Manual oil extractor to save avocado farmers from losses.

Manual oil extractor to save avocado farmers from losses. Avocado farmers, who have poor access to markets, can extract cooking oil from ripe fruits for sale to save on rotting using a cheap manual pressing machine from Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation, KALRO. The machine extracts pure cooking oil from ripe avocados, which can be packaged and sold upon approval from regulatory authorities like Kenya Bureau of Standards. The Oil Press Manual Extractor does not require electric or fuel energy other than that of the farmer ‘crashing’ the ripe part of the avocado through the funnel-like chamber.

Production of Kales (Sukuma wiki) and Onions Using Bucket Drip Irrigation.

Production of Kales (Sukuma wiki) and Onions Using Bucket Drip Irrigation. Farmers can grow a variety of vegetables for their family and for sale using the bucket drip irrigation kit during the dry season by using only three buckets of water a day at most. This method is cheaper and effective as farmers can use readily available materials in their homesteads. The bucket drip kit consists of a bucket and two drip tapes of 15m in length with holes (emitters) at 30 cm spacing. The bucket is supported one meter above the ground. There are two main methods of preparing seed beds namely: double digging and planting on flat land. In dry areas (agro-ecological zones 4 and 5), practice double digging. In less dry areas (agro-ecological zone 3) you may use the conventional method of planting on flat land.

Village Industrial Power offering innovative clean energy for rural farmers.

Village Industrial Power offering innovative clean energy for rural farmers.Rural farmers can increase the value of their crops ten-fold by using a new technology – Village industrial mobile power plant. The technology which was introduced in Kenya in 2016 uses agricultural waste as fuel; it has 10 Kw engine which creates thermal, electrical and mechanical energy to transform crops into high value products. VIP’s pilot power plants are currently on trial in East Africa. The plant enables farmers shell 1 ton of maize in 2 hours for Ksh. 150 per bag. It thus reduces the chances of aflatoxin infection and improves the quality of maize. It also reduces unpredictable cost of manual labor used to dry maize in the sun. “VIP’s mobile power plant unit is robust, reliable, and on demand, enabling farmers to process their own crops and participate directly in the value chain, VIP’s carbon neutral engine is fuel flexible, using waste such as maize cobs, coffee parchment, mango pits, and bagasse to supply thermal, electric, and mechanical power” says Maggie Flanagan, the company’s Vice President for Business Development.

Plastic mulching technology for enhanced yields.

Plastic mulching technology for enhanced yields. Farmers in drought stricken areas or with little rainfall are advised to adopt plastic mulching technology which is the practice of covering soil with polythene to make more favorable conditions for plant growth, development and efficient crop production. Small-holder farmers can cut costs of irrigation and mechanization by adopting plastic mulching technology. Ministry of Agriculture Extension officer Samuel Mburu says just like traditional organic mulch, which controls weeds and retained moisture content in soils, this method boosts harvests while reducing labor required in production process.

New tomato variety resists leaf curl virus and wilting.

New tomato variety resists leaf curl virus and wilting. In dealing with losses caused by leaf curl and other deadly wilts in tomatoes, a seed company has come up with a tomato hybrid that is least affected by the diseases. TM 20 F1 is hybrid that has been developed to help farmers escape the losses to the above diseases, which are hard to control with chemicals. The variety from Mahindra Seed, which is being marketed in Kenya by Gromost Seeds, has helped farmers in South Africa, India, among other countries in boosting production even with the threat of the ailments. TM 20 F1 gives up to 30 tonnes of fruit per acre under god cop husbandry practices such as trimming, staking, weeding, among others. It is harvested for six months before yields start dwindling. The oval fruits have a firm coat that makes them have a long shelf life to allow for a lengthy selling period in case the market is poor. A firm coat is also important in transportation.

STAR 9065 F1 is the new money maker tomato.

STAR 9065 F1 is the new money maker tomato.Tomato farmers keen to make money within a short period of time with tomato farming should consider STAR 9065 F1 tomato variety which has very high quality characteristics attractive to customers and more marketable than any other varieties according to Samuel Gacheru, a Sales Agronomist- Starke Ayres Company. “Under proper agronomical practices STAR 9065 F1 produce a medium maturity fruits with uniform size and perfect shape. It has thick, fleshy succulent pericarp and a wall of moderate thickness giving it a longer shelf life,” said Gacheru. STAR 9065 F1 matures in 75-80 days after transplanting and as harvesting date varies by as much as ten days between late and early season plantings planning planting schedules should be considered. Mature fruits are blocky, cylindrical fruit with an average mass of 130-160g.

Grafting watermelon provide protection against soil-borne diseases increasing yields.

Grafting watermelon provide protection against soil-borne diseases increasing yields. Most farmers are beginning to understand that grafting crops especially at the rootstock brings extra qualities that the plant do not possess. This technique is now applied to a wide range varieties of watermelon to help in avoiding the risks of contracting root diseases like Fusarium thus increase yields. Starke Ayres Company which deals in horticulture crops seeds and products has a range of watermelon hybrids that can be grafted and are all suitable for growth in most regions in Kenya. The varieties have potential to produce high quality watermelon fruit of different types to suit different markets and customers. This is according to Samuel Gacheru Starke Ayres Company’s Sales Agronomist-Nairobi. “Grafting watermelon at rootstocks has now become a practice in many of the major watermelon production regions of the world. The primary reason for grafting of vine crops like watermelon is to provide protection against soil-borne diseases,” said Gacheru during this year’s Nairobi International Trade Fair.