Participatory variety selection at Nyatike

Demonstration on best production practices

Demonstration on best production practices

Farmer field school at Nyatike

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NJORO

The KALRO-JAICAF trial at Njoro is progressing well. It’s weeded and only varieties Gazelle and Kensoy 009 have not attained 50% flowering.

KALRO soybean varieties on display

KALRO soybean varieties on display

Participatory variety selection at Nyatike

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James Njoroge PNo. 3453(2363)

KALRO-JAICAF trial at Njoro

KALRO-JAICAF trial at Njoro

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Fifth trip to Migori 10th -13th January 2017

The objective of making this trip was to carry out harvesting and collect harvest data on soybean trials at Kuja irrigation scheme at Nyatike and the soybean variety trial at Ragana near Migori. During the visit, I was also to observe and recommend on soybean pests that were damaging soybean crop in the farmers’ fields in Ragana and Sirare areas of Migori County.

NYATIKE

There were four trials to be harvested (Spacing in double rows, Spacing in triple rows, Weeding regime, Fertilizer (DAP) rates of application), Exhibition (DAP use and weeding) and demonstration plots on KARLO varieties. The trials were harvested in the same format where 0.5m was left out on each end of the plot due to the border row effect. Each plot that was harvested composed of 3m long rows spread on two ridges. Data collected at harvest was on plant density per plot, plant height, number of pods per plant and number of seeds per pod. Apart from the plant density per plot, all other data was observed from a random sample of five soybean plants. The spacing trials and the DAP fertilizer rates trial had uniform maturity. The exhibition and the weed trials expressed non-uniform maturity due to the impact of weeds. Plots that were not weeded especially in the exhibition plots had non-uniform maturity, were difficult to harvest and had been damaged by rodents.

Status of trials at Nyatike before harvest

Non-uniform maturity in plots that were not weeded

Removing 0.5m border row Taking the plant height using a ruler

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