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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Maize varieties grown in Kenya, their strong attributes and their vulnerabilities, especially to certain pests & diseases as tested in our maize crop trials. Maize Variety List Pannar 691 Maize Variety Still arguably the standard for yield despite being released in 2001. In most highland areas it requires 160 days to maturity. Good disease resistance […]
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Top dressing fertilizer for maize works best when the timing is key; ie. when it is applied at the correct crop growth stage and at the recommended rate. This is why: For maize, Urea application timing depends on an understanding of the key growth stages. As many crops reach top dressing timing, we look at […]
Read MoreCrop Nutrition Laboratory Services, Limuru, off Limuru road, P.O. Box 66437-00800 Nairobi – Kenya
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