Theme 2-2: Forage Production and Utilization--Poster Sessions
Description
Despite western Kenya potential in dairy production, it has lagged behind compared to other regions in the country. This comes against growing per capita milk consumption in Kenya currently estimated at 120 litres per person per year. As a result, western Kenya is largely net importer of milk from neighbouring counties albeit the possibility improving productivity within. Among the most prevalent constraint to increased productivity is limited forage quality and quantity throughout the year. Napier stunting disease, which suppresses forage production from Napier grass, the most prevalent cultivated forage in western Kenya, exacerbates this. To contribute to addressing the problem, we selected several hybrids/cultivars of Urochloa and Megathyrsus and grown by several farmer groups in Kakamega, Busia, Bungoma and Siaya counties in western Kenya. To rate the forages, we guided farmers in generating criteria, by each group, on parameters/attributes they consider ideal for a forage to possess. On a scale of 1–9, farmers scored on the way they perceive each criterion, with the higher the score the more relevance it carries. In their respective groups, individual farmers scored on forage demonstrations replicated 3 times, on by plot-by-plot basis. We pooled groups’ criteria scores with individual farmer forage scores to generate weighted scores leading to forage rankings. We observed that criteria regarded highly relate to biomass production, fast growth rate, capability of regrowth, palatability and acceptability by animals among others. Test forages ranked differently by counties indicating provenances that stand good chance of adoption in relation to the farmers’ perspectives, and possibly in other similar areas.
Citation
Odhiambo, Ruth; Mwendia, Solomon; Mwangi, David; Juma, Alfred; and Notenbaert, An, "Participatory Evaluation of Urochloa and Megathyrsus Forage Species in Western Kenya: Farmers Perspective" (2022). IGC Proceedings (1993-2023). 45.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/24/2-2/45
Included in
Participatory Evaluation of Urochloa and Megathyrsus Forage Species in Western Kenya: Farmers Perspective
Despite western Kenya potential in dairy production, it has lagged behind compared to other regions in the country. This comes against growing per capita milk consumption in Kenya currently estimated at 120 litres per person per year. As a result, western Kenya is largely net importer of milk from neighbouring counties albeit the possibility improving productivity within. Among the most prevalent constraint to increased productivity is limited forage quality and quantity throughout the year. Napier stunting disease, which suppresses forage production from Napier grass, the most prevalent cultivated forage in western Kenya, exacerbates this. To contribute to addressing the problem, we selected several hybrids/cultivars of Urochloa and Megathyrsus and grown by several farmer groups in Kakamega, Busia, Bungoma and Siaya counties in western Kenya. To rate the forages, we guided farmers in generating criteria, by each group, on parameters/attributes they consider ideal for a forage to possess. On a scale of 1–9, farmers scored on the way they perceive each criterion, with the higher the score the more relevance it carries. In their respective groups, individual farmers scored on forage demonstrations replicated 3 times, on by plot-by-plot basis. We pooled groups’ criteria scores with individual farmer forage scores to generate weighted scores leading to forage rankings. We observed that criteria regarded highly relate to biomass production, fast growth rate, capability of regrowth, palatability and acceptability by animals among others. Test forages ranked differently by counties indicating provenances that stand good chance of adoption in relation to the farmers’ perspectives, and possibly in other similar areas.
