Publications by authors named "Bernard Munyua"

Maize lethal necrosis (MLN) disease appeared in Kenya in 2011, causing major damage. In a first survey of 121 communities in 2013, participants estimated the proportion of households affected and the yield loss in affected areas; from this survey, the overall loss was estimated at 22%, concentrated in western Kenya (94%). Efforts to combat the disease included planting resistant varieties, creating awareness of MLN management, and producing pathogen-free seed.

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Fall armyworm (FAW), one of the most important pests of maize in Latin America, suddenly appeared in Africa in 2016 and spread rapidly. Estimates of crop losses due to FAW are essential in order to compare the impact of these losses with the cost of controlling FAW and advise appropriate technology dissemination and policy. In this study, therefore, crop losses due to FAW in 2017 and 2018 were estimated in all the maize production areas of Kenya.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study focused on developing and testing high-yielding, stress-tolerant maize hybrids in eastern Africa to boost productivity for smallholder farmers.
  • The trials were conducted across four countries (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda) with a significant number of participating farmers, revealing that these new hybrids performed better in low-yielding conditions compared to existing commercial varieties.
  • Farmers prioritized grain yield in their selection process, highlighting the importance of these new hybrids for improved agricultural outcomes under varying environmental stresses.
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We analyse the impact of improved chickpea adoption on welfare in Ethiopia using three rounds of panel data. First, we estimate the determinants of improved chickpea adoption using a double hurdle model. We apply a control function approach with correlated random effects to control for possible endogeneity resulting from access to improved seed and technology transfer activities.

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