Spatio-temporal change of selected soil physico-chemical properties in grevillea-banana agroforestry systems.

In Africa, banana is mainly produced by smallscale farmers under complex production systems for both home consumption and income generation. Low soil fertility continually constraints its production and farmers are embarking on emerging technologies such as improved fallow, cover crops, integrated soil fertility management, agroforestry with fast growing tree species to address this challenge. This study aims at assessing the sustainability of grevillea-banana agroforestry systems by investigating the variability in their soil physico-chemical properties.

Assessment of soil fertility and potato crop nutrient status in central and eastern highlands of Kenya.

Inherent low soil fertility remains a hindrance to potato production in Kenya and continues to pose a threat to food security. A study was conducted in Nyandarua and Meru counties to assess the soil fertility status in smallholder potato farms. Soil and plant tissue samples were collected and analysed for selected nutrients (pH, OC, N, P, K, S, Ca, Mg, Zn, B and Cu) from 198 farms.

Clinical Performance Measures for Neurocritical Care: A Statement for Healthcare Professionals from the Neurocritical Care Society.

Background: Performance measures are tools to measure the quality of clinical care. To date, there is no organized set of performance measures for neurocritical care.

Methods: The Neurocritical Care Society convened a multidisciplinary writing committee to develop performance measures relevant to neurocritical care delivery in the inpatient setting.

Pasture enclosures increase soil carbon dioxide flux rate in Semiarid Rangeland, Kenya.

Background: Pasture enclosures play an important role in rehabilitating the degraded soils and vegetation, and may also influence the emission of key greenhouse gasses (GHGs) from the soil. However, no study in East Africa and in Kenya has conducted direct measurements of GHG fluxes following the restoration of degraded communal grazing lands through the establishment of pasture enclosures. A field experiment was conducted in northwestern Kenya to measure the emission of CO, CH and NO from soil under two pasture restoration systems; grazing dominated enclosure (GDE) and contractual grazing enclosure (CGE), and in the adjacent open grazing rangeland (OGR) as control.

Enhancing soil organic carbon, particulate organic carbon and microbial biomass in semi-arid rangeland using pasture enclosures.

Background: Rehabilitation of degraded rangelands through the establishment of enclosures (fencing grazing lands) is believed to improve soil quality and livelihoods, and enhance the sustainability of rangelands. Grazing dominated enclosure (GDE) and contractual grazing enclosure (CGE) are the common enclosure management systems in West Pokot County, Kenya. Under CGE, a farmer owning few animals leases the enclosure to households with relatively more livestock, while GDE is where the livestock utilizing the enclosure are purely owned by the farmer.