out four fully replicated maize variety trials in the highland areas; in Timau, Rumuruti, Nakuru and Eldoret to independently compare a range of maize varieties […]
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Plant nutrition is the study of the chemical elements and compounds necessary for plant growth, plant metabolism and their external supply. Without proper plant nutrition, plants tend to die off or produce little or no yield. In my line of work I visit hundreds of flower farms a year; the flourishing, the ticking over, and the ones in […]
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Greenhouse soil crops need more specialized care. When you grow plants out in the open field, your soil has time to rest and regenerate. Not so in the greenhouse, where the climate is much hotter and the soil and plants are working hard all year round. Greenhouse soil temperatures are higher and you need to […]
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Lodging in cereals is the bending over of the stems near ground level of grain crops. Lodging makes cereal crops very difficult to harvest and can dramatically reduce yield. Causes Of Lodging In Cereals Lodging in cereals is often caused by inadequate standing power of the crop and other external conditions such a storm damage, soil density, disease, sowing […]
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Importance of Molybdenum & Cobalt On Legumes Looking back through some of our legume crop field trials which have focused mainly on peas, the use of molybdenum and cobalt on the seed has consistently shown improvements in nodulation and yield. We know how important molybdenum is on legumes and brassicas in most Kenyan soils so […]
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Two big yield limitations in coffee are: low soil pH Micronutrient deficiencies Years of applying acidic fertilizers in conjunction with leaching have caused many soils in coffee growing areas in Kenya to become very acidic. Low soil pH affects the crop in two ways:- Reduced Fertilizer Efficiency At low pH, fertilizers like Phosphorous (P) get bound […]
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Water is the essence of life. Regular water analysis testing, monitoring & compliance to water quality standards contributes to better well being, healthier communities and a thriving green planet. Flourishing agricultural, wildlife & forest ecosystems depend on availability of quality water. Water is not what it seems. Though it pours freely from the skies and […]
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In Africa, and especially in Kenya, high sodium soil is one of the major causes of yield losses, quality reduction and crop failure in irrigated agriculture. So today, in our first newsletter, we are going to talk about sodium in the soil. The Effect Of Soil Sodium Soils with a high percentage of sodium in […]
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Soil organic matter (SOM) is the organic matter component of soil, consisting of plant and animal remains at various stages of decomposition, cells and tissues of soil microbes, and substances that soil microbes synthesize (Wikipedia). In order to save the world from self-destruction, we need to move towards sustainable carbon friendly farming. Many farms in Kenya have already embarked on this journey. […]
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Fertigation is the application of fertilizer together with the irrigation water. The most common form of fertigation in Kenya is via drip irrigation. Fertigation provides precise nutrition, application flexibility, minimized loses & environmental protection. Fertigation Benefits The benefits of drip fertigation to plants are that nutrients are applied directly into the active root zone with […]
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Calcium Nitrate is an inorganic compound with the formula Ca(NO3)2 and is mainly used as a component in fertilizers. In soil and plant nutrition Calcium is King. Calcium Nitrate is the only cheapish non-reactive water soluble calcium fertilizer suitable for drip feeding fertigated crops, so it goes without saying that calcium nitrate is the sovereign of fertilizers. There are […]
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Fungicides are biocidal chemical compounds used to kill parasitic fungi or their spores. Fungi can cause serious damage in agriculture, resulting in critical losses of yield, quality, and profit. Fungicide Classification Fungicides are mostly known by their brand names. But when you want to get scientific about farming, it’s important to understand a bit more about which ones to use in different crops, and […]
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Fall Armyworm control methods discussed in this article are tested by Cropnuts independent Agronomy team. The recommendations given in this article are independent and are not biased to any fall armyworm insecticide company in any way. Fall Armyworm (FAW) or Spodoptera frugiperda , is a new emerging invasive pest that is wreaking havoc in Kenya and many […]
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