Smart farms

: 26 October 2021; Hits: 10032

Fact sheet on controlling deadly potato cyst nematodes

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By George Munene

Using artificial and natural nematicides smallholder farmers in Kenya can control the potato cyst nematodes (PCN), a pest that causes yield losses by at least 80 per cent.

In a study of 20 potato growing counties in Kenya Potato Cyst Nematodes (PCNs) were obtained in 71.8 per cent of the counties with Nyandarua County at 47.6 per cent recording the highest PCN field-incidence.The situation is further compounded by the fact the Shangi potato variety grown by 65 per cent of farmers for its shorter dormancy and cooking time is the most susceptible to PCN.

Potatoes are the second most consumed food crop after maize in Kenya, however, production has been on the decline: on a landmass size of 133,532 hectares, the country produced 1.9 million tonnes of potatoes in 2015. Over a corresponding period in 2017 however, Kenya's potato production fell to 1.5 million tonnes off 192,341 hectares.

With Nyandarua being the country's potato basket, accounting for up to 40 per cent of the total production of potatoes, farmers in the county now produce 18 bags, from ¼ acre, down from the previous 30 bags.

PCN, first reported in Kenya in 2015, is classified by KEPHIS as a quarantine pest (a pest subject to official control and regulation due to the potential economic devastation it may present to an area) can lie dormant in soils for up to 20 years and infects 82 per cent of potatoes grown across 22 counties.

Potato plants affected by the PCN exhibit the following characteristics:

leaf discoloration/yellowing and wilting
root with cysts
uneven tuber sizes on one potato plant
reduction in the number of roots
dwarfing of potato tubers and the plant and,
reduction in the number of crops

The nematodes causing PCN are microscopic worms, measuring less than one millimeter in size, meaning they are only visible through a microscope lens. As these symptoms closely mimic water and nutrient deficiency in potatoes, farmers are often left none the wiser on what is causing a reduction in yields.

Potato cyst nematodes are spread by:

Importation of infected plants or plant materials and
locally, by the spread of cysts through soil, wind, water and vehicles

The total production of basic potato seeds in Kenya stands at 6,700 metric tonnes, short of the 30,000 metric tonnes required. According to KEPHIS, the informal sector in Kenya accounts for about 70 per cent of potato seeds propagated by farmers across the country, this makes the curbing of PCN almost impossible.

The easiest way of controlling potato cyst nematodes is the use of nematicides, which are chemical pesticides used to kill plant-parasitic nematodes. Most nematicides are however burned for being toxic to the environment.

Nematicides sold in Kenya include:

NEMATHORIN® 150EC
Adventure® 0.5% GR
Alonze® 50EC
Farmchance® 250 EC

Studies done in Kenya by scientists from The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture have found that covering potato planting seeds with banana paper laced with minimal doses of pesticides during planting deters PCN’s from reaching the potato seeds.

In studies by the University of Florida Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension department cropping in Marigold flowers into potatoes/cabbages has also been scientifically proven to reduce nematode attacks as they act as an alternative host for the nematodes, but produce natural compounds that act as nematicides. This kills the nematodes preventing them from breeding. In time, the nematode population slowly decreases.

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: 26 October 2021; Hits: 6311

Conservation agriculture halves ploughing costs while preserving soils

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By George Munene

Through the use of ripper ploughs in conservation agriculture farmers are able to halve their production cost while advantaging themselves in ways not accessible to farmers practicing traditional conventional agriculture.

“In conventional agriculture, land preparation before planting entails first ploughing, this in Western Kenya costs a farmer Sh3000 for every acre. This is then preceded by a second ploughing which costs a similar amount. After planting farmers often practice their first and second weeding; 10 hands can weed an acre of land with each paid Sh300 for the day's work. In all, this sets a farmer back Sh12,500,” explains Geoffrey Wanjala, a field agronomist who is also Busia’s Farmer Service Centers Senior Agribusiness Coordinator.

With ripping, in conservation agriculture farmers are whittling down this to just Sh5,500 an acre. This constitutes Sh2,500 in charges for hiring a tractor-mounted ripper; buying herbicides as well as the option of hiring spray service providers each costing Sh500. In maize farming, an additional Sh1,500 is used in weeding herbicides coupled with a similar Sh500 charge in spraying cost.

Ripping services are accessible to farmers across the country through satellite Farmer Service Centres available in 12 counties across the country. This is a network of over 300 agricultural extension workers that help farmers aggregate their ploughing land to make it commercially feasible for ploughing service providers to work on smaller land sizes. “We have availed this service to farmers across most counties in Western, Nyanza, Rift Valley and Eastern regions,” Wanjala says.

Moreover, conservation agriculture has many other advantages that include: preserving soil structure and the intactness of soil microorganisms as the soil is minimally tilled; increasing soil fertility; reduction of water erosion—rippers are fitted with tines that penetrate the soil to a depth of up to 30 centimeters, this increases water percolation and reduces water runoff. Also, by perforating deep into the soil profile, ripping gives crop roots access to leached minerals.

Disk ploughs and hand-held hoes can only reach a depth of 10-15 centimeters, this creates a hardpan that encourages erosion when it rains by preventing water from trickling into the soil. This hardpan also causes lateral rooting which means crops are easily susceptible to drought.

Moisture conservation in arid regions—decomposing crop residue forms mulch which cools the environment around the plant’s roots. It also provides warmth over the cold season improving crop performance.

Ripping creates furrows or rip lines where fertilisers and seeds are then sowed in manually or through use of tractor mounted planters. This further reduces production costs by eliminating the need for digging holes or furrows. “Once a farmer has conducted two or three ripping sessions which would have completely broken soil hardpans, they can entirely practice zero tillage which exerts even less in planting costs by totally doing away with ploughing,” Emmanuel says.

Rippers are however limited in their use as they cannot be used to break ground for crops such as potatoes which first require to be ploughed vertically with chisel ploughs to break hard pans before ripping.

As more farmers embrace the use of ripping in land preparation, Wanjala argues the technology’s costs are only bound to reduce; “ripper mounted tractors consume less fuel than the ones fitted with disc ploughs. This makes their operationalisation far cheaper for ploughing service providers. There is currently a dearth of ripper ploughs but as more farmers opt for the use of this technology there is bound to be a corresponding increase in its service provider which will lead to a reduction in the pricing of ripping services,” he argues.

Farmer Service Centre

Geoffrey Wanjala: 0710454130

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: 25 October 2021; Hits: 6812

How to get your hands on affordable second hand EU tractors

Tractor imports

By George Munene

A computer operations supervisor by profession, Peter Musakali has cut a niche for himself within the agriculture space in helping farmers source for and acquire European second-hand tractors and agricultural equipment which are less than half the cost of newly bought tractors.

“A new tractor bought from a dealer in Kenya costs about Sh3.5M; this puts mechanised farming out of the reach of most of our farmers. An imported second-hand tractor costs between Sh 1.1 and 1.3M, making it preeminently more affordable to farmers,” he illuminated.

According to the Malabo Montpellier Panel in a report titled Mechanised - Transforming Africa's Agriculture Value Chains, despite accounting for 60 per cent of the world total unused arable land and the most favourable climate for farming, Africa is the region with the least mechanised agricultural system in the world... African farmers having ten times fewer mechanised tools per farm area than farmers in other developing regions. Affordability was cited as the main reason for this shortfall.

Having been in what he describes as his side hustle since 2007, he helps 6-10 farmers acquire their exact pick of Ex-UK tractors every month.

Musakali cautions farmers who are looking to acquire tractors from outside the country not to be taken in by good-looking pictures online. “You have to build working relationships and conduct thorough due diligence,” he cautioned.

He sits at a unique vantage point to do this; “through established contacts across Europe I have access to sellers and people I've worked with for years who examine the agri-machinery before purchase to verify that everything is in good working order and ascertain that the pictures I have match what is on the ground, explained Peter.

At least once every he also visits Europe to collect the references of farmers that may be looking to dispose of their tractors.

He counsels farmers looking to buy imported tractors need to be cognizant of four categories the tractors come in:

Standard farm used tractors which he deals with are bought worn but in the exact state, they were in off the assembly line. They have never been ‘opened up’ or repaired.

Preconditioned tractors. These are tractors that were faulty and have had to be ‘opened up’. They are repaired, repainted, and visibly new.

Tractor parts are also imported into the country from disparate places before being assembled.

Lastly, there's the farm used tractors.

Being agricultural equipment, tractors are only charged a 14% VAT and exempt from both customs and excise duty.

Older tractors also come with generators which were replaced with alternators in the 1990s. While generators can still power the machine, alternators are more efficient and easier to fix. An alternator costs about Sh4,500.

Peter exclusively deals in John Dear, Ford and Massey Ferguson tractors. These are the trusted brand names farmers seek out.

Their manufacture dates range from between 1960 to early 80s. This is also a factor of market demand; “Kenyan farmers are still wedded to ancient tractors--older machines are durable and farmers trust the brand models they grew up seeing till their farms,” he said.

Most of these tractors he pointed out have been overtaken with time and would not meet current European manufacturing standards. ” Kenyan farmers are however apprehensive about buying semi-automatic tractors or even ones with gear sticks on the steering wheel or to the side. Getting them to move off the ‘tried and tested' is not an easy feat, Peter lamented.”

With time however he hopes to see a steady march of farmers seeking out more modern tractors; “There was a time you could not get anyone to buy an automatic car, now you would struggle to find one stocked in a showroom,” he said.

Peter Musakali: 0722701981/ 0752701981

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