Ration Is the amount of food that will provide essential nutrients to an animal in a 24 hour period. To enable that animal to meet its maintenance and production requirements. Balanced ration ls the ration that contains all the essential nutrients in required amounts and in the right proportion. Maintenance ration is the portion of […]
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Introduction Livestock nutrition: Livestock are fed for production and body maintenance. The edible material given to animals is called food. It is digested, absorbed and utilized in the body. Nutrients are organic and inorganic substances contained in the food materials Components of Food material Water, protein, Carbohydrates, Fats and oils, Vitamins Mineral salts. Water Sources
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Introduction What is a parasite? A Parasite is an organism which obtains its livelihood from another organism (host) which suffers damage. Parasitism is the association between a parasite and a host. The effects of parasite on the host animal are: Depriving the host of its food. Sucking blood. Damaging the organs of the host. Cause
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Introduction Livestock Health is the state of the body in which all the organs and systems are normal and functioning normally. Disease is any deviation from the normal health of the animal. Importance of Keeping Livestock Healthy: Healthy animals give high income due to low treatment costs. The productive life span of a healthy animal
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Daucus Carota carrots is a root vegetable grown in the cool areas of Kenya. It is commonly eaten raw in salads but can also be cooked. Ecological Requirements Altitude: 0-2,9oom above sea level. Rainfall: 750 -1,000mm. Well distributed throughout the growing period. Soils: It requires deep, Fine tilth Well drained soils that are free from
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CABBAGE – VARIETIES, PEST CONTROL, ECOLOGICAL REQUIREMENTS & DISEASE CONTROL Cabbage is a leaf vegetable related to other brassica crops such as kales, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage and Brussels sprouts. Cabbage leaves may be eaten raw in salads, steamed, boiled or cooked in a variety of ways. The leaves can also be fed to livestock. Ecological
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What is storage. Storage is to prevent spoilage, make the produce available for future use, to await good market prices. Requirements for proper store are: It should be clean. It should be well ventilated. It should be raised from the ground to prevent damp conditions. It should be dry. It should be strong to hold
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Field practices are activities carried out on the field to facilitate proper growth and maximum yield of the various crops grown. They include the following: Crop Rotation Mulching Routing field practices Crop protection Harvesting Crop Rotation This is the growing of different types on the same piece of land in different seasons, in an orderly
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Nurseries: We have different types of nurseries and they are vegetable nurseries, tree nurseries, grafting nurseries and layering nurseries. The types of nurseries are well explained below. Categories of nurseries: Vegetable Nursery: They are used for raising the seedlings of vegetable crops. Tomatoes, cabbages, kale, onions, brinials and peppers. Vegetable Propagation Nurseries: They are used
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Planting materials are either planted directly in a seedbed or indirectly through a nursery bed. A seedbed is a piece of land which could be small or large and prepared to receive planting materials. A nursery bed on the other hand is a small plot of land specially prepared for raising seedlings or planting materials
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Seed rate is the amount of seeds to be planted in a given unit area governed by ultimate crop stand which is desired. The objective of correct spacing of crop is to obtain the maximum yields from a unit area without sacrificing quality. Most crops are seeded at lighter rates under drier conditions than under
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It is the distance of plants between and within the rows. Correct spacing for each crop has been established as shown in table below. Crop Maize (Kitale) hybrids spacing 75-90 cm x 23—30 cm Crop Coffee (Arabica) tall varieties spacing 2.75 cm v 2.75 m Crop Tea spacing 1.5 m by 0.75 m Crop Beans
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Time of planting or sowing is influenced by the type of crop to be planted and the environmental conditions of the area. Factors to consider in timing planting.b The rainfall pattern/moisture condition of the soil. Type of crop to be planted. Soil type. Market demand. Prevalence of pests and diseases. Weed control. Timely planting is
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After the planting materials are selected they are prepared in different ways before they are planted. Some of the methods used to prepare planting materials include the following: Breaking the seed dormancy. Some seeds undergo a dormancy period between maturity and the time they sprout. The dormancy period is the stage whereby a seed cannot
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When selecting materials for planting the following factors must be considered: Suitability to the ecological conditions The selected planting materials should be well adapted to the soil conditions, temperatures and amount of rainfall in the area. There are many varieties of maize, for example, which are suitable to different ecological conditions. Hybrid 622f or example
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Temperature: for the cuttings to produce roots warm temperatures are required around the root zone while cool temperatures are important for the aerial part of the cuttings. For most species optimum day and light temperatures for rooting are 22 -27°c and 15-21° c respectively. Relative humidity:Proper rooting of cuttings requires high humidity which lower the transpiration
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These are plant parts which have the ability to produce roots, they grow and develop in to new plants. Plant parts such as leaves, roots or stems can be used for planting as long as they are capable of rooting. Advantages of using vegetative materials for planting. Crops originating from vegetative materials matures faster than
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Refers to obtaining of small quantity of soil that is representative in all aspects of the entire farm. Soil Sampling Procedures Clear the vegetation over the site. Dig out soil at depths of 15-25cm. Place the dugout soil in a clean container. Mix thoroughly the soil in the container. Take a sample and send it
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Broadcasting – random scattering of the fertilizers on the ground. Placement method– application of fertilizers in the planting holes. Side dressing – fertilizer is placed at the side of the plant within the root zone, in bands or spot-rings. Foliar spraying – specially formulated fertilizer solution applied on the foliage in spray form. Drip method – applied through
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Characteristics Nitrogenous Fertilizers Highly soluble in water. Highly mobile in the soil hence it is applied as a top dress. Easily leached because of the high solubility hence does not have residual effect on the soil. Has scorching effect on young crops during wet seasons. Easy to volatilize during hot season. They have a tendency
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