Author - Graduate Farmer

Tips for Transplanting Seedlings

There are a number of benefits of planting your own seedlings. Starting your own seed gives you more control over the variety of plants that you can start. Starting your own seed is also considerably less expensive than buying seedlings which cost roughly between Ksh 1.86- Ksh 2 per crop. You also have the option to mix your own soil to ensure that plants are being grown organically, and without chemical fertilisers. Your own soil mix is generally less expensive as well. When you plant your own seeds, you have a better chance of avoiding common diseases and problems that may afflict plants bought in the garden center. Some diseases spread easily, especially in crowded conditions where plants are touching. You also have more control over the strength of your plants compared to those in the seedling company.
Seedling Trays

Prepare the Soil

Make sure that the soil is of good quality. The soil that you transplant into should be loose and able to hold moisture while also being able to drain properly. You can help accomplish this by adding organic matter to the soil such as compost, peat moss or well-aged manure. Also check the pH of the soil to make sure that it is balanced. Vegetables can tolerate some range in alkalinity and acidity of the soil. However, many plants prefer neutral to slightly acidic soil. The pH can be measured using a testing kit or pH meter that can be purchased in any garden supply store. Transplants need to be hardened off before planting. Because they have been raised indoors, they are not yet acclimated to the cold and wind that they will encounter when placed into the garden. Hardening off is the process of exposing plants gradually to the elements. This means that a week or so before the last frost, you should place plants outside for a few hours each day. Start with a shady and somewhat protected spot and gradually introduce your plants to more of the elements.

Keep a Journal

It is a smart idea at this point to keep a garden journal. In it, you can keep track of what you plant, where you plant, and when you plant each year. You can also journal about any problems that you have each year.

Prevent Shock

Transplants should be transferred to the ground during a cooler time. You can plant on a cloudy day or later in the afternoon.

Water

Water holes where plants will go until the ground is wet. This helps to loosen the soil so that the plant can easily take root. It is also important to water the plants once they are set in the garden.

Be Kind to Roots

When removing plants from the pots where they have started, be very careful when removing them. Tender roots are easily torn when they are removed.

Watch Carefully

During the first two weeks, it is important to pay close attention to transplants. They are especially vulnerable during this time. They may require more water or extra shade on a sunny, warm day.

Food Security threatened as farmers move to other more lucrative jobs

The increase in the number of farmers opting to subsidize their incomes through engaging in other money venturing activities, is putting a risk on the country's food security.

Policy makers are now calling to East Africa governments to remedy the negative effects by instituting policies that encourage farmers to participate in agriculture production even while engaging in other activities. This will be for example policies that fosters processing and commercialization of agriculture produce at the local area which will give farmers incentives not to abandon or sell off their farms.

This is according to a research recently published by the Partnership for Economic Research (PEP) carried out to initiate policy dialogue on the trade-offs that accrue as a result of reduced farm activities by farmers especially in areas considered high agriculture productive areas.

 We are seeing the trend where more people are opting to be example boda boda riders or market traders instead of putting their labour into farming.

And what they earn from this 'off-farm' activities, they put into family consumption like buying clothes, food, education and better health and hardly invest in their farms. What we have found is that this results to lower agriculture productivity and therefore less food at the community and ultimately the Country level," says Dr Laura Barasa, the lead researcher, and economist and lecturer at the University of Nairobi, School of Economics.

The research published in February 2019, is titled "How integrating pro-agriculture and pro-welfare policies can enhance farmer's production and welfare in Uganda and Tanzania," used secondary data from the Living Standards Measurement Study-Integrated Surveys on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA), from Tanzania (2008-2012), and Uganda (2009-2011).  These research is also applicable to the Kenyan context.

Other researchers on the study were Bethuel Kinyanjui, Stephene Maende and Faith Mariera all from the University of Nairobi.

The stakeholders gathered in Nairobi to discuss the research findings, want East African governments to increase budgetary allocations to Agriculture from below 5 percent in Kenya, below 4 percent inUganda and a partly 0.85 percent in Tanzania.

We should think of Agriculture and Manufacturing as complementing and not as competing entities. They are co-dependent and one should not be favoured over the other. We need to encourage farmers to continue with production through subsidies for farming inputs e.g. seeds, fertilizer, value addition, commercializing of agricultural output and cash transfer programs. - Dr Barasa.

This public under investment in agriculture, and the sector's importance to economic growth and poverty alleviation, particularly in Africa, was acknowledged in the African Union's Maputo Declaration of 2003, under which signatory nations including Kenya committed to allocate 10 per cent of government expenditures to agriculture and rural development.

This was emphasized at the Malabo Declaration of 2014, in which signatory nations re-committed to the 10 per cent goal. Even so, only four countries led by Malawi at 15.8 per cent have reached this threshold.

Findings from the recent research show that farmers are moving away from investing in their farms as they look to supplement their incomes and improve their family lifestyles. Climatic changes, low credit access and marketing challenges have resulted to agriculture being shunned as it is seen as a high-risk with low returns venture.

About 20 percent of households engage in off-farm activities (mining, government jobs eg teachers, manufacturing, transport, trade, agro-processing, retail trading etc).

Compared to on-farm households, the total value of agricultural harvest for households participating in off-farm activities is about 83 percent lower for Tanzania and 29 percent lower for Uganda. In contrast, consumption expenditure for households participating in off-farm activities is about 26 percent greater than for households engaging in on-farm activity for Tanzania only.

These effects are considered negative to food security.

The future of smallholder farming in Kenya lies in the measures taken to stimulate rural non-farm economy.  There is need to provide jobs for those exiting farming to minimize rural-urban migration; provide favorable rural investment climate to stop arable land being sold-off for real estate; and provision of public goods and institutional development.- Joseph Opiyo, a Senior research assistant and Agriculture Economist at Egerton University, Tegemeo Institute of Agricultural policy and development.

The institute recently released a study titled, 'How off-farm work and fertilizer intensification improves production outcomes among smallholder farmers in Kenya.' The research looked at Tea, Maize and vegetables farmer's likelihood to use fertilizer when actively engaged in farming or when working elsewhere to supplement their income.

The research concluded that maize farmers are likely to engage in non-farm activities and use less fertilizer in their crops therefore reducing their earnings in the farm.

Non-farm work has put pressure on the availability of farm labour. If we are to be food sufficient we should start reversing this now. We need to recognize that both are important and look for ways to make both lucrative.- Opiyo.

 This discussion is especially critical as Kenya pushes towards the Big Four Agenda with a push towards manufacturing and food security. Tanzania and Uganda too have recently implemented policies that promote off-farm employment as a path to growth. The East African Community (EAC) has also been keen on formulating harmonized policies aimed at increasing productivity and farmers' incomes.

The research was sponsored by Partnerships for Economic Policy (PEP)- http://www.pep-net.org, through funding from Department of International Development (DFiD), UKAid and International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada.

Best way to grow Carrots

Irrigation

Carrots have different requirements from those of other vegetables. The first has to do with irrigation. The carrot plant has a very deep root system; it grows down much further than the tip of the tap root (the part we consume). The total length of the system can easily exceed 2m. These are the fine roots that source the water and nutrients. Irrigating down to this depth would take about 200mm of water if the soil is dry. This is clearly impractical in a mixed vegetable patch, so irrigate to a depth of about 30cm, and rely on good rain to soak deeper into the soil. Too many farmers irrigate frequently, but lightly. This may work for many other vegetables, but not for carrots, and you’ll end up with a small yield of short carrots. Use a farm trowel or other suitable tool to check the moisture content of the soil before irrigating. Check it again the day after irrigating to ensure it is moist enough. Irrigating every five to seven days is about right.

Loose Soil

A compacted soil layer will restrict growth. If the soil is compacted, push a garden fork to full length and pull it back lightly to loosen the soil. The next requirement is mulch. Carrot seeds are small, so sow them in shallow furrows in rows. Then cover the rows with a thin layer of lawn clippings or suitable mulch, just thick enough to conserve moisture and prevent crusting, while still allowing the plants to grow through. A light daily irrigation with a watering can may be necessary until the plants emerge. Thereafter, irrigate to the 30cm depth.

Thinning

As carrot seed is small and usually cheap, it is easy to sow them too densely. If this happens, thin out the emerging plants. This is crucial; contrary to popular belief, the sunlight harvested by the leaves is far more important than the area occupied by the roots. Aim for a population of between 800 plants/m² and 1 000 plants/m² of bed surface. Rows 20cm apart should give 20 plants/m of row. Thin out the plants when they are at the four-leaf stage and after irrigating. At this stage, you can properly see what you are doing and the thinned plants are easy to uproot. Carrots can be harvested when still quite young. When ready, they can last in the soil for quite some time, enabling one planting to give an extended harvest season.

How to select the right sprinkler system

Sprinkler Head Type

The types of heads utilized on a specific project are determined by the dimensions of the area being covered, the water pressure available for operation, and a variety of other factors. Choose between a spray or rotor.

Spray Heads

Spray heads spray water in specific circular patterns and can be changed at your discretion. Spacing between sprinklers varies depending upon the specific nozzle that is installed in the head. To operate efficiently, units should rarely be spaced further than 15 ft apart and should be supplied with 20-30 PSI of water pressure. Ideal for smaller, fragmented, hard-to-reach areas, these heads discharge 2-3 times the water of a rotor.

Rotors

Rotor heads also disperse water in circular patterns. However, these are used to cover larger areas of un-interrupted space. Small rotors tend to cover radii of 15-52 feet and large rotors can be designed to cover radii of up to 100 feet. To operate efficiently, rotors need to be supplied with more water pressure than spray heads. The PSI level should approximately equal the space between each installed unit. There are two basic types of rotary heads, categorized by the mechanism that causes the sprinkler to rotate. These types are impact rotors and gear-driven rotors.

Sprinkler Head Design

Once you have chosen either a spray or a rotor, you must next determine what sprinkler style will best meet the needs of your irrigation area. Choose between either a pop-up or fixed design.

Pop-Up

This is the most common design selected by consumers. Installed below the ground, the sprinkler head remains out of sight while inactive. Accordingly, it will not corrupt or compromise the aesthetic beauty of your landscape. Furthermore, there wont be any pipes sticking out of the ground for you and your children to either destroy or trip over. Once the sprinkler system is turned on, a small portion of the head will emerge above the surface to disperse water to the irrigation area.

KBL Demand for Sorghum pushes up farmer profits

Kenya Breweries Limited (KBL)'s entry into the sorghum market for keg beer production holds the potential to raise farmers' profitability by up to 220 percent and contribute to addressing food insecurity, according to a newly published research paper.

In line with the government's Big 4 Agenda on food security and manufacturing, and given their extensive experience contracting over 45,000 sorghum farmers in Kenya, KBL partnered with Egerton University's Tegemeo Institute to produce a research paper titled "Sorghum Production In Kenya" with the objective of sharing knowledge and best practices.

The paper details how sorghum crop has resurged to claim its place as both a cash crop and the growing potential to provide food security solutions. It evaluates sorghum production in Kenya, farmer characteristics, availability of inputs, and opportunities for sorghum growers in the global market.

 

"We are not only providing a ready market with our forward contracts with over 45k farmers, but also playing a catalytic role to inject growth and recognition of the sorghum crop" said Jane Karuku, KBL managing director, during the launch event. "The introduction of Senator Keg beer provided a pull factor for sorghum to claim its space as a cash crop"

She added, "Our belief is that the cro

(From Left) EABL Group Corporate Relations Director Eric Kiniti , in company of Kenya Breweries Limited Managing Director Jane Karuku, Principal Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation Prof. Fred Sigor and Director Tegemeo Institute, Egerton University Dr. Ayieko Miltone, showcase the newly launched white paper on sorghum production in Kenya by KBL during a forum on accelerating growth in the agricultural sector held at the University of Nairobi towers.

p will develop further to continue offering food security and income from selling locally and even globally to improve standards of living in Kenya"

KBL and Tegemeo Institute launched the paper during a forum on 'Sorghum Farming' at the University of Nairobi attended by Principal Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation Prof Fred Segor and other key stakeholders in the agricultural sector.

 "One such crop that has the potential to eradicate poverty and end severe food insecurity is sorghum. This is because sorghum is tolerant to drought and can survive under a wide range of soils" says the report. "The expanding demand for sorghum beer targeting low income consumers as a cheap and safe alternative to illicit liquors has been a pull factor in the sorghum beer value chain. This has created vast opportunities among value chain actors"

The Principal Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation commended KBL's efforts towards improving sorghum farming in Kenya and encouraged more public-private partnerships in order to tap into the potential of sorghum as a cash crop and a solution to food insecurity.

"We are happy with the work that KBL is doing towards promoting sorghum farming in the country and creating earning opportunities for thousands of farmers across the country. This a good example of corporates that are contributing to the realization of the Big 4 Agenda; having contracted over 45,000 sorghum farmers across the country," said Prof Fred Segor.

"With the onset of climate change, the launch of the white paper has come at an opportune time when we are encouraging farmers to grow drought resistant crops such as sorghum. The onus is on us as stakeholders in the agriculture sector to realize the importance of crops such as sorghum in attaining food security and join hands in driving growth in production and utilization," added Segor.

Head of Spectral Labs, Centre for Soils and Fertilizer research In Africa (CESFRA), Mercy Nyambura (Left) in company of Land Health Scientist, World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) Dr Ermias Ayenkulu (Right) share critical information about Sila Sorghum seedlings and environmental challenges with Philomina Nkatha, a farmer from Meru county. This was during the launch of a white paper on sorghum production in Kenya by KBL.
 

KBL Managing Director Jane Karuku assured farmers and partners on the company's commitment to continue promoting white sorghum production in the country.

 "We are leading in the drive for sorghum commercialization in Kenya through contractual farming, and are committed to continue providing support and a ready market to our farmers. We also want to encourage further partnerships with the government and within the private sector. Thus the reason the forum discussions were important in driving this agenda and by bringing agriculture experts together," added Karuku.

Data from the paper shows that there are approximately 40,000 small-scale sorghum farmers with farm sizes ranging from 0.4 to 0.6 Ha (1 to 1.5 acres) in the country. The introduction of sorghum beer in the market has provided an opportunity to improve production and welfare for sorghum farmers.

As part of their sustainability strategy to acquire 100 per cent of raw materials from local sources by 2020, and to meet the high demand for Senator Keg, KBL aims to double the market for sorghum as a cash crop from 20,000 metric tonnes to around 40,000 tonnes in the next five years.

How to succeed in vegetable farming

When you first read or hear about farming success stories the first thing that goes through your mind is how farming can also work for you. The media makes farming in Kenya (especially horticulture) so easy but there are a lot of factors that you need to take into consideration before investing all your money into growing crops.
  • Soil Testing and Compositing
You need to test your soil before you start growing anything on your farm. There are many soil testing companies in Kenya and all you have to do is give them a call, pay a small fee and get a breakdown of your soil. This will help you know the status of your soil and you can improve it to get better yields. Once you have the tests you can now begin making improvements on your farm based on the recommendations listed in the report. A good way to do this is by adding compost to your soil. Compost is an inexpensive alternative to chemical fertilizers, and it is less likely to harm sensitive roots. Chemical fertilizers can be extremely harsh on plants. It also enriches soil, helping retain moisture and suppress plant diseases and pests. Encourages the production of beneficial bacteria and fungi that break down organic matter to create humus, a rich nutrient-filled material.
  • Planning
General farm planning is a crucial step that should not be skipped. Don’t try to briefly analyze your farm performance, expenses and profit in your mind and rush into planting. Put everything in writing and calculate all the risks and opportunities you have. Create a solid, realistic business plan that is specifically suited for you. Please remember what works for another farmer in Kenya may not work for you. Get his right and choose the crop that works for you. Asses your market and put all this in your farm business plan. This will help you as you move forward.
  • Planting
Before planting, there’s a lot of planning such as how long it will take the plant to grow and whether it is in season. You have to make sure your read the instructions to know how far apart the seeds should be planted. It only takes a quick minute to learn how to plant seeds. I like planting because once it starts growing, you get all excited because all your hard work is sprouting. If you not always on the farm make sure you have a good, experienced farm manager who will take care of the plants for you. I insist, look for a GOOD, EXPERIENCED farm manager. This guy will play a big part in your farm success. You should also invest in a water timer to make work efficient and get insurance of your crops getting water in days the manager or you will not be around.
  • Watering
Watering is one of the most important parts of farming. We always water the plants after planting the seeds to “tell” the plants it is time to grow. After a few days, you will see a little sprout come out. To make sure the plants have enough water, we set up irrigation lines (Drip irrigation and sprinklers).  If the plants don’t have enough water, they will grow slower, and the quality of the production won’t be as good as the ones that do have enough water. Also, plants can die from lack of water. We don’t water the beds when it is hot because it would dry up quickly. Morning and evening are the best times for watering plants.
  • Weeding
Weeds are usually a big nuisance! As soon as you clear out a patch of weeds, they grow right soon after, like a lizard’s tail.  Weeds interfere with your farm objective and lower your chances of getting a good harvest drastically. They compete for resources with your plants thus draining them making them unproductive. Make sure to weed at least 2-3 times per season.
  • Harvesting
When you harvest, you have to make sure that you don’t damage the leaves by soaking them in too much water when you wash them. You also have to make sure that you pull the plant by the roots and that the roots come out. Then you can cut them. For local vegetable which are harvested weekly, make sure you break the leaves cleanly to avoid damage to the whole crop. You also have to make them look presentable so that people will want to buy them. Make them look good.  

Critical harvest and handling factors you should consider

When most people in Kenya get into farming for the first time they tend to overlook a lot of things. One of those things are the specifics of harvesting and storage. Critical harvest and handling factors for fruits and vegetables involve two overlapping considerations; the first includes maintaining product quality, while the second is ensuring food safety. All fruits and vegetables should be handled carefully to avoid bruises, skinning, damage due to impact and compression injury, and friction damage. Farmers in Kenya must be trained to harvest produce without causing damage. Injuries can occur at the time of harvest if care is not taken. These injuries can include finger bruises, inappropriate removal of plant parts, e.g. stems from the fruit, and impact bruising if produce is dropped into picking containers. Finger bruising of produce e.g. strawberries, may not show up for several hours. Even short drops can damage fruits and vegetables. Containers used for produce should be clean to avoid any possibility of chemical contamination. High pressure wash, rinse, and sanitize all containers prior to use. Clean containers should be covered to avoid contamination after cleaning. Containers should not have rough surfaces that can damage produce. Damaged or spoiled produce should be left in the field to reduce contamination by decay organisms. Containers must be appropriate for the product; shallow for soft fruit, for example, to avoid compression damage. Over-filling of containers can further damage product, and increase damage if containers are stacked. Most fruits and vegetables are damaged by heat and sunlight after harvest, and storage potential of short lived and highly perishable products can be greatly reduced. When possible, highly perishable fruits and vegetables should be harvested during the morning when product temperatures are lowest. Harvesting early in the day can be especially important if refrigeration capacity is limited. One exception is watermelon where it is recommended that harvest is later in the day to reduce chances of cracking. Regardless, produce should be moved out of the farm as efficiently as possible, with frequent trips to avoid rapid warming of produce on the top layers of containers. If produce cannot be taken directly to a packing shed/store you should provide a temporary shade to prevent excessive warming. A number of approaches can be taken including:
  1. Providing shade in the field by utilizing shady areas under plants/trees but remember that shady areas change during the day. Make sure to cover the containers.
  2. You can construct a temporary shade net structure for putting vegetables under such circumstances.
  3. For short trips to your local market, use covered trucks to transport produce from the field.
Fruits and vegetables should be transported carefully to avoid damage. In addition to impact damage that can occur by allowing fruits and vegetables to bounce around, friction damage can occur as a result of products moving against each other and against container walls. All produce should be washed before selling to the consumer. However if you are selling to brokers, you can load it to their trucks directly from the farm. There is also risk of washing produce in bulk which may spread decay-causing organisms and reduce shelf life.

The best time to run your sprinklers

If you use sprinklers to irrigate your farm, then it is very important that you use them effectively. Good use of sprinklers can in fact save water while helping your vegetables to grow even better. Always make sure your sprinklers are in good working order at the start of the dry season. You can get the help of a local plumbing expert to check and confirm that everything is in good working order. If you are a “Do it yourself” kind of person you can check the performance of your sprinklers on your own. This will involve testing flow and ability to throw water, along with ensuring that there are no broken pieces which need to be attended to. Should anything be broken or out of order, then it can be taken care of before you begin. Most people usually use a tank alone to achieve pressure which fails to give good ranges with sprinklers. If possible, you should consider connecting your sprinklers to water pumps for more pressure and a good range. These will not be available for every farm, but those who have the options should definitely take it. Using pressure is generally quicker as well and gets the job done on time thus saving power or fuel.

The right time to use your sprinklers

Another good thing to do with your sprinklers is set them to go off early in the morning and in the evening. Using your sprinklers during the day is ill advised, especially in dry areas in Kenya Watering your farm early in the morning will provide you with the greatest results for having healthy crops because the water will be able to soak into the ground before it evaporates. If you don't like waking up early to turn on your sprinkler, consider investing in an automatic timer. A timer will allow you to set the time period you want to start irrigation. It will sprinkler to run during this time, and it will let you sleep peacefully. A timer is also very useful especially when you are travelling and you don’t have anyone to take care of your farm. If you don't want to invest in a timer, there is the option of watering your farm in the evening between 4pm-6pm. Avoid running your sprinklers at night due to puddles that can form at night instead of draining properly with help from the sun.

4 farming technologies that might help you

FarmDrive Kenyan smallholder farmers face a challenge when accessing loans and financing from banks and other financial institutions. Financial institutions cite the high risk nature of the agricultural sector as a major catalyst to their shying off from offering loans. Lack of farm records on sales also scares off the financial institutions. It is common knowledge that an empty hand doesn't get licked. FarmDrive mobile application was founded in 2014 to provide detailed risk profiles off smallholder farmers to financial institutions. They do this through a credit score, generated by an algorithm which relies on data-sets collected from the farmers through their mobile handsets. When farmers sign up to the platform, either by SMS or the app, they are asked a number of questions that will then generate the farmer’s profile. Such information entails the farmer’s location, crops cultivated, size of the farm and assets. What is quite phenomenal about this app is the use of psychometric testing to determine a farmer’s character; necessary for proper profiling of the person they are working with. You might be familiar with the 4 Financial Personality Types, money has different utility as per the types. The farmers who qualify for loans, receive the loans via M-Pesa and pay back via M-Pesa. FarmDrive are currently engaging with Planet, a satellite company from Silicon Valley, and The Impact Lab, a Chicago-based data analytics firm to analyze the possibilities of using satellite images in predicting a farmer’s credibility for loans. DigiFarm Since its launch on October 2017, DigiFarm has registered on board over 700,000 farmers across nine counties with success stories from Makueni, Uasin Gishu, and Meru.  This allows the counties and National government source vital data for planning and resource allocation. DigiFarm is a Safaricom product whose main agenda is to enrich the small-holder farmer. DigiFarm aims to digitize the entire agriculture value chain from producer to final processor.  The initial step involves farm profiling. Farm profiling will help in transforming agriculture from the normal “copy paste” type of farming to precision farming; based on the farmer’s soils and ecological conditions. DigiFarm will provide farmers with access to information to help them understand the farming market structure such as what, when and how to plant to where they can take their harvest. A success story from the bread basket, Uasin Gishu County is the opening of the DigiFarm depot in Burnt Forest town which will provide farm inputs, access to agronomists who will advise the farmers on issues such as soil productivity and quality of seeds to boost yields. DigiFarm has partnerships with FarmDrive and iProcure so as to deliver a wholesome service package to the farmers. AgroCares Agrocares is a Dutch AgroTech company that was established back in 2013 in Wageningen under the name SoilCares. AgroCares offers innovative cloud based services & applications in a bid to promote precision farming. It measures real-time data on nutrients and other key parameters in soil (SoilCares), in feed (FeedCares) and in leaf (LeafCares) which ultimately leads to sustainable yield and production quality also increases. AgroCares has also developed a Scoutbox to identify and count harmful insects in greenhouses (InsectCares). They use their in-house monitoring tools and their mobile applications provide farmers with on-the-spot, fast, integrable and reliable data and customizable farm management recommendations. Innovation being key in their business model, AgroCares combine innovative sensor technology with data mining and modelling. They convert analytical data and sensor data into field and client specific recommendations. uLima The uLima application is designed to provide farmers across Africa with a toolset, information libraries, database and access to the latest marketing information. This is in the spirit of information sharing of best agricultural practices across the continent and foster excellence in Agriculture Industry, in which the continent thrives. The app has tailor-made solutions to every farmer in terms of crop calendars, offering step-by-step assistance from planting to post-harvest. The mobile app provides farmers with access to information on crops, seeds, soil, livestock, agro-chemicals, weather updates and market prices. The application is birthed from a Nairobi-based start-up company and was launched in February 2018 in Mombasa.

Tilapia in Farm Ponds (Part 2)

Male Mono-sex Culture Male tilapia fish are used for mono-sex culture because male tilapia grow faster than females. Females use considerable energy in egg production and do not eat when they are incubating eggs. Male mono-sex culture permits the use of longer culture periods, higher stocking rates and fingerlings of any age. High stocking densities reduce individual growth rates, but yields per unit area are greater. If the growing season can be extended, it should be possible to produce fish weighing 454 grams or more. Expected survival for all-male culture is 90 percent or greater. The percentage of females mistakenly included in a population of mostly male tilapia affects the maximum attainable size of the original stock in grow-out. For example, manually sexed T. nilotica fingerlings (90 percent males) stocked at 3,848/acre will cease growing after 5 months when they average about 365 grams because of competition from recruits. If larger fish are desired, females should comprise 4 percent or less of the original stock and predator fish should be included. The stocking rate for male mono-sex culture varies from 4,000 to 20,000/ acre or more. At proper feeding rates, densities around 4,000/acre allow the fish to grow rapidly without the need for supplemental aeration. About 6 months are required to produce 500-gram fish from 50-gram fingerlings, with a growth rate of 2.5 grams/day. Total production approaches 1,996 Kg/acre. A stocking rate of 8,000/acre is frequently used to achieve yields as high as 3,992 Kg/acre. At this stocking rate the daily weight gain will range from 1.5 to 2.0 grams. Culture periods of 200 days or more are needed to produce large fish that weigh close to 500 grams. Stocking rates of 12,000 to 20,000/acre have been used in 1.2 to 2.5-acre ponds, but this requires the continuous use of two to four, one-horse power paddle-wheel aerators per pond. Yields for a single crop range from 6 to 10 tons/acre. With optimal temperatures, feeding rates depend on fish size and density. Optimal daily feeding rates for fish of 30,50, 100, 175 and 450 grams are 3.5, 3.0, 2.5, 2.0 and 1.5 percent of body weight, respectively. If densities are high, sub-optimal feeding rates may have to be used to maintain suitable water quality, thereby increasing culture duration.

Polyculture

Tilapia are frequently cultured with other species to take advantage of many natural foods available in ponds and to produce a secondary crop, or to control tilapia recruitment. Polyculture uses a combination of species that have different feeding niches to increase overall production without a corresponding increase in the quantity of supplemental feed. Polyculture can improve water quality by creating a better balance among the microbial communities of the pond, resulting in enhanced production. The disadvantage of polyculture is the special equipment (sorting devices, conveyors, etc.) and extra labor needed to sort the different species at harvest. The role of natural pond foods is less important in the intensive culture of all male populations and may not justify the expense of sorting the various species at harvest. Another type of poylculture involves the use of a predatory fish, such as African Catfish, to reduce tilapia recruit recruitment. Stocking predators with mixed-sex tilapia populations controls recruitment and allows the original stock to attain a larger market size. Predators must be stocked at a small size to prevent them from eating the original stock. Predators may be stocked when tilapia begin breeding. The number of predators required to control tilapia recruitment in culture ponds depends primarily on the maximum attainable size of the predator species, the ability of the predator to reproduce, and the number of mature female tilapia. In general, as predators grow they eat larger sized tilapia recruits. Eventually this may result in an increasing biomass of small tilapia that are not consumed. However, this problem should not develop in ponds that are completely harvested one or more times a year.