Modern Agriculture Technology in Kenya: Highland Arrowroot Technology can earn Ksh 293,330

Highland arrowroot technology is the name for the modern agriculture technology in Kenya which enables growing of the crop where there is no River .Use of the highland arrowroot technology is a great breakthrough, modern agriculture technology in Kenya from KARI Katumani. The method is replacing the tradition of growing the crop only in the river valleys with speed. One acre will accommodate 29,333 plants which will yield one tuber each giving a total of 29,333 tubers sold@ Ksh 10 will give Ksh 293,333 gross income/ acre in 6-8 months. Today indigenous tubers are in the class of high value crops in Kenya and enjoy good market prices as a result of increased consumptions of the tubers for breakfast and as snacks. There is great consumer awareness on healthy eating habits. This has led to rapid increase in urban market share for the root crops.

Traditionally the tuber is grown in the river valleys where there is plenty of water.Many river valleys have dried up due to global warming and climate change. Employment of modern agriculture technology in Kenya especially highland arrowroot technology is hardy as climate adaptation method. Yes, it is now possible to grow arrow roots where there is no river by creating the same conditions as in the river valleys using highland arrowroot technology a modern Agriculture technology in Kenya. The work involves planting the crop in trenches 60 cm deep, 1 metre wide and any desired length. The trench is lined with heavy gauge polythene paper and filled with soil manure mixture at a ratio of 2:1 or a rate of one wheelbarrow of manure per metre square.

Being a leading modern agriculture technology in Kenya, highland arrowroot technology involves excavating trenches spaced at 0.5 metres. Plant the suckers in a spacing of 30cm by 30cm burying the plant up to 20 cm, and water thoroughly. Mulch the area when planting unless it’s the rainy season. Water once a week to maintain wetness. Old and dry leaves should be removed regularly. Keep the plot free of weeds.  The crop will be ready for harvesting in a period of 6 to 8 months.

Africa Environment Day is Renamed Wangari Maathai Day

Africa Environment  Day is celebrated every of 3rd March since the year 2000.The day was set aside to raise awareness of the pressing environmental challenges facing the continent. During the African Union Summit held in Addis Ababa Ethiopia in February 2012, the African Union chose to honour the late professor wangari maathai by renaming Africa Environment Day Wangari Maathai Day, for her great contribution to environmental awareness in Africa especially in aforestation and reforestation.Great contribution was made by the late professor Wangari Maathai. Professor Wangari Mathai fought several battles with wisdom and diplomacy to save the environment. This made her a winner of the prestigious Nobel Peace Prize which was awarded her in Oslo Norway in Dec 2004.She has left a legacy which will outlive her and the battle continuous.

Agroforestry, farm forestry, community forestry, social forestry and village forestry are all terms used to describe growing of trees undertaken mainly outside gazetted forest zones. Agro-forestry has received much attention in the development efforts of rural Kenya over the years. Tree planting projects have been supported by government extension services as well as well as non governmental organizations. Increasing the tree cover from about 2% to 10% is the government policy in Kenya. However lack of seeds has often led to poor achievements in tree planting as the supply from central seeds stores is unreliable. Local seed collection is the answer to ensuring timely supplies of seeds, furthermore indigenous tree are adapted local area conditions. It is very easy to collect seed for on farm small nurseries. Simply observe the flowering and fruiting of various tree species to know when mature seeds are available. This varies from species to species and from one part of Kenya to the other.

Collect only mature seeds for good germination percentage and from trees that resemble what you want i.e. species for timber from straight trees, species for fodder from trees with high production of leafy biomass and species for fruit from good tasting and high yielding trees. Collect seed which has not been attacked by insect or fungi.Extract collected seeds from pods, cones or fruit and allow drying. Seeds which are oily or soft are recommended to be sown immediately and should not be stored ,while those with a hard cover may usually be stored. When storing keep the seed clean, cool, dry and protected from insects and rats. Label containers with name of the species and Date of collection. As Professor wangari maathai said “It’s the little things that citizens do which makes the difference and she quote “My little thing is planting trees” That one “little” thing led Wangari Maathai, who 
died September 25^th 2011, to found a movement by name the green belt movement, that not only planted over 47 million trees worldwide, including re-foresting her native country Kenya, but had improved the lives of over 900,000 women through economic empowerment by the year 2011.

Canada withdraws from Kyoto protocol during UN climate change conference

The announcement of Canada’s withdrawal from Kyoto protocol was made as the December 2011 United Nations Climate Change Conference progressed, by the countries environment minister Mr. Peter Kent, who argued that Kyoto protocol fails to cover US and China, the two biggest green house gases emitters, and that Canada cannot meet its Kyoto protocol targets. Kent said that Canada would be required to pay billions to meet its Kyoto protocol target in 2012. He was referring to the cost of buying carbon emission permits from other countries to compensate for Canada's huge excess over its target. Under the Kyoto protocol, Canada was committed to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 6% by 2012, against its 1990 levels. But its emissions have risen by over 30%, making failure unavoidable. Canada's inaction was blamed by some on its desire to defend the money-spinning but extremely polluting exploitation of tar sands, the second biggest oil reserve in the world. Canada rejected a second commitment period unless the top polluters and contributors to climate change, who are outside Kyoto protocol made binding commitments too.

The Kyoto protocol was the first agreement between world nations to mandate reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions for reduction of climate change. The Kyoto Protocol of 1997 in Kyoto Japan specified that developed countries should reduce their combined greenhouse emissions by 5.2 percent from 1990 levels, during the first commitment period which runs from 2008-2012, principally through achievement of their national targets. The treaty was finalized in Kyoto Japan in 1997, after years of negotiations and it went into force in 2005.

Kyoto Protocol which was ratified by 37 industrialized countries was set to expire in 2012. Under Kyoto protocol, industrialized nations pledged to cut their annual greenhouse gases emissions by varying amounts, averaging 5.2%, by 2012 in comparison to 1990. Most nations ratified the treaty, with the notable exception of the United States. Developing countries, including China and India, weren't mandated to reduce emissions, as their contribution to build-up of CO2 in the atmosphere was relatively small. Countries and regions, including the European Union, were on track by 2011 to meet or exceed their Kyoto targets, but other large nations were sadly falling short of their goals. United States and China, the two biggest greenhouse gases emitters are responsible for more than enough extra greenhouse gas to erase all the reductions made by other countries during the Kyoto period. Globally, emissions rose by nearly 40% from 1990 to 2009. There is urgent need to revolutionize energy systems, and get countries to agree on a climate deal or else, global warming will breach the 2 degrees Celsius barrier. Kyoto Protocol is sadly failing to control global greenhouse gas emissions and consequent Climate change and global warming.

A Kenyan youth speaks about climate change

The latest United Nations Climate Change Conference was held in Durban South Africa from 28^th November-9^th December 2011. This was the second largest climate change conference and the negotiations progressed in a balanced fashion. One of the major outcomes was a decision by Parties to adopt a worldwide legal agreement on climate change by 2015.The delegates agreed to a Green Climate Fund, which will help vulnerable countries deal with effects of climate change. The Green Climate Fund will basically channel about $100 billion by 2020 to susceptible countries in order to help them deal with the effects of climate change. This achievement in Durban may play a central role in saving tomorrow today as countries work together towards this common purpose, but the problem with the outcome is that the sources of funds for the Green Climate Fund were not identified, which may make implementation of the climate actions a farfetched idea.  which runs from 2008-2012, principally through achievement of their national targets. The treaty was finalized in Kyoto Japan in 1997, after years of negotiations and it went into force in 2005.

Kyoto Protocol which was ratified by 37 industrialized countries was set to expire in 2012. Under Kyoto protocol, industrialized nations pledged to cut their annual greenhouse gases emissions by varying amounts, averaging 5.2%, by 2012 in comparison to 1990. Most nations ratified the treaty, with the notable exception of the United States. Developing countries, including China and India, weren't mandated to reduce emissions, as their contribution to build-up of CO2 in the atmosphere was relatively small. Countries and regions, including the European Union, were on track by 2011 to meet or exceed their Kyoto targets, but other large nations were sadly falling short of their goals. United States and China, the two biggest greenhouse gases emitters are responsible for more than enough extra greenhouse gas to erase all the reductions made by other countries during the Kyoto period. Globally, emissions rose by nearly 40% from 1990 to 2009. There is urgent need to revolutionize energy systems, and get countries to agree on a climate deal or else, global warming will breach the 2 degrees Celsius barrier. Kyoto Protocol is sadly failing to control global greenhouse gas emissions and consequent Climate change and global warming.

 

Agricultural Carbon Sinks for climate change mitigation

A carbon sink is a natural or artificial reservoir that gathers and stores carbon containing chemical compounds for an indefinite period. Agricultural carbon sinks also called agriculture carbon sequesters refers to agricultural farms, ranches and forests which absorb CO₂, the most important global warming gas emitted by human activities. According to the greenhouse effect theory, the discharge into the atmosphere of large quantities of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and other green house gases eventually warms the planet causing climate change. This is due to destruction of the ozone layer which whose function is to reduce the strength of the radiation or sun rays reaching the earth.

Increased concentration of CO2 and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has led to global warming. Average global temperatures increased by about 1 degree in the 20th century, contributing to the thawing of the permafrost, rising ocean levels and extreme weather according to scientist. Currently there is increased global concern of greenhouse gas emissions and scientists are researching on ways to limit the amount of CO₂ entering the atmosphere; Therefore there is a global drive to limit CO₂ emissions into the atmosphere through Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technologies, in order to mitigate climate change. Carbon sequestration is the process through which agricultural and forestry practices remove carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere and deposit it in a reservoir.Agriculture  Carbon sequestration activities can help to prevent global climate change by enhancing carbon storage in soils and trees, preserving existing soil and tree carbon, and by reducing emissions of CO₂, methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O).

In order to comprehend CO₂ emissions from the soil, it is important to understand the carbon cycle in farm systems.  Normally CO₂ in the atmosphere is absorbed by plants, and it is transformed into carbohydrates, cellulose and other sugars, during the process of photosynthesis.  The plant uses some of the carbon compounds to meet its energy needs and converts the rest back into CO₂.  Some of the carbon remaining in the plant is then removed from the system when the plant is harvested; the rest ends up in the ground and is transformed into CO₂ again by microbes in the soil.  This cycle is identical in all crop systems, but the quantities of CO₂ involved vary depending on climate, soils and type of plant.  The cycle is slightly more complex on farms where animals are raised because instead of being removed from the system, a considerable amount of the plant matter is used as bedding or animal feed.  Then carbon is released in various ways such as removal by the animals in the form of CO₂, removal in form of animal products (e.g. meat), and a significant amount is returned to the ground in the form of manure.

The soil is a great carbon sink in form of organic matter and various farming practices enhance carbon sequestration in the soil. Therefore creation of a soil carbon sink calls for adoption of land management practices that increase the organic carbon content of the soil. This includes:-

·        Use of minimum tillage , common in conservation agriculture, which minimizes soil disturbance reducing the amount of CO₂ released into the atmosphere ;

·        Cover cropping as temporary cover between seasons;

·        Crop rotation and intercropping;

·        Soil conservation using contour terraces or vegetative strips;

·        Rotation grazing and high-intensity short-term grazing which involves concentrating livestock in small paddocks for days at a time so they graze lightly but evenly which encourages roots to grow deeper into the soil;

·        Planting of shrubs and trees as windbreaks;

·        Use of farmyard and compost manure to increase soil organic matter;

·        Conversion of marginal farmland to perennial grasses or trees;

Therefore Soil carbon sequestration is a good way of reducing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, and creation of a market for reducing carbon emissions would enable farmers to benefit economically from the process. Use of the above land management practices enables the soil to capture more CO₂ than it emits; in effect CO₂ is removed from the atmosphere and stored in the soil. As matter of fact, soil Carbon sequestration is a multi- purpose strategy with several co-benefits which include:-

1.      Reduced atmospheric CO2 and climate change mitigation;

2.      Improved agricultural productivity;

3.      Food security improvement;

4.      Increased farm income;

5.      Improved water conservation;

6.      Reduced soil erosion;

7.      Increased farm profitability;

8.      Environmental conservation;

9.      Poverty reduction;

Forests are carbon stores or carbon sinks when they are increasing in density or area. Growing trees sequester large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through the process of photosynthesis. The carbon is used to build the plant and the oxygen is released back into the atmosphere. Forest fires and deforestation releases absorbed carbon back into the atmosphere, due to rapidly increased oxidation of soil organic carbon.