The Organic FarmerDisease threatens Napier Grass

The newspaper for sustainable agriculture in Kenya Nr. 7 November 2005

In the lastdecade,cultivation ofNapier grass hasboomed in EastAfrica, as small-scale farmershave shifted tozero grazing.With theexpansion of thisfodder crop,however, hascome a newdisease called'Napier Stunt'.The diseasecauses healthythick Napiergrass leaves toturn thin, yellowand weak; aspecial indicationof the disease arethe shortinternodes as thepicture shows.

year; the farmers have been forcedto buy grass to compensate fordeclining production. While ahealthy acre of Napier grass shouldprovide enough feed to sustain fourproductive cows, plots affected bythe disease may support only oneor two animals, greatly reducingmilk yields and income for Kenyanfarmers. See page 5.

Dear farmers,While travelling around the country inthe last few weeks, we have had manyfruitful discussions with farmers invarious regions. Similarly, we havereceived letters, telephone calls andshort messages, all commending andencouraging us to continue producingthe newspaper.

We have seen many farmers who aretaking our advice seriously. However,we still feel that farmers can do more.Take the problem of marketing, forexample. After receiving manyquestions three months ago fromfarmers on where they could sell theirorganic produce, we created a columncalled "THE MARKET PLACE",where farmers with any produce to offercould advertise their products. One ofthe buyers, Su Kahumbu, even put anadvert in our newspaper asking farmersto contact her if they had anything tosell. Up to now not a single farmer hasdone so. Recently, farmers have writtento us again with queries on where theycould sell their products! Of course, weknow that Kenyan farmers faceenormous hurdles as they try to find amarket for their produce. However,they can make better use of the columnin our newspaper to look for buyers.

Most Kenyan farmers are hardworking people. But to be a successfulfarmer in today's world, one has to beaware of the changing marketdemands. The problem is that there is ageneration of farmers who do not acceptchange; to them, farming will remain aloss-making enterprise as it has alwaysbeen. On the other hand, it isencouraging to see an upcominggeneration of young farmers in manyparts of the country. They have adoptedthe latest farming methods, and raiseseveral different crops. They grow whatthe markets needs every season. If youread the story on page 4 in this issue, youwill understand what we are talkingabout. A lot of things will change iffarmers will be a little bit moreforward-looking. We as editors willcontinue to support your efforts inmaking organic farming the mostsustainable method of agriculture in thecountry.

In this issueThe “wild” friend of farmersWith Tithonia you can maintain soil fertility Page 2

The two terrible blightsPrevention is the way to controlearly and late blight. Page 3

Beans of high valueFarmers are now discovering thebenefits of Soya beans. Page 8

The disease has been present ineastern Africa for about 30 yearsbut it has become more noticeablein the last few years. If nothing isdone, this disease will seriouslyaffect the livestock industry ineastern Africa, including Ethiopia.In parts of eastern Uganda andwestern Kenya, market prices forfodder grass have doubled in the last

Insemination too costlySmall-scale farmers trying toimprove their livestock breeds arefaced with a big challenge. Theprivate providers of ArtificialInsemination services chargebetween Ksh 600 to Ksh 1000. Mostfarmers cannot afford to pay thisamount. Preservation equipmentfor semen handling has to beimported. Kenya used to make itsown nitrogen for preservation, butthe plant broke down after donorsupport was withdrawn. Plantrehabilitation is important to makethe service affordable. (TOF)

2 The Organic Farmer Nr. 7 November 2005

The Organic FarmerNr. 7, November 2005

The Organic Farmer is anindependent newspaper for theKenyan farming community. Itpromotes organic farming andsupports discussions on all aspects ofsustainable development. TheOrganic Farmer is publishedmonthly and distributed free tofarmers.The reports of The Organic Farmerdo not necessarily re�ect the viewsof ICIPE.The Organic Farmer is sponsored byBioVision, a Swiss based foundationfor the promotion of sustainabledevelopment.www.biovision.ch

PublisherInternational Centre of InsectPhysiology and Ecology (ICIPE)P.O.Box 30772, 00100 NairobiKENYATel. +254 20 863 2000e-mail: icipe@icipe.org homepage: http://www.icipe.org

EditorsPeter Kamau, Peter BaumgartnerSecretariatLucy W. MachariaAdvisory BoardDr. Bernhard Löhr, ICIPEDr. Nguya Maniania, ICIPEDr. Fritz Schulthess, ICIPEAddressThe Organic FarmerP.O.Box 14352, 00800 NairobiKENYATel. 020 445 03 98e-mail : info@organickenya.comLayout:James Wathuge

MY OPINIONBy Michael WafulaMany of us farmers do not takethe health of our animalsseriously. Everywhere you goyou �nd people grazing theiranimals by the roadside. Most ofthese farmers have enough land,on which they can plant foddercrops such as Napier grass. Butthey choose to spare the land forother uses. If the quality of thegrass is poor, so the quality ofmilk produced will be poor.Fellow farmers, let us feed ouranimals properly, they will payback by producing more milk forour consumption and even sale.

Michael Wafula is a farmer in Kitale

Tithonia, or wild sun�ower, is easyto grow and is rich in phosphorusand nitrogen.

By Daniel Wanjama

Tithonia diversifolia, a nice wildshrub with yellow flowers, is foundalmost all over Kenya. It is oftenused as a hedge plant and grows wildin roadsides near rivers and on wasteground. Over the years some ruralcommunities of Kenya have knownTithonia as a remedy for stomachailments; farmers used it on fences oron ridges to check surface runoffs. Alternative to chemical fertilizer

They were however unaware of itspotential to enhance soil fertility.Research scientists explain that theTithonia plant contains 80 per centmore phosphorus than legumes. Italso contains enough nitrogen andpotassium to promote crop growth.So Tithonia is an alternative tochemical fertilizers. 5 tonnes of thegreen foliage in-corporated into 1hectare of land is equivalent toapplying the following rates ofinorganic fertilizer: 159kg Nitrogen,10kg Phosphorus, 161kg Potassium,18kg Calcium, 22kg Magnesium.

The most popular application is inthe making of compost where it isused with dry plant material. It feedsmicroorganism with phosphorusand nitrogen. But you can also use itdirectly by slashing young plants andincorporating the green foliage in thesoil at any cultivation stage.

In western parts of Kenya it is usedagainst termites, and scientistsdiscovered that powder and extractof Tithonia is a repellant and hasbeen found to be an effectivebiopesticide against cow pea seedbeetle.Plant teaTithonia is also used in making planttea (plant extract) for top dressing.Chop Tithonia vegetative parts andsoak them in the water at a ratio of 1part in 4 parts of water. Let it standin a tightly covered container for atleast 7 days. Apply it within the 5days diluting it with equal amount ofwater and spread at the root base ofthe desired plant. Why use Tithonia?• It is used in compost making

because it is rich in phosphorusand nitrogen.

• Tithonia plant grows very fastenough to supply quantity

Organic farmer's “wild” friend

materials through out the season.• Tithonia has the ability to regrow

after cutting, which ensurecontinuous supply of vegetations.

• It is a wild plant, which requireslittle or no attention from thefarmer.

• Tithonia decompose fast becauseit has succulent tissues.

• Tithonia plant is easy to handleand cut.

• Propagates vegetatively throughstem cutting, which makes itestablishment easier.

• It is also used as fodder for goats.• When used for making hedges

tithonia flowers attracts beneficialinsects e.g. wasps and bees whichare important in crop pollination.

• The plant also forms a thickhedge.

• It allows other crops near thehedge to grow withoutinterference. The flowers alsolook nice in the garden.

“

Dear Farmers,Paul Ndung'u, a small scale farmerfrom Molo, gave us the idea for thisarticle on Tithonia. He has abeautiful Tithonia hedge around hisshamba. He uses Tithonia hedges toseparate the various crops such asmaize, cabbages, tomatoes, peas andbeans in the shamba. They do notonly help to break the wind, theyalso reduce the spread of pests fromone crop to the other. Of course,Ndung'u also uses the Tithonialeaves to enrich the soil.

If you know of any other plant thathas the same useful purpose as theTithonia, write to us and let us shareyour experience with other farmersin the country. ( TOF )

In organic production systems,prevention is the best way to control the two diseases

By �e Organic Farmer

Early and late blight diseases givefarmers a lot of headache, as wediscovered in our many discussionswith farmers when we visited themin the last few weeks. Many otherfarmers have also called us withquestions on how they can protecttheir crops from these diseases.Although we provided someinformation on this subject in theJuly issue, we have decided to revisitthe topic to make it easier forfarmers to diagnose these diseasesand take preventive measures.Careful observation of the plant isthe best way farmers can tell whichof the two fungal diseases isaffecting their crops so that they candeal with them. Below are somecontrol methods farmers can use.

Early blightIn our July issue Su Kahumbu gavean account of her own struggleswith the early blight. She hasmanaged to control the disease byspraying the tomatoes with milk(diluted with water at the ratio of1:10). To strengthen the plants, shehas used seaweed foliar feedtogether with EM2 (EffectiveMicroorganisms). The GermanInformation Service OISAT(www.oisat.org) recommends use ofMarigold extract for the samepurpose (see box on page 6). Whatcan a small-scale organic farmer doto avoid losing their crop? If themilk solution does not help, onecan apply copper, as you can seebelow.

Late blightEven worse than early blight are theconsequences of late blight. This isthe most devastating of the twodiseases affecting both organic andconventional potato and tomatoproduction. It is spread by wind andrain.

Many well known agriculturalresearch institutions in Europe havedone a lot of research on early andlate blight. However, they have notfound any effective treatment so far- except the use of copper. Up tonow there are no successful organiccontrol methods available when acrop is already infected with earlyand late blight. The use of organic

3The Organic Farmer Nr. 7 November 2005

control methods has only workedin laboratories but has failed in fieldtrials. That is why nearly allEuropean countries allow theapplication of copper in biologicalagriculture. But copper is harmfulto human beings, animals and evensoils. The European Union hasreduced the use of copper to 3-4kg/ha, but plans to replace italtogether in future. The KenyaBureau of Standards knows aboutthe problem of late blight andallows copper use in organicproduction (Draft Kenya Standard,Annex B, Kebs April 2005). InKenya, farmers are advised to usecopper oxychloride 50WP at therate of 2-3 kg/ha in 1000 litres ofwater sprayed on tomatoes and 3-6kg /ha in 1000 litres of water. Pleaseread the labels carefully. It isavailable in agro-veterinary shops.

Take preventive measuresAs we have explained earlier,control of late blight, once it hasaffected the crop, is very difficult.But farmers can take a number ofmeasures to prevent it or to ensureit does not spread to the otherhealthy plants. First of all, farmersneed to know that supportingtomato plants with sticks is veryimportant. The sticks prevent theleaves from coming into contactwith the disease-causing fungus,which is mainly deposited by wind

and running water on top soils oron the lower surface of the plant.Some varieties of tomatoes do notrequire propping with sticks andthese are the ones most prone toinfection. Growers using thesevarieties should find ways of raisingthe plants from the ground toprevent the disease. They should observe the followingguidelines:- When watering the plants, do not

water the leaves. Water the base ofthe plant or direct the wateringhose diagonally to the ground toreach the roots. If the leaves areinfected, wetting them facilitatesthe spread of the disease to the soil(which could also infect potatotubers).

- Remove and burn infected areasand plants as soon as infection isdetected.

- Avoid growing potatoes ortomatoes in the same field yearafter year. New tomato fieldsshould be far away from old fieldsto stop transfering the disease tonew crops.

- Always grow tomatoes or potatoesin fields where other crops, whichcannot be affected by early or lateblight, were planted in theprevious season. This croprotation helps to reduce the diseasefrom plant residues.

- Use clean and disinfected seeds.

How to identify early and late blight

Early blight Caused by a fungus called AlternariasolaniSymptoms on leaves include:- Small brownish black spots, mainly

on older leaves.- Yellowing of tissues surrounding the

lesions.- Concentric rings in dark brownish

portions of the lesions.- Dropping of leaves.Symptoms on stems include:- Small, dark, and slightly sunken

wounds (lesions).- Pronounced concentric rings in

enlarged (mature) lesions with lightcoloured centres.

Late blight Caused by a fungus called PhytophthorainfestansSymptoms on leaves and stems include:- Irregular spots with a water-soaked

appearance.- Enlargement of the spots into pale

green to brown lesions that may coverlarge areas.

- Whitish to grey moldy growth on theunderside of leaves under moistconditions.

- Browning, shrivelling and death ofaffected leaves.

Symptoms on fruits include:- Irregular, dark, water-soaked lesions

with a greasy appearance.

4 The Organic Farmer Nr. 7 November 2005

He took technical advice seriously and today he is one of the most successful farmers in Kisii district

By Peter Kamau, Kisii

For 36-year-old Ronald Nyagaka,farming in the hilly highlands ofKiogoro division of Kisii district hadbeen a continuous nightmare of loss-making ventures. Despite strivinghard, crop yields in his three-acrefarm dwindled while prices keptfalling.He grew maize for successive yearson a large portion of the farm, butthe prices were discouraging. Whenhe ventured into tomato farming,disaster struck. This was three yearsago when his entire tomato crop waswiped out by a "strange disease".

He heeded adviceBut unlike fellow villagers whowould have explained it away as thework of an evil spell, Ronald soughtadvice from the local Ministry ofAgriculture office in Kisii town, 6km away. It is then that he developeda working relationship with theagricultural extension personnel.Nyagaka is now a beneficiary of thesecond phase of the NationalAgriculture and Livestock ExtensionProgramme (NALEP II), a projectfunded by the Swedish InternationalDevelopment Agency which istrying to revive agriculturalextension services to Kenyanfarmers.

"We visited his farm and diagnosedthe problem to be bacterial wilt. Weadvised him to practise crop rotationand diversification to check diseasesand boost his earnings", says AtienoAchieng, the divisional agriculturalextension officer.

The hardworking father of fourheeded the advice from the officialand went to work immediately. Theresults were tremendous and now

Nyagaka is the envy of many a farmerin the neighbourhood and afar.Many di�erent cropsHis farm, perched on a steep hillside,now holds a healthy crop of bulbonions, sukumawiki (kale), tissueculture bananas, improved orange-fresh sweet potatoes, passion fruits,traditional vegetables, avocadoes,sugarcane and many other crops atvarious stages of growth.

On the lower slopes is a portionwith 1000 well-tended tea bushes. Anabandoned brick quarry at the riverfrontage, which has been a mosquitobreeding ground, is now convertedinto a fish farm stocked with 1,665tilapia fingerlings. On the lower partof the tea plot are seven beehives,which provide honey for sale.

Upgraded indigenous chickenTo avoid the heavy capitalinvestment in modern poultrykeeping, Nyagaka has learned newskills of improving the quality ofindigenous chickens. He hasidentified good layers and broodersin his indigenous stock that he isupgrading through crossbreeding andquality feeding with organic greenmaterial, cereals and chicken mash.The brooders are housed in earthennotches made in the family kitchenwalls to keep them warm and safefrom thieves and predators such asdogs and wild cats.Shrewd and hardworkingNyagaka is today one of the mostsuccessful farmers in the denselypopulated Chinche village. Hissuccess is primarily because of tworeasons: First, he plants manydifferent types of crops, such thatwhen the price is not good for oneproduct, he can sell the other.Secondly his farming is market-driven. Through meticulous timingand knowledge of what the market

needs, he produces fruits andvegetables when they are off-season(mainly through irrigation) and sellthem at premium prices. These hesells in Kisii and surrounding townswhen the demand is high.

"From the sale of various farmproducts I make an average of Ksh200,000 every year. Farming can beso profitable but it needscommitment and hard work," hesays. He has built a permanent house,a modern zero grazing shed for cattle,pays school fees and is supporting hisextended family.

Two years ago he joined a fewneighbours in setting up the ChincheSelf Help Group. The group with 32members to date started off as amerry-go round where each wouldcontribute Ksh 50 monthly, moneythat would assist them pay schoolfees, settle medical bills or buyhousehold items. It is now registeredwith the Department of SocialServices. That is why it is recognisedas a focus group by the Ministry ofAgriculture under the NALEP IIprogramme.A model for other farmersMembers of the group are learningnew farming methods fromNyagaka. Farmers from many partsof the district also visit the farm tolearn from him.

After reading the story on dairygoat keeping in the September issueof The Organic Farmer, the groupplans to start a similar project.

Through the NALEP IIprogramme, the farmer's groupreceives training on a regular basison new agricultural methods,exchange visits and field days. Theproject plans to transform the groupinto an interactive learning sitewhere farmers from other parts ofthe district will be trained insustainable agriculture.

Diversification changes farmer's fortune

Nyagaka tends the tomato crop at his farm in Chinch (Photo TOF)

Feeding the fish (Photo TOF)

5The Organic Farmer Nr. 7 November 2005

Scientists from East Africa and UKare trying to �nd ways to controlthe disease ‘Napier-Stunt’.

By Felix Mbitu Murimi

The disease called ‘Napier Stunt’was first observed in Kenya in 2002,although it is thought to have beenpresent for much longer. Accordingto ICIPE-Scientist Dr. Zeyaur Khanis has spread now to Ethiopia andTanzania. Until a year ago, the causeof the disease, which turns healthythick leaves into thin, yellow andweak leaves, was unknown.Agricultural staff thought that thecause might be either a fungus,nematode damage or a nutrientdeficiency. However they were notsure and therefore were unable tooffer advice to farmers. Thebreakthrough came in 2004.Professor Phil Jones of the GlobalPlant Clinic, based at RothamstedResearch in the UK, identified thecause to be a phytoplasma.Phytoplamsa are similar to bacteriaand live in the phloem of infectedplants. (Phloems are the tubersinside the plant stem.)

The disease ‘Napier-Stunt’ couldbe spread in two ways. Over longerdistances the primary means ofspread is farmers themselves. Napier

is vegetatively propagated, sofarmers take either a slice of cane, orsplit a clump, in order to plant on.Kenyan farmers obtain theirplanting material from neigbours. Ifunaware of the dangers, they caninadvertently introduce a diseasedplant into their fields. Over shorterdistances, such as between plantswithin a field, the disease could beprimarily spread by plantsuckinginsects such as plant hoppers. Theseinsects feed on the sugar-rich sap inNapier phloem, and can transfer thebacteria (phytoplasma) in theirsaliva to other plants.

Now that the cause of the diseasehas been recognised, promotingcontrol measures among farmershas become a priority. Digging upinfected plants and replacing themwith healthy canes is the basicstrategy. The soil around infectedplants cannot harbour the disease,so replanting in the same place ispossible. The leaves of diseasedplants can be safely fed to livestock- the phytoplasma (or the bacteria)does not persist in their manure.However the roots should beburned or buried, so they will notaffect other plants.

Uprooting and replantingFarmers are encouraged to identifyclean planting material, either byselecting canes from parts of theirland that are some distance fromany infected plants, or by buyingplanting material from other areaswhere the disease incidence is low.District agricultural offices havealso been urged to create'designated clean zones' whereunaffected planting clean materialcan be obtained for distribution.Search for strategies

In the long term, ICIPE ScientistDr. Zeyaur Khan believes regionalcollaboration will be vital tocontrolling the disease. Severalinstitutions (ILRI, ICIPE,Rothamsted Research, KARI andothers) are working together todevelop a regional researchprogramme. Research prioritieswill include identification of thepossible insect vector and screeningfor Napier varieties that showresistance to both the disease andits vector. Scientists also need todevelop a strategy for distributionof clean planting material.

Farmers can control spread of Napier disease

Napier is an important fodder cropNapier or Elephant grass(Pennisetum purpureum ), is a nativeclumping grass of tropical Africathat grows 3 to 5 metres tall and ismainly propagated from cuttings of3 to 4 nodes in length. It is widelyused as a fodder crop and is alsoplanted for environmentalprotection, to stabilise soils and actas a windbreak. In Kenya, it hasbeen used in a novel 'push-pull' pestmanagement system for cerealstemborers.

Napier grass is a forage plant ofconsiderable importance in severalparts of the world. It is one of themost valuable forage, soilage andsilage crops in the wet tropics. Thisvery vigorous grass provides a greatbulk of feed and is commonly usedin a cut-and-carry system, forfeeding animals in stalls. Forgrazing, it should be heavily stockedto maintain it in a lush vegetativeform. The mature leaves are razorsharp and sometimes provide a

problem for grazing cattle. Thecoarse stems produce new shootsand leaves. The grass is best grazedwhen the new growth consists offive new leaves. A stem plus leavestakes a year to grow. Grazing at six-to nine-week intervals at a height ofabout 90 cm gives good utilization.The highest yields can be expectedfrom cutting at 12-week intervalsand applying nitrogen after everycut. Nitrogen fertilizer can beapplied after each grazing or cuttingin high-rainfall areas. Any coarse,leafless stems should be mowed.

Napier grass is a rapid colonizer ofdisturbed areas and prospers in abroad range of conditions. Ittolerates periods of flooding anddrought and fire, although it growsbest in high-rainfall areas (in excessof 1 500 mm or 150 cm per year). Itsdeep root system allows it tosurvive in dry times. It grows bestin deep, fertile soils through whichits roots can pass easily. (fmm)

‘Napier-Stunt’: Yellow leaves and lack of roots (Photos courtesy Dr. Zeyaur Khan, ICIPE)

6 The Organic Farmer Nr. 7 November 2005

Su Kahumbuanswers yourquestionsassisted byAnne Nganga

Write to:The Organic FarmerP.O.Box 14352, 00800 NairobiKENYATel. 020 445 03 98e-mail : info@organickenya.com

MARIGOLD EXTRACTIn page 3 we informed you on earlyand late blight. For lack of space weshifted one important advice to thispage: Online Information Service forNon-Chemical Pest Management inthe Tropics, OISAT, recommendsthe use of Marigold extract againstearly blight in tomatoes (see alsowww.oisat.org). Below is the recipe: Materials: Whole flowering plantSoap, Water, Strainer, DrumPreparation: Fill-in drum with ½ -3/4 full of flowering plants. Leave tostand for 5-10 days. Stir occasionally.Strain before useUse: Dilute the filtrate with water at a ratio of 1:2. Add 1 tsp soap inevery litre of the extract

Damage by bean aphids

How to control thrips?Cowpeas do well in Bomet, however,farmers here abandoned growingthem due to the problem of thrips.Evelyn Heyi from Bomet asks: "Howcan we control this pests?"

"Onions tend to do well whenplanted, then after one or twomonths , they turn yellow. Thesame happens to capsicums. What iswrong?" asks Evelyn Heyi fromBomet. Similar questions werecoming from some other farmers.

Isaak Maina Munyari from Subukiahad his beans infested with dull-blacksmall insects, and afterwards thebeans were covered with a liquid likehoney and did not do well.

Thrips are very difficult to control.The best solution so far is a goodrotation with non-legume crops,removal of all unused vines and leavesand composting or burning them,then planting a different crop in thatarea. However it is rumoured thatICIPE is doing research on thripscontrol, so the question is herebyforwarded to them.We will carry a story on thrips in thenext issue. The Editors

These insects are bean aphids. It isalways useful to look carefully andcontrol aphids at first signs ofinfestation as otherwise they willspread to the whole crop. If caughtearly the insects can be sprayed witheither natural pyrethrum or neem inthe spots where they are seen. Butremember, if all plants are sprayed,we also kill the good insects thatactually eat aphids, and so in thelong run make a bigger problem forourselves. Ladybird beetles (smallred round beetles with black dots)eat aphids, and keeping a goodpopulation of ladybird beetles is agood insurance against heavy aphidinfestation.

smelling compost or dried manure.Put 5-10 kg compost or driedmanure in a gunny bag and immersein a drum of water. If EM (EffectiveMicroorganisms) is available addabout a cup to a drum of water, thiswill help extract the good nutrientswhile fermenting the mixture in ahealthy way.

Leave the bag in the water forsome days - up to a week, then spraythe solution - a cup in 20 l cleanwater on to the crop. (If you needmore Information on EM contactPeter Chandi 0733 546491)

In the long run though there is noshortcut to feeding the plants wellfrom even before planting.Compost making and/or greenmanuring and rotation of the cropsis the backbone of organic farming.We have to feed the soil so it canfeed us. The peppers above turningyellow in the third year have bythen used up all the nutrients thatthe soil had to begin with, andunless more nutrients are fed to thesoil, yields will continue to godown. Compost, manure and greenmanure also helps the soil to absorbwater better during rains, and tohold more air for root growth.

Nutrient deficiency symptomsSome of the most common nutrientdeficiency symptoms:a) Nitrogen deficiency: Yellowingof older leaves first, then if seriousall leaves turn yellow and the plantdoes not grow well.Nitrogen is found in urine, manure- especially chicken manure (careful- it might burn the plants if you puttoo much), compost and foliar feed.b) Phosphorous deficiency: Purplecolours are seen and the plants growslowly. Phosphorous is found inMajingu rock phosphate as well asanimal manures.c) Potassium deficiency: Yellowspotted leaves with wilted leafmargins and tips. Sometimes leavescurl or crinkle. Often seen onbrassicas, who really like theirpotassium. Potassium is found inwood ashes.d) Copper deficiency: Firstsymptoms are wilting of leaf tips,yellow patches in the field whenseen from far, and stunted growth.Copper is found in small quantitiesin animal manures, but the organicsystem allows the use of addedcopper when needed either as a seedtreatment (copper oxychloride) oras a spray on young crops (see alsopage 3).

You have to feed the soil

This sounds like a nutrientdeficiency. Healthy plants are a deepgreen colour. Any signs ofyellowing or purple colours indicatethat the plants are hungry. Most ofour tropical soils are notautomatically very fertile. We haveto both dig or plough the soils togive the plants air and loosen the soilfor good root growth. And we haveto feed the soil with good compost,manure or green manure (this meansdigging in live green plants) toactivate all the good soil microorganisms, so they can help makethe soil productive.

The quickest way to restore ahealthy colour and good productionto a discoloured crop is foliar feed.There is one on the market, which isapproved for organic farming, called"Freegrow" and is made fromseaweed. However foliar feed can bemade at home from any good

7The Organic Farmer Nr. 7 November 2005

Letters to the editor

Looking for markets

I work with a company calledOrganic solutions LTD, whichdeals with organic farming andproducts. We are currentlyintroducing the E.M technology infarming. I am very impressed withthe work you are doing inpromoting organic farming. I amworking with 40 farmer groupsthat are strictly in organic farmingin Mt Kenya region. Their biggestproblem is market for theproducts. I would like to start withgroups in Othaya and Kangema. Ihave given out all the magazinesyou sent me and I need more ofthem if you have. I would also liketo know if you advice farmers onwhat to grow for you to buy. Is itpossible for you to visit some ofmy groups?

Georges Mugambi,georgesmugambi@yahoo.com

Dear Mr. Mugambi, we understandthe problem farmers are facing inmarketing their produce. But as wetry to assist, our capacity is limited,for example all we can do is to givethem space in the market placecolumn on this page where they canadvertise their products.

But it is up to the farmers to makea follow up and establish contact withthe buyers (Read our Editorial onpage 1).

attached for accountabilitypurposes. We will send you all thefilled copies once collected fromthe filled by the 15th of October, aspart of our distribution report. It isour hope that the report will helpyou in your future supervision andmonitoring of the project as well asaccountability to your donors. Thecurrent issue was very interestingto our farmers and us, especiallythe articles one the dairy goatkeeping and poultry productionfor they are good sources ofincome in Ukambani and areimportant in drought copyingmechanism.

Elijah M. Mutungi, DirectorMAEEO, Kitui

Dear Mr. Mutungi, we are impressedwith your commitment. We wouldlike other farmers to prepare a listshowing who is receiving thenewspaper for record keepingpurposes. In this way it will be easy tostreamline the distribution in orderto serve you better.

Organic fish farming

I am starting tilapia breeding andgrowing enterprise and I wouldvery much like to get it right fromthe outset. Please can you adviceme on whether there areestablished and commerciallyaccepted guidelines for organicfreshwater aquaculture. I wouldappreciate any contacts you mayknow of in tilapia farming. I wouldalso be very pleased to receive yourpublication. Congratulations onproviding a much-needed light.

Anthony Dodds, BalakwasiEnterprises, P.O Box 15,Rumuruti, Tel. 065-20321.

Dear Mr. Dodds, �sh farming isrelatively new in Kenya althoughquite a number of farmers practise it.Information on organic �sh farmingis even scantier. Perhaps you could getin touch with Fisheries Departmentin Nairobi for additionalinformation and advice in this �eld.Contact Mbugua Mwangi (anAquaculturist) P.O Box 58187-00200Nairobi Tel 254-020-3742320/49Mobile 0722-357980. Another goodsource of information is the Internet.There are many sites that containinformation on organic aquaculture.

New insight on goats

First and foremost I would like tocongratulate you for your effort tomake us more knowledgeable infarming. Keep it up. I came acrossyour No. 6 Sept/Oct. 2005 issuethrough a neighbour, after readinga topic on dairy goats I was reallyimpressed because we only reargoats for slaughter duringChristmas and related ceremonies.But after realizing that it canproduce up to 3 litres of milk a day,my perspective towards them haschanged. Already I have sent aletter to the Kenya Dairy GoatsBreeders Association for moreinformation on how I could obtainat least one.With these remarks I say thank youfor enlightening the farmingcommunity. My group thoughyoung will benefit.

Francis K. Kemboi, P.O Box 301,Moi's Bridge, 0723 373 420.

Dear Mr. Kemboi, a lot of farmershave written to us giving positivecomments on the dairy goat story,others have requested for moreinformation on value addition ofgoat milk products. In one of the nextissues we will bring some moreinformation on dairy goat farming.In the meantime we wish you goodluck.

Distribution

I am writing to acknowledgereceipt of the 300 copies of TheOrganic Farmer magazine that youhad sent us. We have so fardistributed 270 of the magazinesand we intend to issue the balancethis week. We also designed adistribution form for the farmers tosign when getting the copies hereby

Good for farmers

Receive many thanks for TheOrganic Farmer copies, on behalfof KOAN. I request you toincrease the number of copies ofthe magazine being sent to me,since the demand for the same hasincreased very much. I amcurrently in contact with aninternational developmentorganization, which interacts withover 4,500 small-scale farmers inNyanza, that predominantlyproduce, organic. These farmershave found the newspaperinvaluable in refining theiragricultural practices, and I canassure you, we are no doubt a team,working for a better future. Onceagain thank you.

Dominick O. Ogut, CARE-KENYA, P.O Box 526, Homa Bay,Tel: 059 22433, 0721 368 338.

THE MARKET PLACEAny organic farmer with productsfor sale can contact the followingbuyers:

Su Kahumbu,Green Dreams Ltd,P.O. Box 1403. Limuru, Tel-0722-70 44 88.

Mr. Mathenge, Super Veg, Ltd,P.O. Box 41876-00100, NairobiTel-823 234 Fax 823 236Cell- 0722 315 063.

8 The Organic Farmer Nr. 7 November 2005

maize wheat or barley to avoid theuse of fertilizer. Spacing: The holes should be 5-10cm apart within a row.Intercropping with maize: plant tworows of soya between the maizerows. When intercropped withmaize there is no need of applyingextra fertilizer as the beans can usethe fertilizer applied to maize.Weeding: The crop should beweeded two times during thegrowing period .Harvesting: Different soya beanvarieties mature at different times.The early maturing types take about75 days while the late ones takeabout 100 days. Harvesting shouldbe done when the leaves turn yellow.Yields of up to 11-90 kg bags per acrecan be attained depending on thevariety and region of the countrygrown.Storage: The beans should be storedin a cool dry place to ensure theseeds are not spoilt (preferably at10% moisture content). As humanfood, it can be stored for up to 3years without chemical dressing orchange in nutritional quality.

Soya beans are of great value. Theyhave the highest concentration ofproteins, vitamins and minerals ofany crop.

By �e Organic Farmer

Despite its high nutritional value,many farmers in Kenya and manyother countries in Africa do notgrow soya beans. This is mainlybecause most people do not know itsvalue. Another reason is that unlikeother food crops such as maize andbeans, it needs processing into flourbefore it is consumed. In recentyears, however soya bean isbecoming increasingly popular withfarmers who have discovered itsimportance as a source of cheapprotein. It has the highest proteincontent of any food crop.

Soya beans have all the nutrientsrequired by the body includingproteins, fats, carbohydrates,vitamins and minerals. Just to showits value, 1 kg of Soya bean has thesame nutritional value as 2 kg ofmeat or 40 eggs. It is free ofcholesterol and is therefore a healthyfood crop. Its oil is easily digested inthe body. People now grow it for

regions and soils in the country. TheGazelle variety is mainly grown inparts of Central Province andLaikipia region. The SCSI and Nyalavarieties have been found to do wellin Kitale area. The GermanTechnical Cooperation Agency(GTZ) has developed thepromiscuous soya bean variety thatcan grow anywhere in the country.Farmers are advised to confirmvarieties suitable to their areas beforepurchasing seeds.

Alternatively farmers can obtainhigh quality seed includingrhizobium from Kenya SeedCompany agents near them (Seedswill be available before the plantingseason in 2006, since they have runout of stock at the moment). Mostother seed companies also stockseeds.

It is easy to grow SoyaSoya beans can grow well in deep,fertile and well-drained soils. Theyprefer slightly acidic soils - basicallythey can do well in all maize-growing areas of the country. Theygrow best in a humid climate withplenty of rain during the growingperiod (35-60 cm of rain is adequate).Plants can tolerate droughtconditions after the seedling stage.However they can perform betterwhen the rainfall is well distributedduring the growing period. Land preparation: Prepare a well-drained area of land and ensure greenmatter residues are well decomposedbefore planting.Planting: Before planting, test theviability of the seeds to ensure it willgerminate. The test is importantbecause soya bean seed looses itsviability 6 months after harvesting.This can be done by planting 100seeds, if 75 of the seeds germinate,then the viability is acceptable. Youwill need 25-30 kg good quality seedper acre. Plant at a depth of 5cm inrows 45-50 centimetres apart. Planttwo seeds per hole.Fertilizer application: Farmers areadvised to use farmyard manure ifavailable at the rate of one handfulper hole. They can also use 50 kg ofDAP fertilizer per acre. Use onepacket of rhizobium inoculants forevery 100 kg of soya seed. (A 100-gpacket costs Ksh 80). If the soil ispoor, potassium can be added at therate of 20-32 kg per acre. Mixfertilizer with the soil to avoid directcontact with the seed. Soya beanscan also be planted in rotation with awell-fertilized cereal crop such as

The beans that can reduce malnutrition

blending with traditional food cropssuch as maize or sorghum to makehighly nutritious porridge or ugali.Many Kenyan families use roastedground soya beans to make a healthycaffeine-free drink that they prefer totea or coffee.

Besides improving the diet, soyabean can also contribute to soilfertility by fixing nitrogen throughrhizobium bacteria in the roots.Maize and sorghum yields can beincreased by up to 25 percent ifintercropped with soya beans.Varieties for all regions

There are many varieties of soyabeans that have been developed inKenya to suit the various climatic

Soya beans PhotoTOF

How to reduce post-harvest losses?

The Organic Farmerin December