Publications by authors named "George N Karuku"
Investments in climate smart agriculture (CSA) are often hampered by inadequate finance. The risks of climate change further scare away private investors from this technology. However, household savings have been established as a key contributor to farm investment in rural households.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClimate smart agriculture (CSA) technologies are innovations meant to reduce the risks in agricultural production among smallholder farmers. Among the factors that influence farmer adoption of agricultural technologies are farmers' risk attitudes and household livelihood diversification. This study, focused on determining how farmers' risk attitudes and household livelihood diversification influenced the adoption of CSA technologies in the Nyando basin.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- The study emphasizes the importance of proper fertilizer use to achieve zero hunger and improve agroecosystem resilience for smallholder farmers in Africa, dealing with poor soil health resulting from nutrient depletion.
- A novel farm survey approach was developed to diagnose soil nutrient deficiencies, utilizing rapid soil testing techniques for high-density assessments and targeted interventions.
- Results showed that nitrogen and potassium were the most limiting nutrients for maize production, with the study providing localized soil test values and demonstrating the effectiveness of the population-based survey in addressing nutrient management issues.
Article Synopsis
- Researchers created a new water-absorbing gel by grafting acrylic acid onto cellulose fibers extracted from water hyacinth, a problematic aquatic weed in Kenya.
- The hydrogel can swell significantly and retain moisture, making it useful for agricultural applications, especially in soil.
- Testing showed that the cellulose-based gel degrades more efficiently and retains nutrients better than a similar product without cellulose, enhancing its potential for sustainable use.