Downy mildew, Peronospora sparsa, is among the most feared diseases in industrial rose production in the highland tropics. Outbreaks are triggered when the presence of inoculum coincides with high relative humidity (> 85%, > 3-4 hrs), cool temperatures (10-18°C) and free moisture on the leaves persist for four hours or more. Young apical tissue is […]
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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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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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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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Agriculture in Kenya is on it’s way up but not without serious productivity challenges and limitations. What can we do to overcome these challneges and become a food secure nation? Ruth Vaughan investigates.. The modern world takes food for granted. Historically the struggle to find or produce enough food to eat was the focus for […]
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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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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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On 14th December 2019, a new EU plant health regulation ((EU) 2016/2031) comes into operation bringing rigorous new rules to prevent the introduction and spread of pests and diseases of plants in the EU. EU Phytosanitary Certificate Countries exporting fruit and vegetables to the EU must take action to ensure that all consignments are in […]
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Avocado farming in Kenya and around the globe is gaining prominence partly because of the nutritious benefits of the avocado fruit. But where does one start in farming these delicious fruit? Full of flavor, packing a high nutrient punch and neatly protected by its own skin, it is no wonder that the amazing avocado is […]
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Is potato farming profitable? What are the potato fertilizer nutrient recommendations? What potato diseases and pests are likely to affect my crop? Are there potato virus diseases and what are their control methods? Ruth Vaughan, delves into all your questions.. Irish potato farming in Kenya & Africa at large is gaining ground as demand for […]
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Plant viruses are viruses that affect plants. Like all other viruses, plant viruses are obligate intracellular parasites that do not have the molecular machinery to replicate without a host. Plant viruses are pathogenic to higher plants. They can cause a dramatic decrease in yield, quality and shelf life and even plant death. Plant virus are made up of a strand of nucleic acid (DNA or […]
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French beans, also known as snap or green beans, and locally in Kenya as mishiri, are a major export crop. Interest in french beans farming is fast-growing for both fresh consumption and processing
Read MoreCrop Nutrition Laboratory Services, Limuru, off Limuru road, P.O. Box 66437-00800 Nairobi – Kenya
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