Forage diversity and fertiliser adoption in Napier grass production among smallholder dairy farmers in Kenya

cg.authorship.typesNot CGIAR developing country instituteen_US
cg.contributor.affiliationKenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organizationen_US
cg.contributor.donorEuropean Unionen_US
cg.coverage.countryKenyaen_US
cg.coverage.iso3166-alpha2KEen_US
cg.coverage.regionAfricaen_US
cg.coverage.regionSub-Saharan Africaen_US
cg.coverage.regionEastern Africaen_US
cg.howPublishedFormally Publisheden_US
cg.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.17170/kobra-202110274962en_US
cg.issn2363-6033en_US
cg.issue2en_US
cg.journalJournal of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Tropics and Subtropicsen_US
cg.reviewStatusPeer Reviewen_US
cg.subject.ilriAGRICULTUREen_US
cg.subject.ilriANIMAL FEEDINGen_US
cg.subject.ilriANIMAL PRODUCTIONen_US
cg.subject.ilriCLIMATE CHANGEen_US
cg.subject.ilriCROP-LIVESTOCKen_US
cg.subject.ilriDAIRYINGen_US
cg.subject.ilriDROUGHTen_US
cg.subject.ilriFODDERen_US
cg.subject.ilriFOOD SECURITYen_US
cg.subject.ilriFORAGESen_US
cg.subject.ilriLIVELIHOODSen_US
cg.subject.ilriLIVESTOCKen_US
cg.subject.sdgSDG 2 - Zero hungeren_US
cg.subject.sdgSDG 8 - Decent work and economic growthen_US
cg.subject.sdgSDG 13 - Climate actionen_US
cg.volume122en_US
dc.contributor.authorNjarui, D.M.en_US
dc.contributor.authorGatheru, M.en_US
dc.contributor.authorNdubi, J.M.en_US
dc.contributor.authorGichangi, Anne Wen_US
dc.contributor.authorMurage, A.M.en_US
dc.date.accessioned2021-12-20T13:40:29Zen_US
dc.date.available2021-12-20T13:40:29Zen_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10568/116895en_US
dc.titleForage diversity and fertiliser adoption in Napier grass production among smallholder dairy farmers in Kenyaen_US
dcterms.abstractFeed scarcity is one of the major challenges affecting smallholder dairy production in Kenya. Forages are the foundation of livestock nutritional requirements; forage diversification and fertiliser are intensification options that can increase productivity. A sample of 316 and 313 smallholder farmers were surveyed in eastern midlands and central highlands of Kenya, respectively, to establish the types of forages cultivated and the factors that influence fertiliser adoption in Napier grass ( Cenchrus purpureus Schumach.) production. Independent t -tests were applied to compare the effect of continuous variables on social economic and institutional characteristics between adopters and non-adopters on fertiliser and area allocated to different forages. Chi-square tests were used to compare nominal variables for the proportion of farmers growing different forages, criteria they consider in selection of suitable forages, and social economic and institutional characteristics of adopters and non-adopters of fertiliser. Binary logistic regression was used to determine factors that influence fertiliser adoption. The study revealed that forage diversification was low with Napier grass being the only forage cultivated by most farmers (~90%). Urochloa ( Urochloa spp ), Rhodes grass ( Chloris gayana Kunth.) and Guinea grass ( Megathyrsus maximus Jaq.) were cultivated by less than 11% of farmers. The fertiliser adoption rate was high (77%) and was influenced by gender of household head, membership of groups, access to extension services and labour. Future research should focus on promoting of forage diversification and investigate quantity and fertiliser application regimes in order to enable development of appropriate advisory services.en_US
dcterms.accessRightsOpen Accessen_US
dcterms.audienceAcademicsen_US
dcterms.audienceCGIARen_US
dcterms.audienceDevelopment Practitionersen_US
dcterms.audienceDonorsen_US
dcterms.audienceExtensionen_US
dcterms.audienceFarmersen_US
dcterms.audienceNGOsen_US
dcterms.audiencePolicy Makersen_US
dcterms.audienceScientistsen_US
dcterms.bibliographicCitationNjarui, D.M., Gatheru, M., Ndubi, J.M., Gichangi, A.W. and Murage, A.M. 2021. Forage diversity and fertiliser adoption in Napier grass production among smallholder dairy farmers in Kenya. Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Tropics and Subtropics 122(2):245–256.en_US
dcterms.extentp. 245-256en_US
dcterms.issued2021-11-10en_US
dcterms.languageenen_US
dcterms.licenseCC-BY-4.0en_US
dcterms.subjectforageen_US
dcterms.subjectfertilizersen_US
dcterms.subjectdairy cattleen_US
dcterms.subjectlivestock productionen_US
dcterms.subjectsmallholdersen_US
dcterms.typeJournal Articleen_US

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