In 1996, Cassava Mosaic Disease in Western Kenya depressed productivity and de-stabilized markets. The study assesses the effectiveness of breeding and disseminating CMD-resistant varieties in westernKenya by determining the extent of adoption and impact on farmers' income of the new varieties vis-àvis the level of investment in the program as well as the factors that influenced their adoption. Results show that the new varieties significantly increased production and marketing potential of cassava ...

Cassava production in Uganda and western Kenya has been hit hard by the cassava mosaic disease (CMD) epidemic. In response, CMD resistant cassava varieties are currently released on a wide scale. The new varieties yield up to 3 times more than the local varieties. These high yield levels will put major pressure on soil nutrient stocks. Using a local variety, an average farmer will harvest about 10 t ha-1 fresh roots, thereby removing 26 kg N, 3 kg P and 19 kg K per hectare. Using a good CMD-resistant ...

Much of the technical work on integrated soil nutrient management in sub-Saharan Africa has not considered the determinants of farmers’ adoption decisions. It is important that technical research on these integrated soil nutrient management options be guided by consideration of the factors that determine farmers’ decisions to combine organic and inorganic nutrients. Economists investigating consumer demand have accumulated considerable evidence showing that the observed decision choice on an ...

Aflatoxins produced by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus are common contaminants of peanut (Arachis hypogea) and a major threat to consumers, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. Aflatoxin contamination is a serious concern given their hepatotoxic properties and their widespread occurrence during cultivation, harvest, drying, storage, transit and distribution. Preharvest infection by A. flavus is the major cause of aflatoxin contamination in peanut. Its prevention is a complicated task ...

Agriculture is a primary driver for economic development in Africa. African agriculture must benefit from the research that can be conducted with the full arsenal of cutting-edge scientific tools to ensure food security, minimization of risk and the creation of wealth. The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is committed to assisting the African agricultural sector realize its potential through a research-for-development approach that ensures that innovative technologies reach ...

Globalization, including new international tr ade standards and regulations, has placed sig- nificant constraints on competitiveness in a nd access to international markets for develop- ing countries, especially those in Sub-Sahara n Africa. Agricultural commodities from these regions must overcome problems ranging from lower productivity and product quality to higher per unit transportation costs, and lo wer capacity to manage product flow from sup- pliers to ...

This report presents the results of the baseline study undertaken to assess the status of Striga damage, the general livelihoods and livelihood strategies of the rural poor in western Kenya. A stratified random sampling method led to the selection of 8 districts, 16 sub-locations, 32 villages and 800 households. A combination of techniques for data collection was used, including literature review, GPS recordings, focus group discussions and interview of individual ...