Browsing by Author "Omondi, Emmanuel C."

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  • Conservation agriculture for smallholder farms in Eastern Uganda and Western Kenya
    Norton, James B.; Omondi, Emmanuel C.; Norton, Urszula; Ngosia, D. S.; Odhiambo, J. A.; Okeyo, Jeremiah M.; Okalebo, J. R.; Oluko, P. S. (2012)
    Soil quality and crop yield parameters resulting from conservation agriculture practices were evaluated in on-station and on-farm studies established in two highland sites and two lowland sites in the Mount Elgon region of western Kenya and eastern Uganda. Each of the four study areas consists of an on-station and four on-farm sites, each with of three tillage practices (conventional moldboard, no-till, and minimum till); two levels of nitrogen fertilizer (60 Kg N Ha-1 and none); and three cropping systems (traditional maize-beans intercropping, maize intercropped with a bean-Mucuna [Mucuna pruriens] relay, and strip intercropping with maize, beans, and Mucuna in rotation planted in four-row strips) in a factorial design with nine treatments. First and second year results of soil organic matter analyses and crop yields indicate that reduced tillage combined with adding the cover crop to the rotation has begun to improve soil quality and has not negatively impacted yields. Some cooperating farmers have noted improved maize yields following Mucuna and are eager to scale up reduced-tillage and cover crop treatments.
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    Development and transfer of conservation agriculture production systems (CAPS) for small-holder farms in eastern Uganda and western Kenya
    Norton, James B.; Arnould, Eric; Norton, Urszula; Peck, Dannele; Press, Melea; Okalebo, Robert; Omondi, Emmanuel C.; Mukhwana, Eusebius J.; Bashaasha, Bernard; Laker-Ojok, Rita; Okeyo, Jeremiah; Odhiambo, Judith A.; Owori, Moses; Oluko, Patrick; Ogonga, Phanice; Chepkurui, Isaac; Sikuku, Dominic (2011)
    This poster provides an overview of the Long Term Research Activity 10 of Phase IV of the SANREM CRSP in two upland and two lowland areas in Mt. Elgon region of Kenya-Uganda border: Kapchorwa and Tororo Uganda; Trans Nzoia and Bungoma, Kenya. The project aims to assist farmers and other stakeholders in determining whether soil-building practices result in healthier soils and economically higher yields. They will have identified, developed and tested tools for reducing soil disturbance over this 5 year project. The research will also result in defined policy and regulatory constraints to agronomic and market innovation.
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    Early indicators of change during transition to conservation practices by smallholder farmers in western Kenya
    Norton, Urszula; Norton, James B.; Odhiambo, J. A.; Omondi, Emmanuel C. (2014)
    This paper presents research to identify and assess soil and plant parameters during transition to selected conservation agriculture practices identified by smallholder farmers in western Kenya.
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    Impact of conservation tillage on soil quality under smallholder farming systems in eastern Uganda and western Kenya
    Okeyo, Jeremiah M.; Norton, Jay B.; Omondi, Emmanuel C.; Norton, Urszula; Ngosia, Dominic S.; Odhiambo, Judith A.; Ashilenje, Dennis S. (2014)
    This poster presents a study to evaluate the impact oftillage: conventional tillage (CT), minimum tillage (MT) and notill(NT) combined with 3 cropping systems: intercrop, relay andstrip system on: (i.) Total and labile SOC and N pools and (ii.) Bulk density (BD), penetration resistance (PR) and water in eastern Uganda and western Kenya.
  • Innovation networks and social contagion in East Africa
    Gunter, J.; Rivers, Caitlin; Eubank, Stephen; Moore, Keith M.; Kuhlman, C.; Lamb, Jennifer Nicole; Norton, James B.; Omondi, Emmanuel C.; Ojok, R. L.; Sikuku, Dominic Ngosia; Ashilenje, Dennis S.; Odera, J. (2012)
    This study seeks to understand the pathway by which new technology and the associated knowledge passes through community networks in western Kenya and eastern Uganda. Previous research in the region emphasizes the importance of community support to promote widespread adoption of Conservation Agriculture practices. We will simulate complex contagions of information in these networks using the simulation platform EpiSimdemics. This work complements and expands on the growing body of research that uses network analysis to study the effects of network structure and social contagion on complex health and social systems.
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    Linking soil microbial community structure to potential carbon mineralization: A continental scale assessment of reduced tillage
    Rieke, Elizabeth L.; Cappellazzi, Shannon B.; Cope, Michael; Liptzin, Daniel; Mac Bean, G.; Greub, Kelsey L. H.; Norris, Charlotte E.; Tracy, Paul W.; Aberle, Ezra; Ashworth, Amanda; Banuelos Tavarez, Oscar; Bary, Andy, I; Baumhardt, R. L.; Borbon Gracia, Alberto; Brainard, Daniel C.; Brennan, Jameson R.; Briones Reyes, Dolores; Bruhjell, Darren; Carlyle, Cameron N.; Crawford, James J. W.; Creech, Cody F.; Culman, Steve W.; Deen, Bill; Dell, Curtis J.; Derner, Justin D.; Ducey, Thomas F.; Duiker, Sjoerd W.; Dyck, Miles F.; Ellert, Benjamin H.; Espinosa Solorio, Avelino; Fonte, Steven J.; Fonteyne, Simon; Fortuna, Ann-Marie; Foster, Jamie L.; Fultz, Lisa M.; Gamble, Audrey, V; Geddes, Charles M.; Griffin-LaHue, Deirdre; Grove, John H.; Hamilton, Stephen K.; Hao, Xiying; Hayden, Zachary D.; Honsdorf, Nora; Howe, Julie A.; Ippolito, James A.; Johnson, Gregg A.; Kautz, Mark A.; Kitchen, Newell R.; Kumar, Sandeep; Kurtz, Kirsten S. M.; Larney, Francis J.; Lewis, Katie L.; Liebman, Matt; Lopez Ramirez, Antonio; Machado, Stephen; Maharjan, Bijesh; Martinez Gamino, Miguel Angel; May, William E.; McClaran, Mitchel P.; McDaniel, Marshall D.; Millar, Neville; Mitchell, Jeffrey P.; Moore, Amber D.; Moore, Philip A.; Mora Gutierrez, Manuel; Nelson, Kelly A.; Omondi, Emmanuel C.; Osborne, Shannon L.; Osorio Alcala, Leodegario; Owens, Philip; Pena-Yewtukhiw, Eugenia M.; Poffenbarger, Hanna J.; Ponce Lira, Brenda; Reeve, Jennifer R.; Reinbott, Timothy M.; Reiter, Mark S.; Ritchey, Edwin L.; Roozeboom, Kraig L.; Rui, Yichao; Sadeghpour, Amir; Sainju, Upendra M.; Sanford, Gregg R.; Schillinger, William F.; Schindelbeck, Robert R.; Schipanski, Meagan E.; Schlegel, Alan J.; Scow, Kate M.; Sherrod, Lucretia A.; Shober, Amy L.; Sidhu, Sudeep S.; Solis Moya, Ernesto; St Luce, Mervin; Strock, Jeffrey S.; Suyker, Andrew E.; Sykes, Virginia R.; Tao, Haiying; Trujillo Campos, Alberto; Van Eerd, Laura L.; Verhulst, Nele; Vyn, Tony J.; Wang, Yutao; Watts, Dexter B.; William, Bryan B.; Wright, David L.; Zhang, Tiequan; Morgan, Cristine L. S.; Honeycutt, C. Wayne (Pergamon-Elsevier, 2022-05)
    Potential carbon mineralization (Cmin) is a commonly used indicator of soil health, with greater Cmin values interpreted as healthier soil. While Cmin values are typically greater in agricultural soils managed with minimal physical disturbance, the mechanisms driving the increases remain poorly understood. This study assessed bacterial and archaeal community structure and potential microbial drivers of Cmin in soils maintained under various degrees of physical disturbance. Potential carbon mineralization, 16S rRNA sequences, and soil characterization data were collected as part of the North American Project to Evaluate Soil Health Measurements (NAPESHM). Results showed that type of cropping system, intensity of physical disturbance, and soil pH influenced microbial sensitivity to physical disturbance. Furthermore, 28% of amplicon sequence variants (ASVs), which were important in modeling Cmin, were enriched under soils managed with minimal physical disturbance. Sequences identified as enriched under minimal disturbance and important for modeling Cmin, were linked to organisms which could produce extracellular polymeric substances and contained metabolic strategies suited for tolerating environmental stressors. Understanding how physical disturbance shapes microbial communities across climates and inherent soil properties and drives changes in Cmin provides the context necessary to evaluate management impacts on standardized measures of soil microbial activity.
  • Maize-bean farming and seasonal greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in sub-Saharan Africa
    Odhiambo, J. A.; Norton, Urszula; Ngosia, D. S.; Omondi, Emmanuel C.; Norton, James B. (WY: University of Wyoming Extension, 2013)
    Low nitrogen use efficiency and fertilizer recovery by crops in sub-Saharan Africa suggests high rates of nitrogen and carbon leaching, resulting in greenhouse gas emissions. The objective of this study was to inventory seasonal GHG emissions from continuous maize/bean intercropping grown under unimodal (one growing season) and bi-modal (two growing seasons) conditions. Soils from the bimodal area of Bungoma had very high N2O emissions during crop growth and greater though still very low CH4 assimilation compared to Trans-Nzoia.
  • Performance of a local open pollinated maize variety and a common hybrid variety under intensive small-scale farming practices
    Norton, Jay B.; Omondi, Emmanuel C.; Ashilenje, Dennis S. (2014)
    Given that the majority of maize farmers in Kenya are small-scale, improvement in maize production must focus on increased production per unit area. While hybrid maize varieties outperform local open pollinated varieties under conventional farming practices, their relative performance has not been tested under small-scale intensive production practices. A study was conducted in 2013 in Kitale, western Kenya, to evaluate performance of ‘Namba Nane’; a local open pollinated maize variety, alongside a high yielding hybrid, ‘Hybrid 614D’ under a small-scale, intensive farming practice that utilizes deep tillage and compost/manure. Each variety was subjected to conventional and diagonal offset close spacing. The grain yield of the hybrid (12.8 tons ha-1) was not statistically different from that of ‘Namba Nane’ (10.2 tons ha-1), even though the number of rows per cobb and number of ears per plant of the former were significantly greater than those of latter. However, yields of both varieites were about twice the published potential yield of imporved hybrid maize (6 tons ha-1) grown with conventional practices. Seed kernels of ‘Namba Nane’ weighed 1.6 times more than those of ‘Hybrid 614D’. Diagonal off-set close spacing under this technology increased the maize grain yield o fboth varieties 1.3 times. The cost of producing ‘Namba Nane’ under the technology was significantly less that producing the hybrid and twice more profitable (gross margin). Growing ‘Namba Nane’ using small-scale, intensive farming practices may be a viable option for most small-scale, resource-challenged farmers to increase economics yields.
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    SANREM CRSP LTRA-10: Development and transfer of conservation agriculture production systems (CAPS) for smallholder farms in eastern Uganda and western Kenya
    Sikuku, Dominic Ngosia; Omondi, Emmanuel C.; Norton, Jay B.; Okalebo, J. R. (2013)
    The presentation covered the overall objectives and activities of the Sustainable Agriculture and Natural Resource Management Collaborative Research Support Program (SANREM CRSP) Long-term research award number 10 (LTRA-10). This research program seeks to promote the development and transfer of conservation agriculture productions systems (CAPS) among smallholder farms in eastern Uganda and western Kenya. The partners actively involved in the program are two host country universities, three non-governmental organizations, and two U.S. universities. The presentation included a brief overview of the program objectives and detailed experimental design. Main challenges throughout project implementation were presented, mainly pertaining to the lack of tools, inadequate participation of host farmers, and insufficient information on correct herbicides. Examples of training actives in Tororo during July 2012 were discussed. The positive impacts of the program, such as improvement in how farmers address issues of productivity with climate smart farming, attested to the success of the programs thus far. The project has created a good platform for various stakeholders in the agricultural sector to come together and voice concerns and chart the way forward for agriculture, effectively creating dialogue that leads capacity building and change.
  • Seasonal Variability in GHG emissions and soil N in maize/common bean intercropping under inversion-type tillage in western Kenya
    Odhiambo, Judith A.; Norton, Urszula; Norton, Jay B.; Omondi, Emmanuel C.; Okeyo, Jeremiah M.; Ngosia, Dominic S.; Ashilenje, Dennis S. (2014)
    This posters reports on a study which seeks to (1) Assess SOM mineralization in typical maize bean production during long rainy season, short rainy season and a fallow period in double
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    Social network analysis for strengthening conservation agriculture participatory research: A closer look at collaboration in the Mount Elgon Region of Kenya and Uganda
    Lamb, Jennifer Nicole; Moore, Keith M.; Norton, James B.; Omondi, Emmanuel C.; Ojok, R. L.; Sikuku, Dominic Ngosia; Ashilenje, Dennis S.; Odera, J. (2012)
    The poster presents social network analysis as a method to support collaboration in the participatory research process to design strategies to scale up conservation agriculture production systems (CAPS). Objectives of this research project were to identify knowledge and attitudes concerning agricultural production practices held by actors in the network, to describe the structure of information and physical resource flows between these actors, and to determine critical pathways and opinion leaders that facilitate technological change among farmers and their service sector providers. Research presented was carried out in Eastern Uganda and Western Kenya. The poster highlights the feedback provided by farmers during workshops held in four communities. Both scientific and local knowledge were found in the research communities. Findings identified misconceptions about agent misconceptions about the knowledge of others. Findings also identified challenges to conservation agriculture adoption and how local networks can be mobilized to resolve them. Social Network Analysis contributions to overall project management were also presented. The research verified and expanded the network of service sector/community agents involved in the project, encouraged reflexivity in the research process, and empowered project participants to address network conditions which they can control.
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    Weed Dynamics during Transition to Conservation Agriculture in Western Kenya Maize Production
    Odhiambo, Judith A.; Norton, Urszula; Ashilenje, Dennis S.; Omondi, Emmanuel C.; Norton, Jay B. (2015-08-03)
    Weed competition is a significant problem in maize (Zea mays, L.) production in Sub-Saharan Africa. Better understanding of weed management and costs in maize inter-cropped with beans (Phaseolus vulgaris, L.) during transition to conservation agricultural systems is needed. Changes in weed population and maize growth were assessed for a period of three years at Bungoma where crops are grown twice per year and at Trans-Nzoia where crops are grown once per year. Treatments included three tillage practices: minimum (MT), no-till (NT) and conventional (CT) applied to three cropping systems: continuous maize/bean intercropping (TYPICAL), maize/bean intercropping with relayed mucuna after bean harvest (RELAY) and maize, bean and mucuna planted in a strip intercropping arrangement (STRIP). Herbicides were used in NT, shallow hand hoeing and herbicides were used in MT and deep hoeing with no herbicides were used in CT. Weed and maize performance in the maize phase of each cropping system were assessed at both locations and costs of weed control were estimated at Manor House only. Weed density of grass and forb species declined significantly under MT and NT at Manor House and of grass species only at Mabanga. The greatest declines of more than 50% were observed as early as within one year of the transition to MT and NT in STRIP and TYPICAL cropping systems at Manor House. Transitioning to conservation based systems resulted in a decline of four out of five most dominant weed species. At the same time, no negative impact of MT or NT on maize growth was observed. Corresponding costs of weed management were reduced by $148.40 ha(-1) in MT and $149.60 ha(-1) in NT compared with CT. In conclusion, farmers can benefit from effective and less expensive weed management alternatives early in the process of transitioning to reduced tillage operations.