Feedback: For greenhouse cover, do not use ordinary polythene material

Inside a well built flower greenhouse in Naivasha. Greenhouse covers should be made of polyethylene which has ultra-violet protection among other properties. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Greenhouse covers are made of polyethylene, which has ultra-violet protection and is durable and translucent to allow light to pass through.
  • The thrip causes smoky or red discolouration between individual fingers. The skin becomes reddish brown, roughened and dull in appearance; superficial cracks appear in discoloured skin.
  • Exotic birds have high productivity while indigenous chicken have the ability to withstand scavenge conditions therefore, combining these attributes through crossbreeding results in a moderately performing bird that can survive scavenge conditions to a certain degree.
  • Kerosene powered incubators are ideal for farmers or areas without electricity and can also be made at home. 

GREENHOUSE MATERIAL

Can I use the regular polythene material to make a low-cost greenhouse?

Morris, Meru

You cannot use regular polythene as a greenhouse covering material because it does not have ultra-violet protection and it will not be able to regulate temperature in the greenhouse.

Pests and diseases will also be very common if you use the polythene.

The greenhouse cover may also be easily torn or blown away in case of strong winds.

Greenhouse covers are made of polyethylene, which has ultra-violet protection and is durable and translucent to allow light to pass through.

Carol Mutua,
Department of Crops, Horticulture and Soils, Egerton University.

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I WANT TO FARM BASIL

I would like to venture into farming of basil herbs. How do I go about it?

Walter Barare

Kindly furnish us with the information about the area where you intend to cultivate your basil herbs for further direction.

Sylvans Ochola,
Department of Crops, Horticulture and Soils, Egerton University.

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BANANA DISEASE

I farm bananas in Meru County and lately I have observed some strange rusty and ashy appearance on the skin of the produce. What is the cause?

Daniel Gichubi

This is caused by a pest called Banana Rust Thrip which has yellowish shaded wings. The damage done by thrips is by oviposition (laying eggs) on the young fruits.

The thrip causes smoky or red discolouration between individual fingers. The skin becomes reddish brown, roughened and dull in appearance; superficial cracks appear in discoloured skin.

A farmer inside his healthy well-thriving banana grove. Thrip causes smoky or red discolouration between individual banana fingers. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

The fruits may also split. You can control by using only clean corms, dipping in Metasystox 0.1 per cent solution to control the spread of the disease or spraying the bunches after emergence with 0.2 per cent of Phosphomidan for effective control of pest

Carol Mutua,
Department of Crops, Horticulture and Soils, Egerton University.

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MANAGING KIENYEJI BIRDS

I would like to get some technical advice on the best way to manage my improved Kienyeji birds.

Gordon, Kisumu

Majority of improved Kienyeji birds we have are products of crossbreeding indigenous and exotic chicken.

Exotic birds have high productivity while indigenous chicken have the ability to withstand scavenge conditions therefore, combining these attributes through crossbreeding results in a moderately performing bird that can survive scavenge conditions to a certain degree.

In such a scenario, a semi-intensive management would be ideal.

This will involve a simple housing structure with runs to allow the birds to scavenge in an enclosed area.

Each run should allow at least 10–15 square metres per bird but where birds are expected to obtain substantial part of their diet from foraging, allow 40–80 square metres per bird.

Birds are able to meet 60–70 per cent of their total feed requirement from pastures, insects and worms while the remaining 30–40 per cent is met by providing supplementary feeding from formulated rations.

Health is managed by vaccinating against common diseases (Newcastle disease, gumboro and fowl typhoid and pox), ensuring proper sanitation conditions to control bacterial diseases, deworming to control internal parasites and providing at least two runs for alternating use to avoid a build-up of disease and parasites.

Sophie Miyumo,
Department of Animal Sciences,
Egerton University.

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CAUSE OF MILK REJECTION

What is the relationship, if any, between cows eating napier grass that is finely chopped by the chuff cutters, their inability to chew cuds after eating the fodder and the end result being production of acidic milk?

What should one do to deal with this and provide quality milk to the market?

In my area, our dairy cooperative is rejecting farmers’ milk on this ground. It’s quite “funny” because you take your milk in the morning and it’s accepted and upon taking in the afternoon or evening, it is rejected with milk acidity or alcohol being cited as the reason.

Grace Njenga

Milk production occurs in the alveoli within the udder, so first note that the acidity in the rumen of the cow has no relationship with acidity of the milk produced within the alveoli.

Collecting milk at milk collection centre. The most common platform tests carried out in many milk bulking centres in Kenya are the alcohol test and the lactometer test. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Initially, the milk produced in the duct is sterile in a healthy animal. Contamination, however, begins within the udder especially in a mastistic animal.

Milk from an infected udder has a high somatic cell count and may lead to milk failing quality test and rejection at the cooling centre. The farmer, therefore, has to always carry out mastistic test using the first milk let down just before milking.

Several tests are available these include; visualisation and palpitation (the udder appears swollen, hard and/or red), visualisation in strip cup (the milk appears to have clots or flakes), California mastitis test (the milk reacts with CMT reagent to form a thick mucoid-like substance).

You did not mention in your question the test used to either accept or reject milk at the cooling centre. However, the most common platform tests carried out in many bulking centres in Kenya are the alcohol test and the lactometer test.

The lactometer test is highly affected by the fat content of the milk which is also directly affected by the type of animal feeds. If the collection centre has a high target of fat content then your milk may be rejected on the basis of low fat content.

Some farmers adulterate their milk by adding water lowering the fat content hence rejection based on the lactometer test.

The farmer should be able to know the fat content of their milk and record it against the feed the animal was given.

If the farmer does not have a lactometer then they can ask the quality control personnel the reading on the lactometer each time they deliver milk and record it. This will help the farmer to track the quality of the milk versus the feed.

It is also important for the farmer to maintain high hygiene on the farm when handling milk. Please note that milk is a highly perishable product and once contaminated with lactic acid, bacteria deterioration happens really fast.

The source of the bacteria include the milking environment, the cows udder (within (for mastitic animals) and outside), milking hands, water used in cleaning the udder, hands and equipment that come in direct contact with the milk, milking container and bulking container.

The following steps will ensure milk harvesting under hygiene conditions.

  • Ensure that you milk in a parlour away from where the animal sleeps because this environment is contaminated with animal faeces.
  • Keep the milking parlour as clean as possible, use proper pre-milking and post-milking hygiene practices.
  • Ensure that water used in the farm is portable by boiling or proper treatment.
  • The milking personnel needs to wash their hands and sterilise them before and after milking the same occurs to the udder.
  • The containers used in handling milk should be food grade (aluminium or Mazzican not plastic).
  • The farmer should also shorten the time between milking and delivery to the bulking centre.

Joy Deborah Orwa,
Department of Dairy Food Science and Technology, Egerton University.

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AVOCADO ORCHARD

I want to establish an avocado orchard in Bahati, Nakuru. Where can I get genuine seedlings?

Hungi Tony

You can obtain genuine seedlings from Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation-Thika.

Muriuki Ruth Wangari,
Department of Crops, Horticulture and Soils, Egerton University.

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HOW TO USE A KEROSENE INCUBATOR

I would like to be given directions and full information on how the kerosene incubator works.

Thomas Kioko, Machakos

Kerosene powered incubators are ideal for farmers or areas without electricity and can also be made at home. As any other incubator, the hatchability success rate of using kerosene incubators demands that egg factors are observed, as well as adherence to incubator conditions.

Clean eggs free of defects give best results.

A Nakuru poultry farmer showcases his kerosene lamp incubator. The incubator should always be placed in a well ventilated room. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

To use it, pour kerosene into the fuel chamber, give it time to soak the wick and then light, adjusting the flame to ensure there is no smoke.

This provides heat to the eggs, but a thermometer will be required to maintain required temperature.

Have the water plate in and wait for the temperatures inside to rise to around 370C and stabilise.

Then load eggs with the broad end facing up for air circulation.

Once it begins working, the incubator must be checked repeatedly during its operation to regulate the temperature, humidity and adjust the flame as necessary.

Sometimes the temperature outside can cause a rise in temperature inside. If too warm, one should reduce the flame light and place water inside when humidity is too low and vice versa, keeping the wick in check too, just to ensure it gives quality flame.

Place the incubator in a well-ventilated room.

Felix Akatch Opinya,
Department of Animal Science,
Egerton University.