Browsing by Author "Gathungu, G. K."

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Integrated Effect of Rhizobium Inoculation and Phosphorus Application on Tissue Content, Symbiotic and Phosphorus use Efficiency in Soybean Production
(International Journal of Environment, Agriculture and Biotechnology (IJEAB), 2019-10) Mulambula, S.; Gathungu, G. K.; Ndukhu, H.O.; Ogolla, F.O.; ; ;
Soybean (Glycine max) is an important legume crop that is cultivated all over the world as livestock feed, food for human consumption, soil fertility improvement and industrial products such as candles and paints. However, Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) nutrient have been attributed to the decline in soybean yields. Furthermore, scanty information is documented on P-efficient soybean genotypes, which are a sustainable P management strategy for enhancing symbiotic efficiency (SEF) and phosphorus use efficiency (PUE). As a solution, field experiment was conducted at Chuka University farm to evaluate the integration effect of rhizobium inoculation (R) and P on tissue nutrient content, SEF and PUE in soybean production in Meru South Sub County. Two cultivations (Trial I and II) were done in 2018. Treatments included; three rates of R (0, 100 and 200 g ha-1 ), three rates of P (0, 20 and 30 kg- ha-1 ), either applied alone or integrated and soybean genotypes (SB19 and SB24). Both Trials were laid out in a randomized complete block design in split-split plot arrangement with each treatment replicated thrice. Genotypes were assigned main plot, R subplots and P in sub-subplots. Data collected was subjected to analysis of variance using the Scientific Analysis System SAS and significantly different means separated using Tukey test at (p≤0.05). The results showed significant difference in N and P tissue content, SEF and PUE for SB19 and SB24 genotypes in both Trials at (p≤0.05). The highest N tissue content of between 1.73% and 9.10% was observed when integration of R and P were applied at the rate of 200 g and 30 kg for SB19 and SB24 in both Trials. While R and P at the rate of 200 g and 30 kg per ha showed the highest P content of between 849.6 ppm and 955.0 ppm in both Trials. The highest SEF recorded was 207% and 261%, and 201% and 227% in Trials I and II, respectively. The PUE was highest when R and P was applied at the rate of 200 g and 30 kg per ha for SB19 and SB24 soybean in both Trials. Integration of R and P at the rate of 200 g and 30 kg ha-1 and adoption of either SB19 or SB24 showed a potential in enhancing soybean cultivation.
THE ROLE OF ORGANIC AGRICULTURE IN MITIGATING IMPACTS OF PANDEMICS FORSUSTAINABLE FOOD SECURITY
(Chuka University, 2022) Gathungu, G. K.
Pandemics like COVID-19 have spread rapidly and extensively around the world resulting to profound implications on food and nutrition security. The pandemics affects food systems stability which threatens food availability, food access and food utilization. Covid-19 has since 2019 become a major disruption to food supply chains due to lockdowns that have resulted to low supply of factors of production like inputs, labour among others resulting to decreased productivity of production systems. The pandemics have resulted in lower incomes and higher prices of some foods, putting food out of reach for many, and undermining the right to food and hence affecting the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 2. The pandemics are intertwined with the sustainability of food security in complex ways. The Covid-19 pandemic raises the risk that government’s attention and funding will be diverted from climate change and environmental maintenance concerns such as biodiversity and ecosystem maintenance to health systems maintenance which will affect the sustainability of the food system and the nations’ economies. These situations call for transformation of food systems through farming communities embracing sustainable production systems like organic farming which is low cost and uses locally available resources. Organic farming will enable communities to increase food and nutrition security by enabling diversification of food systems and empower vulnerable and marginalized groups and promote sustainability of the production system across all aspects of food supply chains, from production to consumption. This will occur because organic farming facilitates inter-system linkages that ensures that the food systems, ecological systems, and economic systems results to positive synergies for increased system productivity for sustainable food and nutrition security. This way farmers will be well equipped to steer the world towards a ‘new normal’ in the way it produces food, trades, and consumes and support the resilience and growth of agricultural producers.