The newspaper for sustainable agriculture in Kenya Nr. 17 Sept/Oct 2006

Dear farmers,In Kenya, many cabbage and sukumawiki (kale) growers have suffered lossesbecause of the diamondback moth(DBM). Our newspaper has writtentwo articles on the wasp that kills thepest. The wasp was discovered andimported from Taiwan by scientists atthe International Centre of InsectPhysiology and Ecology (ICIPE) inNairobi. ICIPE, with assistance fromKARI, has released a lot of these waspsin the important cabbage-growingareas in the country. In most of theseregions, the diamondback moth has dis-appeared, and farmers are harvestinghealthy cabbage.

The moth is still a problem in someparts of the country, as our newspaperis still getting letters from farmers seek-ing assistance from ICIPE on the sameissue, since their cabbages are affected.ICIPE is willing to assist, as you canread in the answer given by Dr. Bern-hard Loehr, a scientist at the institu-tion, who coordinated research on thediamondback moth (see page 6). Whilewe admit that the problem is still there,it is important to note that farmers canmake the problem worse by usingchemicals to control the diamondbackmoth. These chemicals kill the wasp,but not the diamondback moth, whichhides under the leaves of the cabbage.This means that if the farmers did notuse chemicals, the wasps would do theirwork, which is to lay their eggs in thelarvae of the diamondback moth and inthis way kill them.

Our newspaper has on many timeswarned of the dangers of using chemi-cals. There are many natural ways tokill or to expel damaging insects fromthe farm (see the article on push-pullfor stemborer control on page 5). This iswhy we have published a special insertin the centre pages on important plantsthat can be used in the fight againstpests and diseases.

As you can see in this issue, we haveprepared additional pages for you. InSeptember, we will take a break as wedid last year, so we will not have anissue in October. This will give us timeto reflect and plan on future articles forthe newspaper. It will also provide uswith the opportunity to visit some ofthe farmers’ groups in the country.

Pushing out stemborerAre you one of many Kenyan maizefarmers who lose much of their yieldevery season to stemborers and thewitchweed striga? On page 5, weexplain how you can fight these pests,double your harvest, and earn addi-tional income, by using the push-pullstrategy. In this strategy, the plantdesmodium plays an important role.

The Organic Farmer

in this issue

Feeding and housing a dairy cowThe Organic FarmerAll over the country, farmers are nowtrying to rebuild their milk herds inorder to sell more milk followingincreased prices from the newlyrevamped Kenya CooperativeCreameries (KCC). However mostfarmers may not realise their milkproduction targets due to the way

they keep and maintain their milkingherds. While the well establishedfarmers get as much as 30 litres froma single cow per day, most ordinaryfarmers get an average of 6 litresfrom one cow (see The Organic FarmerNr. 14, June 2006).

The difference in milk productionhas a lot to do with the way farmersfeed and manage their animals.Many farmers cannot see the rela-tionship between feeding and milkproduction, and if they do, then theylack the most basic knowledge ondairy cattle management. Take your-self as an the example - if you cannoteat for the whole day, then you willnot have the energy to perform anywork on your farm. In the same way,a cow cannot produce enough milkunless it is given adequate and qual-ity feed that provides it with all theessential nutrients.

The zero grazing sheds that manyfarmers put up nowadays are likeprison cells, with up to four animalsput in one small enclosure. The ani-mals have no room for movementand rest. The sheds have no drainageto allow the free flow of urine andanimal waste. If the animals are notcomfortable, they become stressed,and this affects milk production andeven their health. For more informa-tion see pages 2 and 3.

Organic farmers have a wide range of natural methods for fighting pests anddiseases on their crops. In this issue, our newspaper brings you some of theplants that can be used to prevent these problems instead of applying harmfulchemicals. This is the right way to protect the environment and our future.

Plants solve farmers' problems

Requirements of a cowshedPhilomena Nyagilo

When building a cattle shed, mostfarmers do not consider the space,size and number of the animals to bekept in the shade. They build thesheds too small to allow the freemovement and the behaviouralneeds of the animal. Building a shedis therefore not only hammeringtogether some timber. Building ashed costs money, so farmers shouldavoid mistakes and consider severaldemands of their animals:• The shed should be close to a reli-

able source of clean water, and ifpossible near your fodder farm.

• The roof can cover the whole penor just animal cubicles and shouldslope away from the pen so rain-water doesn't fall into the pen. Itshould be high enough for a personto stand up.

• The walking area should have afloor made of concrete or hard-packed soil. Concrete is easy toclean. The floor should slopegently towards a channel lead-ing to a manure pit outside thepen and should not be made toosmooth, otherwise the cattleare likely to slip on it.

• To hold the manure,dig a largee n o u g hmanure pitand line thechannel lead-ing from thewalking area tothe pit with con-crete. You can also

Nr. 17 September/October 20062 The Organic Farmer

The Organic FarmerThe Organic Farmer is an independentnewspaper for the Kenyan farmingcommunity. It promotes organicfarming and supports discussions onall aspects of sustainable develop-ment. The Organic Farmer is pub-lished monthly by ICIPEand distributed free tofarmers. The reports of TheOrganic Farmer do not nec-essarily reflect the views ofICIPE.

The Organic Farmer is sponsored byBioVision, a Swiss-based founda-tion for the promotion of sustain-able development.

www.biovision.ch

PublisherInternational Centre of InsectPhysiology and Ecology (ICIPE)P.O.Box 30772, 00100 NairobiKENYATel. +254 (020) 863 2000e-mail: icipe@icipe.org homepage: http://www.icipe.orgEditorsPeter Kamau, Peter BaumgartnerSecretariatLucy W. MachariaAdvisory BoardDr. Bernhard Löhr, ICIPEDr. Nguya Maniania, ICIPEDr. Fritz Schulthess, ICIPECharles Kimani, Farmer, WangigeAddressThe Organic FarmerP.O.Box 14352, 00800 NairobiKENYATel. +254 (020) 445 03 98e-mail : info@organickenya.comLayoutIn-A-Vision Systems(k)

MY OPINIONSometimes it is difficult to believethat farmers will ever get fair pricesfor their farm produce. The recenthike in fuel prices has led to a hikein transport costs. While the cost ofproduction has continued to rise,the price given to farmers for theircommodities has remained thesame or even reduced. A big bunchof spinach vegetables is sold foronly Ksh 40 in the supermarkets.Also, despite a government ban onthe use of extended bags for potatopackaging, traders are back into thegame of farmer exploitation. Travel-ing to Nairobi recently, I could seemountains of extended potato bags.It seems there is no end in sight tofarmers’ problemsPhillip Kiget, a farmer in Molo

make a paste of red soil, cow dungand ash, and smear this paste onthe sides and bottom of the pit;then allow it to dry. Repeat fivetimes to build up a leak-prooflayer.

• Each cow should have its owncubicle. The cubicle floors shouldbe made of dry soil, as cattle preferto lie on soil rather than on coldconcrete.

• For calves, put in temporary barri-ers of wood to make smaller pens.The calves' pen floor should beraised about 4 cm and be made ofwooden slats, to help keep thefloor clean and protect the calffrom diseases.

• A stall for use as a milking areashould be set aside.

• Provide troughs for water and feedin the walking area and the calfpen. A trough should also be pro-

vided in the milking area so thatthe cow can feed even

during milking.

Suggested further reading:“More Forage, More Milk”,Technical Handbook No. 33,Published by RELMA, Nairobi2005.

Proper feeding and housing of dairy animals increases milk pro-duction and income for farmers.

Philomena Nyagilo

"The scarcity of land and animaldestruction of crops made me realizethe importance of practising zero graz-ing." With these words, James KamauKungu explains why he changed tozero grazing. Kamau, a farmer inKibichiku, Wangige area, is one ofthose many farmers in Kenya whohave embraced the practice of keepingand feeding their cows in a pen, byproviding forage and not allowing thecows to graze freely in the fields.It requires labour Population growth and urbanizationin Kenya have reduced pasture landavailable for grazing; this hasdegraded the environment due toovergrazing and deforestation. As aresult, smallscale farmers haveadopted the system of zero grazing,which is an eco-friendly practice foranimal husbandry if dairy cows arekept in good living conditions.Kamau says: "It is an intensivemethod of farming that produces alot of milk from a small amount ofland. But it requires sufficient labourto provide forage and maintain theunit."

The labour constraint to the use offodder is closely tied to the size of thefarm. Kamau has planted Napiergrass, improved Kikuyu grass fromSouth Africa and Kakamega grass inhis half-hectare (1 acre) farm; he alsogrows bananas and maize. "I cut theNapier grass and mix it with maize

The Organic FarmerNr. 17 September/October 2006 3If done well, zero grazing is profitable

stems and with the banana stems andleaves from my farm. It was a gooddecision to change to zero grazing", hesays.

James Kamau started off zero graz-ing in 1986. He now has 3 heifers and 2cows; he has sold 3 bulls in the past 5years. He has a constant supply ofmilk; his cows give around 40 litres ofmilk per day, which is enough for thefamily income and nutrition. Kamauprefers imported or cross-bred cows."They grow faster and produce a goodamount of milk if well fed". However,he adds, "If the cows are not properlyfed with the right quantities and at theappropriate time, during all stages ofgrowth to maturity, their milk produc-tion drops. The same happens if theyare not kept in a clean shed". Numerous advantagesJames Kamau is convinced that zerograzing is a good and suitable systemfor smallscale farmers in Africa. Hepoints out a lot of advantages:

• Zero grazing reduces the number ofpests such as ticks and intestinalworms, since the animals do notgraze on infested pastures.

• There is enough milk for the house-hold nutrition and for sale, hence inreturn, enough money to buy for-age for cows during the dry period.

• In case of a disease outbreak, it iseasy to control.

• It reduces damage to crops causedby grazing cattle.

• The farmer is assured of manure,made up of cow dung and urine,which sustains soil fertility wherefodder and crops are grown.

"If you feed your cows well, the priceof milk is usually high enough to meetthe costs of production and make aprofit", he says. On the other hand,money is required in order to buildand maintain the shed and manure pit;labour is also involved.

A farmer should be ready to cut andcarry the feed, and fetch water for theanimals. James Kamau is in a goodposition with respect to water: hepumps the water from a nearby riverup to his zero grazing shed in thehomestead.Feeding is importantA constant supply and sufficient quan-tities of good quality forage is a basicnecessity for increased milk produc-tion and keeping the animal healthy."Without good food, not a lot of milk isproduced", says Kamau. Forageincludes all plant materials used tofeed livestock. Leguminous forage isvery important. It improves soil fer-tility through its ability to fix nitro-gen, and the quality of feed is higherbecause it contains proteins. Some ofthe protein-rich forages includelucerne, desmodium, calliandra,lablab or leucaena species. For anenergy feed, maize germ, bran andother cereal milling by-products aregood for the animals.

In organic farming, zero grazing isallowed under the conditions set bythe organic standards of the KenyaBureau of Standards. Farmers shouldensure that the environment and thefacilities are adequate for the size andnumber of the animals, so as to pro-vide for the behavioural needs of theanimals. Some farmers keep their ani-mals in crowded sheds without ade-quate space for free movement. Weshould not forget one thing: If youstress the animals, their milk produc-tion drops.Organic standards demand that:• There should be sufficient freemovement and opportunity to expressnormal patterns of animal behaviour.All animals should have access to pas-

ture, an open-air exercise area or run,whenever the physiological conditionof the animal, the weather and thestate of the ground permit. This meansthat landless zero grazing is notallowed.• The farmer should ensure sufficientfresh air, water, feed and natural day-light to meet the needs of the animals;where animals require bedding, ade-quate natural materials must be pro-vided.• Access to resting areas, shelter andprotection from sunlight, high or lowtemperatures, rain, mud and wind areways to reduce animal stress.• The animals’ social structures mustbe maintained by ensuring that herdanimals are not kept in isolation fromother animals of the same species.

Proper feeding and housing of dairy cows can increase their productivity (TOF)

Standards for organic animal husbandry

Reducing water wastage can help farmers grow crops all year ‘round.

By Peter KamauAll Kenyan farmers know the impor-tance of water in agriculture; withoutit, no crop can grow. Indeed, if allfarmers had an adequate supply ofwater, we would not be talking offood shortages and the devastatingfamine that affects parts of the coun-try so often. But the questions weshould all ask ourselves are: Do wemake use of the available waterresources in the right way? Why is itthat so many farmers lack water tosustain agricultural production?

One way in which we can solve thisproblem is to understand and adoptpractices that can help us make max-imum use of the available water toimprove food production. In the lastissue of The Organic Farmer, we cov-ered the most effective way of wateruse - by drip irrigation. In the nextissue we will feature the differentmethods of water conservation thatfarmers can adopt in their farms.Here we will look at the importanceof water in sustainable agriculture.

Farmers in nearly three-quarters ofthe country experience severe watershortages in their farming operations.One reason for this is that they lacksimple water harvesting technologiesthat help conserve water for use dur-ing the dry spells. The concentrationof rainfall in one season means thatfarmers have to use conservationmethods that enable them to storeand use the water when the needarises. This would ensure that theyget maximum benefits from the avail-able water resources. Organic farm-ing involves use of the available farmresources in a sustainable way. Activewater retention, water harvesting andstorage are therefore very importantto organic farmers. It is important forfarmers to learn water conservationmethods in order to increase produc-tion.Water managementManaging water involves practicesthat protect available supplies andwhich help reduce losses. This can bedone through conservation. The wayin which water from different sourcesis used for people, crops and animalsis a part of water management. Afarmer has to take these into account,because agricultural practices can

Nr. 17 September/October 20064 The Organic Farmer

Conserve water to boost production

affect the water supply either posi-tively or negatively. The amount ofwater available in a farm depends onfactors affecting the sources of waterand also on the ways the soil is man-aged. In rain-fed agriculture, forexample, a farmer can store water ina tank for use in the dry season. Inorganic agriculture, however, farm-ers are taught how to conserve waterthrough methods which preventwater loss, such as mulching, pre-vention of soil erosion and correctsoil cultivation practices. The chal-lenge that faces farmers is thereforeto ensure that as little as possible ofthe available water is lost in order topromote plant growth and ensure thefarm has adequate water for otheruses.Keeping water in the soil In many farms today, farmers over-come water shortages by installingirrigation facilities. However, the firststep farmers should take to conservewater is to improve the water reten-tion and infiltration (penetration)capacity of the soil. During the dryseason, some soils can hold water forplant growth better than others. Theability of a soil to absorb and storewater largely depends on its compo-

sition and the content of organic mat-ter. Soils rich in clay can store waterup to three times more than sandysoils. Soil organic matter acts just likea sponge for storage of water, andsoils rich in organic matter will pre-serve their moisture for a long time.To increase the content of organicmatter, farmers are advised to applyorganic manures, compost, mulch orgreen manure. A thin layer of mulchcan considerably reduce the evapora-tion of water from the soil. It protectsthe soil from direct sunlight and pre-vents it from getting too warm. Whilepreparing land, the farmer shouldavoid digging too deep and disturb-ing the sub-soil, as it contains smallchannels that help the water to rise tothe surface for the benefit of plants.(See our previous issues on mulchingand organic manures).Let the water go into the soilDuring heavy rains, only a small per-centage of water penetrates the soil.A large part of the water flows awayas surface run-off. The run-off doesnot benefit the crops; instead, itmakes the situation worse, becausethe best soil on the surface is sweptaway. In order to harness this waterfor crop production, the infiltrationof rainwater needs to be increased. Toachieve a high infiltration rate, afarmer has to maintain a topsoil witha good soil structure. Earthworms,cover crops and mulch applicationcan also help to slow down the waterflow and allow more time for its infil-tration.

On steep slopes, the infiltration ofrainwater can be increased throughdigging of trenches along contourlines. If this done, running water isslowed down, allowing infiltrationinto the soil. The tumbukiza method isused by many Kenyan farmers. Thesesemi-circular bunds (plant pits) alsohelp to collect water flowing downthe slope and encourage its infiltra-tion near the root zone of the crop.The effect of these water traps can beincreased if a layer of mulch is addedinto the pit.

Excess water can be used for irriga-tion in the dry season if it is wellstored. Generally, reduction of waterloss and wastage through propermanagement can go a long way inincreasing farm productivity andincome. It is important that farmersuse this scarce resource in the rightway for their own benefit.

Bare soil loses water faster...

...than well covered soil. (Photos TOF)

Plant Extracts Special IThe Organic Farmer

Herbal cures safer than chemicals

Plants can act as a physical barrier to the movement of pests.Hedges hinder the movement of aphids into the garden. A hedgeof Tithonia, for instance, is a natural barrier against many insects.A row of pigeon peas (mbaazi, also called Congo peas) has beenused to protect tomato, potato and cabbage crops against red spi-der mites. Beans have been planted as decoys in rows aroundcabbages to protect this vegetable from spider mites. Beans arean ideal decoy for it serves four functions: insect control (decoy),improvement of the soil (legume), food for livestock, material formulching or compost. Hedges are also habitats for many preda-tors. Here agro-forestry can play an important role.

Pests Pest Damage Solutions Diseases

Repellents: Africanmarigold, black jack,tephrosia, garlic, crotalaria,chilli and peppers, eucalyp-tus, tomato.

Insecticides: Africanmarigold, black jack,tephrosia, lantana, garlic,tea, papaya, pyrethrum,crotalaria.

Antibacterial: Africanmarigold, garlic, tea,tomato.

Antifungal: Africanmarigold, garlic, papaya,crotalaria, tithonia, sweetpotato, tomato, oleander,rhubarb.

Nematicide: Cassava, ole-ander, garlic, papaya.

Hedges are natural barriers

Nr. 17 September/October 2006

Diamondback moth

Stemborer

Cutworm

Aphids Late blight

Tithonia Pigeon peas Beans

Mosaic virus

Maize Streak virus

Maize smut

All African farmers know about the damaging effects ofinsect pests. These are responsible for 20–30 percent ofthe crop being destroyed. And all African farmers know thatmodern chemical pesticides are not only poisonous andharmful to human health but they destroy the environment.In most cases, chemical insecticides do not solve the prob-lem.

There are many safe, natural and simple methods of pro-tecting plants. On the following pages we give you someuseful advice for environmentally safe alternatives toreplace agro-chemicals.

But this is not enough. Farmers should observe natureclosely, then they will find the answers. First, they shouldreinstate the fertility of the soil; healthy plants are moreresistant against pests. Second, they should provide habi-

tats for predators; while the insect pests live directly on theplants, the predators which prey on these pests live inhedges and trees and do their work during day time. Thatmeans farmers should never spray during day-time, butearly in the morning or late in the afternoon, when thepredators have gone back to their habitats. Thirdly, farmersshould re-introduce plant diversity into cropping. This is thebest way to maintain the pest/predator balance.

Every farmer should be an observer and examine care-fully what is going on in their shambas. Every farmer alsohas to be a researcher: They have to know which methodcan be used to restore the natural balance that restores thenatural balance. Plant extracts are slow in acting, they donot work like chemicals; this means that farmers have touse them several times a week to produce good results.

II Nr. 17 September/October 2006 The Organic Farmer Plant Extracts SpecialAfrican marigold / Mbangimwitu (Tagetes erecta)Inazuia: Bacteria, fungi, nematodes, Wadudu: Ants, beetles and many other insects. Kutayarisha:1. Ponda gramu 100-200 ya matawi, mizizi na maua; mwaga kwa lita moja ya maji

yaliyochemka; lowa kwa masaa ishirini na nne; ongeza lita moja ya maji baridi,nyunyiza kwa mimea au mchanga.

2. Panda mimea tofauti kila wakati ili kuzuia hawa wadudu.Blackjack / Kishonanguo (Bidens pilosa)Inazuia: InsectsWadudu: Repels aphids, ants, beetles, cabbage root fly, caterpillars, crickets, mites,termites and whitefly.Kutayarisha: 1. Funika kikombe kilichojaa mbegu ambazo zimekomaa na maji; chemsha kwa dakika

kumi au lowa majini kwa masaa ishirini na manne, kisha upoeshe. Ongeza lita mojaya maji na kijiko kimoja kidogo cha sabuni; halafu unyunyizie mimea.

2. Mbegu zinaweza kutawanyishwa karibu na vichaka kuvutia mchwa. Mmea wawezakupondwa au kusuguliwa kisha maji yake yatumiwe kunyunyizia mimea.

Maelezo zaidi: Kiasi kingi cha dawa hii chaweya kuyadhuru baadhi ya maua ya mimea.Cassava / Muhogo (Manihot esculenta)Inazuia: Nematodes and aphids.Kutayarisha: 1. Toa maji ya matunda kwa kuponda mizizi; pima kiwango kimoja cha maji ya

matunda sawa na maji ya kawaida (1:1). Nyunyiza haraka ukitumia lita nne kwamita moja mraba, inasemekana kuwa na athari kubwa. Ngoja siku ishirini kablakupanda.

2. Tumia maganda ya mihogo kuzuia nematodes.Maelezo zaidi: Mizizi ya muhogo iliyo chungu ina sumu, kwa hivyo lazima iondolewekabla kuliwa.Castor oil plant / Mbariki, Mbono (Ricinus communis)Inazuia: Panya, fuko na mchwa pamoja na magonjwa ya Ukungu (fungi)Kutayarisha:1. Kama kinyunyizo cha kawaida lowa mbegu ya kijani kibichi na matawi kwa maji

masaa ishirini na nne; chuchunga na unyunyize.2. Kausha mbegu za kijani kibichi na matawi na usage kuwa hali ya unga.3. Kwa sota (cutworms), weka vikombe vinne vya maganda ya mbegu iliyopondwa

kwa lita mbili ya maji; chemsha kwa dakika kumi. Ongeza sabuni kiasi, changanyamaji kufikia lita kumi kisha unyunyizie haraka kwenye mchanga.

4. Weka mbegu za kijani kibichi kwa shimo ya fuko au njia za panya kuwa kamavizuizi.

5. Lima mbegu, matawi au oil cake, kwa mchanga ili izuie magonjwa ya ukungu (fun-gal diseases)

6. Majani yanayotiwa shinani mwa mimea ili kuhifadhi unyevunyevu hufukuzamchwa:

Maelezo zaidi: Matawi yenye shina nyekundu yana matokeo mazuri kuliko yaleyenye shina ya kijani kibichi. Chilli and Sweet pepper / Pilipili kichaa, pilipili hoho (Capsicum frutescens)Inazuia: Mchwa na wadudu wengineKutayarisha: 1. Nyunyizia kawaida; saga mikono miwili ya pilipili; lowa kwa maji lita moja siku nzima.

Tingiza vizuri kwa dakika chache, chuchunga; ongeza lita tano ya maji na sabunikidogo.

2. Pilipili ya unga inaweza kupakwa kwa nguzo za mimea kuzuia ants, cutworms, slugsand snails na aina tofauti za wadudu mchangani.

3. Maji ya matunda kutokana na pilipili tamu, itazuia virusi vya mosaic na kukatazaueneaji wa virusi vinginevyo.

4. Pilipili hutumika sana kama kizuizi.Maelezo zaidi: Inazuia virusi aina ya mosaic na kukinga virusi vinginevyo.Crotalaria / Marejea (Crotalaria Juncea)Inazuia: Huzuia magonjwa ya Ukungu (fungal diseases) Wadudu: Huzuia wadudu aina nyingi.Kutayarisha:1. Panda mmea mahali na wakati tofauti ili kuwafukuza nematodes na wadudu

wengine kutoka kwa mimea yako.2. Weka sehemu ya mmea uliopondwa ndani ya maji kuunda kinyunyizoOnyo: Ni sumu kwa ngombe kwa kiasi cha chini. Usiweke mbegu kwenye chumbaambacho watu wanamoishi.

The Organic Farmer Plant Extracts Special IIINr. 17 September/October 2006 Garlic / Kitunguu Saumu (Allium sativum)Inazuia: Bacteria pamoja na magonjwa ya ukungu. Wadudu: Ants, aphids, armyworms, caterpillars, moths, grubs, mice, mites andmosquitoes.Kutayarisha:1. Kinyunyizo cha kawaida, ponda kitunguu saumu; ongeza kwa lita moja ya maji

kisha changanya ndani ya sabuni kidogo, halafu uitumie haraka.2. Kitunguu chenyewe chaweza kukaushwa, kupondwa na kutumiwa kama poda.

Poda inaweza kugeuzwa kuwa kinyunyizo kinachopendekezwa kwa scab,mildew, bean rush na tomato blight.

3. Kitunguu saumu ambacho kimepandwa kuzunguka miti ya matunda na mimeamingine huzuia aphids, fruit tree borers, panya, fuko na mchwa.

4. Mchanganyiko ambao umeundwa kwa kufunika vipande vitatu vya saumu vilivyo-pondwa na kuwekwa ndani ya mtungi na nusu kikombe cha mafuta ya mboga;lowa na uongeze lita kumi ya maji ya sabuni yaliyo joto kadiri; inasemekana kuwainatengeneza kinyunyizio kinachoweza kuwauwa wadudu wa aina nyingi.

Maelezo zaidi: Usitumie kwenye mimea ya jamii ya kunde,inadumu kwa muda wamwezi mmoja,inaua wadudu wote.

Lantana / Mwingajini (Lantana camara)Inazuia: Aina nyingi ya waduduKutayarisha:1. Ponda mkono mmoja wa majani kwa lita moja ya maji; ongeza sabuni kidogo,

halafu nyunyiza.2. Panguza ukitumia jivu, kausha na usage iwe poda. Choma utanzu na umwagilie

jivu kwenye wadudu kama beetle na leaf miner.Onyo: Mmea ni sumu kwa mifugoOleander (Nerium indicum)Inazuia: Fungi, nematodes, rice brown leaf spot Wadudu: Repels ants, flies, beetles, diamond back moth, rodents, and weevils Kutayarisha:1. Kata na ulowe matawi, ngozi na maua kwa maji kwa dakika thelathini halafu nyun-

yiza2. Kausha na usage sehemu ya mmea kuwa poda.Onyo: Majani huwa na sumu kali

Papaya / Mpapai (Carica papaya)Inazuia: Fungi, nematodes, coffee rust, powdery mildew and rice brown leaf spot na wadudu aina kadha.Kutayarisha:1. Nyunyizia kawaida, ongeza kilo moja ya majani yaliyokatakatwa kwa vipande vidogo

vidogo kwa lita moja ya maji, tingiza kwa nguvu, ongeza lita nne za maji na uongezesabuni kidogo (20g or ml) halafu nyunyiza kwa mchanga kuzuia cutworms.

2. Toa maji ya matunda kutoka kwa mbegu ambazo hazijakomaa kuzuia mchwa.

Pyrethrum / Pareto (Chrysanthemum cinerarifolium)Inazuia: Aina yote ya wadudu. Kutayarisha:1. Chuna maua siku ya joto, anika kwa kivuli; saga iwe unga, halafu umwagie

wadudu.2. Mwaga lita moja ya maji juu ya gramu hamsini ya unga wa pareto (au 20g poda);

lowa masaa kadhaa; ongeza sabuni kidogo, chuchunga na kinyunyiza.Maelezo zaidi: Nyunyizia jioni kabisa na uwe mwangalifu ili kuwalinda nyuki.Rhurbarb (Rheum spp.)Inazuia: Magonjwa aina ya Ukungu.Wadudu: Aina ya wadudu walio na miili nyororo kama aphids, whitefly, caterpillars. 1. Lowa gramu mia moja ya matawi mabichi kwa lita moja ya maji kwa masaa ishirini

na nne; ongeza sabuni kidogo, halafu nyunyiza.2. Kutoa nyunyizo lililo na nguvu zaidi, tumia hadi matawi tano.3. Mmea wa rhubarb uliopandwa karibu na kabeji huzuia ugonjwa wa club root.Maelezo zaidi: Majani ya mmea huu huliwa kama tunda.Stinging nettle / ThabaiInazuia: FungiKutayarisha:Chemsha kilo mbili za stinging nettle katika lita tano ya maji. Chuchunga na unyu-nyizie mimea. Mchanganyiko huu waweza kuzuia magonjwa ya ukungu kama mildew.

Nr. 17 September/October 2006 IV The Organic Farmer Plant Extracts Special

Sweet Potato / Kiazi kitamu (Ipomea batatas)Inazuia: Rice brown leaf spot, rice blast and other fungi.Wadudu: AphidsKutayarisha:1. Ponda na ulowe majani kwa maji, nyunyiza2. Maji yanayo wanga mzito baada ya kupika yanaweza kunyunyizwa kwa wadudu

wadogo kama aphids.Tea / Chai (Cammelia sinensis)Inazuia: Magonjwa ya ukungu.Wadudu: Wooly aphid, squash bug, konokono na mchwa.Kutayarisha:1. Matawi ambayo yametumika yaweza kutawanywa karibu na mimea kufukuza

dudu makamasi (konokono).2. Maji baridi yaweza kunyunyiziwa kwa mimea.3. Matunda ambayo yamelowa kwa maji hutumiwa kufukuza mchwa.

Tomato / Nyanya (Lycopersicon esculentum)Inazuia: Bacteria, fungiWadudu: Aphids, ants, asparagus beetle, cabbage, worms, diamondbackmoth,cockroaches,mites, nematodes, whitefly na magonjwa ya ukungu.Kutayarisha:1. Chemsha kwa moto kiasi kilo moja ya matawi yaliyokatakatwa kwa maji, nyunyiza.2. Katakata mikono miwili ya matawi au matunda kwa lita mbili ya maji ndio maji ya

matunda ya kijani kibichi ikongolewe. Wacha kwa masaa matano, chuchunga nauongeze sabuni kidogo; nyunyiza kila baada ya siku mbili wakati vipepeo nawadudu wa kabeji wanapo pepea. Ni vizuri kutumia majani mabichi iwapo yatatu-miwa wakati huo huo.

3. Sehemu zilizokauka zaweza kupondwa kuwa poda na kuchanganywa na maji ilikupata kinyunyizo au kupakwa kama poda, lakini adhari yake haina nguvu kulikosehemu ya mmea ambao haujakauka.

4. Nyanya ambazo zimepandwa kuzunguka mimea mingine hukinga mimeakutokana na asparagus beetles.

5. Mmea mzima unaoninginia kwa shamba la matunda au ndani ya nyumba hukingamiti ya matunda kutokana na wadudu wengi wa nyumba kama mende.

Onyo: Matawi ni sumu kwa binadamu.

Ladybirds

Ladybirds arereally good bio-logical controlagents. Adultladybirds will preyon greenfly andblackfly andespecially onaphids.

Ladybird larvaeLadybird larvaefeed mainly onaphids, but alsoon other bugs.While it is in thelarval stage, oneladybird beetlecan eat nearly500 aphids.

LacewingThe green lace-wing is widelyused to controlmany differentpests. The lace-wing is alwayshungry; it is themost voraciousand will eat nearlyall pests.

Wasps

Wasps are goodbiological controlagents. Adultfemales lay eggsin other insectsand the wasp lar-vae develop asparasites, killingthe host.

Spider

All spiders arepredatory oninsects. Theircatching systemvaries, and not allspiders use websas traps.

Centipedes

Centipedes arein generalground-basedpredators, feed-ing on slugs,slug eggs andsoil-dwellinginsects.

Su Kahumbu, well known to the readers of The OrganicFarmer, calls beneficial insects ''good guys" (see photosbelow). There are indeed a lot of insects that are of bene-fit to farmers; they feed on insects which damage crops.

Farmers should take care of these predators. A farmer whois interested in natural order and balance should creategood living conditions for predators so that they can carryout their task of keeping all crop-eating insects in check.

Many insects are friends of the farmer

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Published by: The Organic Farmer, PO Box 14352, 00800 Nairobi, Tel: 020 4450398, email: info@organickenya.com

Farmers can increase their maize yieldby 25–30% in areas where stemborersare a big problem - by practising a veryclever method.

Anja Bengelstorff

Stemborers and striga weeds are themost powerful enemies of maize inAfrica. The moths can destroy up to80% of a harvest in a short period oftime; striga causes losses of 20–80%.When both pests occur together, theentire crop can be lost.

Based on ages-old African practicesof mixed cropping, which help restorethe balance of nature, ICIPE togetherwith research partners and farmers,developed a strategy to limit yieldlosses by stemborers and striga. Theso-called push-pull technology iseffective, cheap and easy to use. Theidea is to trap stemborers on highlysusceptible trap plants (the pull) anddrive them away from the maize cropusing repellant intercrops (the push).The most effective trap ("pull") planthas proved to be Napier grass (Sudangrass can also be used); its partner forthe push effect is the desmodiumlegume (silverleaf and greenleafdesmodium). In the world of insects,

Nr. 17 September/October 2006 The Organic Farmer 5Fight maize's worst enemies with push-pull

Growing desmodium seed to meetthe high demand is a new income-generating activity for farmers. Sofar, only the Western Seed Companyin Kitale is producing desmodiumseed locally. Before, it had to beimported at high costs from Aus-tralia. Western Seed buys thedesmodium harvest from its 600smallscale contract farmers, pro-cesses it and sells most of it to ICIPEfor distribution to new project farm-ers. By the end of 2006, Dr. ZeyaurKhan estimates that desmodiumseed will be sold on the open market.Seed can be multiplied and used onthe farm for more than 10 years,depending on the care with whichthe farmer manages the desmodium.

fragrances (smells) are very important.They are used for orientation, but alsoto push the insect away from one plantand to pull it towards another. Thissecret of nature is applied in the push-pull strategy.How push-pull worksDesmodium is planted in between therows of maize. It produces a smell orodour that stemborer moths do notlike. The smell "pushes" away thestemborers from the maize crop.

Napier grass is planted around themaize field as a trap plant. Because ofits smell, the Napier grass is moreattractive to most of the stemborermoths than the maize itself. It pulls themoths to lay their eggs on it and leavethe maize alone. But Napier grass doesnot allow stemborer larvae to developon it. When the eggs hatch and thesmall larvae bore into the Napier grassstem, the plant produces a sticky sub-stance like glue which traps them, andthey die. Very few stemborer larvaesurvive and maize is saved in the'push-pull' strategy: Pushed awayfrom the maize field by desmodium,pulled by Napier grass outside themaize field (see sketch). Push-pull alsoworks for sorghum and millet farmingsystems that are especially importantin dry areas.

This is by far not the only advantageof the approach. In addition, theground cover of desmodium, which isinterplanted among the maize,reduces the striga weed, whose rootspenetrate the maize roots and drawnutrients from the host, causing severestunting and yield loss. Nitrogen fixedby desmodium and chemicals pro-

duced by the roots of desmodium areresponsible for suppressing the strigaweed. (Once the striga emerges abovethe soil, much of the damage to themaize will already have been done.)Therefore, striga does not grow wheredesmodium is growing. Being alegume, desmodium also fixes nitro-gen in the soil and thus improves thesoil. Both Napier grass and desmod-ium are useful protein-rich fodderplants.Benefits of the push-pull strategyWhen adopting the push-pull strategy,farmers enjoy the following gains:• Increase in maize yield by 25–30%

in areas where stemborers are theonly problem. Where both stembor-ers and striga occur, the maize yieldcan be doubled (100% increase inyield).

• Increase in the supply of cattle feedfrom harvesting Napier grass anddesmodium. These can feed afarmer's own cattle or can be soldon the market.

• Fixing nitrogen into the farm soil bydesmodium, enhancing the soil fer-tility the organic way.

• Soil protected from erosion, asdesmodium acts as a cover crop.

• Soil retains moisture, as desmod-ium acts as a mulch, too.

• Money earned from the sale ofdesmodium seed at an attractiveprice of KShs 600 per kg.

• More income from increased milkproduction.

• Savings on farm labour (after initialphase), as farmers don't have tomanually remove striga weed fromthe farm.

Desmodium planted between the maize rows covers the soil and repels the stembor-ers while the Napier grass attracts the pests and traps it. (Photos Dr. Z. Khan,ICIPE)

continued on page 7

Grow and sell desmodium

Nr. 17 September/October 20066

Su Kahumbuanswers yourquestions

Write to The Organic FarmerP.O. Box 14352 00800 Nairobi KenyaTel: 020 445 03 98, 0721 541 590e-mail: info@organickenya.com

The Organic Farmer

I would like to practise organic farm-ing says Michael Karago of NgorikaOl-Kalou. “I have 6 acres. How can Igo about it? 0724 245958.”

"I want to know how to preparefoliar feed using Tithonia." MosesJuma, Box 37, Kwanza, Kitale.

Plants do better in rainwater or over-head irrigation than furrow irriga-tion. Can you show us the advan-tages and disadvantages of each?

can take 2–3 years to reach organiccertification status, however with ahistory of good detailed records, thistime period can be reduced. This isadvice to all farmers and must not betaken lightly. Alternatively and evenbetter, register with a certifier as soonas you start, and as you get the hangof it, you will be certified.

The main reason why the diamond-back moth is such a bad pest is itsresistance to most insecticides. Thefarmer uses a product without know-ing the resistance status of the pest,and then the product often just killsthe beneficial insects, making theproblem worse. Diamondback mothparasitoids were released almost allover Kenya and are certainly in yourarea. Be patient with pesticide appli-cation. If you have to use a pesticide,use a Bacillus thuringiensis(Bt)-basedproduct, like Dipel, Javelin, Thuri-cide or Xentari. They kill the dia-mondback moth and do not harm thebeneficial insects. Aphid controlshould be by spot application toaffected plants only, then any con-ventional pesticide can be used with-out affecting natural enemies.Dr. Bernhard Loehr, ICIPE

ICIPE answers

Many farmers ask: "Why do we stilllose so much of our cabbage to thediamondback moth"?

Great to hear you are consideringorganic farming, Michael. Wanting tostart now is the most important step,far better than having to do so afterdestroying your land with syntheticchemical inputs.

Organic farming is all aboutimproving soil fertility. Therefore astarting point would be to learn asmuch as you can about how this canbe done.

If you are currently farming con-ventionally and depend financiallyon your farm products, it would beadvisable to start your organic pro-duction in stages. True organic pro-duction can result in lower yields forabout a year as your soil adapts. If,however, you are committed to goingfull on organic, then your first step isto rid your stores of all syntheticinputs and empower yourself with asmuch information on organic pro-duction as possible.

A copy of the Organic Standards isan indispensable tool and can be pur-chased from Mr Musa Njoka ofEnCert (PO Box 74510, 77200 Nairobi,Tel 0722 767 755). In the Standardsyou will learn the expectations oforganic production and will also findinformation on all of the bannedpractices and products. From there,detailed information on productioncan be found in The Organic Farmermagazine which has already pro-duced 17 editions. You can order it(address see page 2). They are excel-lent tools to guide you through yourconversion.Record keeping is important

If your intention is to produce com-mercially and you will be seekingcertification, it is extremely impor-tant that you start a record-keepingsystem as early as possible. A certifiermakes decisions based on records. It

Organic farming is a process

Different plants require water in dif-ferent quantities. Added to this, someplants do not do very well with over-head irrigation, as it encourages thespread of fungal disease. Examplesof these are the Solanacea family:potatoes, tomatoes, peppers,aubergines, etc.

Some plants are better suited to fur-row irrigation if managed well. Prob-lems occur when there is too much

Tithonia is excellentfor foliar feed

Choosing the right irrigation system

This question is asked time and timeagain. Most of our botanical (plant-based) foliar feeds are made the sameway. Soft sappy material is taken fromthe plant, shredded or chopped up andadded to water at a 1: 4 ratio. It is left tosteep for a few days, during whichtime the nutrients are released into thewater as the plant material breaksdown. After about 7 days the foliarfeed is ready for use, and is diluted1:10 with water. You can use more thanone type of plant. In fact, the morediversity, the more balanced a foliarfeed. We use a combination of tithonia,comfrey and African marigold. To addto this, we also add EM 2 and somefarmyard manure. We have a 3000-litre tank and suspend a sack of eachproduct in the water. After 7 days wethen remove the sacks and use theircontents in the seed beds. The result-ing water is diluted 1:10.

The same day, the tank is refilled andnew sacks filled and submerged in thewater. This way every week on thesame day we are sure we have a liquidfeed available.

water, resulting in stagnation aroundthe plant roots. This encourages rootrot and diseases that use the capillaryaction of the water as a route tospread between plants.

Rain-fed irrigation is erratic andunreliable; it limits our agriculturalproductivity. Both furrow and over-head irrigation can be very wasteful,especially where lack of fresh wateris a growing global concern as it istoday.

Knowing your crops’ water require-ment and investing in a system thatconserves water like drip irrigation isthe way forward this century. Itshould be a consideration for everymodern farmer.

continued from page 5

7

Dear Farmers,

If you have any questions orideas for articles, or if youwould like us to publishexperiences about yourshamba or within your farm-ers' group, please contact us(sms!). We shall get back to you!

Tuma maoni yako! Asante.

0721 541 590The Organic FarmerNr. 17 September/October 2006

We need paper for ourresource centreWe are a community-based organiza-tion registered with the Departmentof Culture and Social Services andworking in Keringet Division, Kure-soi Constituency with 57 other self-help groups. Our core objectives are:1. livestock and agriculture-basedactivities for alleviation of povertyand hunger among community mem-bers;2. promoting the use of informationand Telecommunications technologyin community development;3. participating and contributing toenvironmental natural resource man-agement;4. contributing to education and liter-acy efforts;5. sanitation, housing and better shel-ter provision to community members.We intend to establish an informationresource centre to serve the farmersand the Mau complex community,focusing on improving productivityfor poverty alleviation and sustain-able socio-economic development.We hereby request your support tobuilding this resource, and subscrip-tion to your publication.Rono Suleiman, Baraka DevelopmentInitiative, P.O Box 124, Keringet

push-pull...

Newspaper motivatingFirst and foremost I would like tocongratulate you for your tirelessefforts to make us knowledgeable inthe use of organic methods in farm-ing. Fortunately I came across yourissue No.8 and after reading it, I wasmotivated to try organic farming. Mymembers are organized smallscalefarmers in poultry, agro-forestry, treenurseries, bee keeping and horticul-ture. The group is registered by theDepartment of Social Services andhas 32 members. We will be gratefulif send us monthly copies of thenewspaper.Rulas Mosoh Barango, MuunganoYouth Group, P.O Box 319, NyamiraTel. 0735 913 319

• Maize plants protected from fallingover in strong winds by Napierborder rows.

Even though the push-pull approachdemands a high labour input at thebeginning, the benefits are likely toincrease as time goes on. For example,desmodium is labour-intensive toestablish, since the plot requires fre-quent and thorough weeding if theemerging seedlings are not to be over-come by weeds. However, once estab-lished, the desmodium can grow forup to 5 years, as it is a perennial.

According to Dr. Zeyaur Khan, whodeveloped push-pull for ICIPE, thereare currently 6,000 farmers in Kenyaand 300 in Uganda who use theapproach with great success. Apartfrom higher maize yields, many farm-ers make a significant additionalincome from selling Napier grass anddesmodium as forage, investing thenew assets in buying dairy cows orusing it to meet family needs.

Your advice workedI am member of a farming youthgroup. On behalf of fellow members,we are extremely grateful for whatwe have just discovered from some ofyour magazines. They were reallyhelpful owing to the rising cost ofproduction and now the limitedfarming land. We have tried some ofyour ideas like the ones on pests, dis-ease control and land preparation.We really appreciate the results andthis is why we regret the long periodwe have remained ignorant. Finally,we would like to have past issues andalso to be retained in your mailinglist. We are still young and want tochange from the conventional toorganic. Farming is our only sourceof livelihood and we like to improvethe way we do it.Dishon Odero Owuor, P.O Box 259,Rongo

Research helping usPlease continue sending more infor-mation on 'How to avoid using chemi-cals on our foods' and continue train-ing more trainers and supply them torural areas so that the community canbenefit from this important research.Our agro-forestry group has played agood role and this has changed life inmost active groups here. Even thoughmost of them are only one year old, wecan see some improvements. James Munialo, Guyana Garden ofHope, P.O Box 461, Kitale

Newspaper helps usReceive many thanks and God's bless-ings. I am requesting you to supply uswith copies of The Organic Farmerthrough the above address. I am one ofthe founding members of the group. Ihave read some of your issue copiesand gathered a great urge to read fromthe copy No. 1. Please enclose some forme to update myself. The materials insome of them will no doubt help us toadvance more in agriculture. Thank-ing you in advance. David N Kimani, P.O Box 23195-00604, Lower KabeteTel.0720 884549/ 0722 633426

Farmers listen as Su Kahumbu explains a point on organic farming. The 25 farmerswere taking part in a tour organized by The Organic Farmer newspaper last month.

Nr. 17 September/October 2006The Organic Farmer8Market placeShop for organic products NaturesOrganics, run by Green Dreams Ltd,(belonging to Su Kahumbu) is open-ing an organic products shop in GigiriNairobi in September 2006. Farmerswishing to supply their commoditiesto the shop can contact her throughthe following address: Su Kahumbu, Tel. 0721 100 001; e-mail: info@organic.co.keGoats! Due tothe increaseddemand fordairy goatsamong thefarmers, wehave requestedthose withdairy goats to provide us with theiraddresses. The Nakuru District Sheepand Dairy Goats Breeders Associationworks with 42 groups that breedquality dairy goats and sheep. It alsodeals with 6 groups that rear Dorpersheep. They have quality male andfemale goats, as well as sheep. Thegroup offers training to new goat andsheep owners. It also assists in theestablishment of goat breeding cen-tres and can assist farmers get highquality breeding stock. Interestedfarmers can get in touch with theassociation. Any farmer who may beinterested to buy or get informationon dairy goats should get in touchwith the following farmers who havegiven us their addresses::Joseph Muraya, The Marketing Coor-dinator, Nakuru District FarmersMarketing Federation, P.O.Box 2816,Nakuru, Tel. 0722 457 260.Kubukubu Organic Farmers Grouphas four German Alpine male goatsfor sale. They also have other goats.Call Jacob Rware, P.O.Box 453 Embu,Tel. 0733 273 240; 068 53 075Astone Ndude Olutali, P.O.Box 1,Bukura, Kakamega. Tel. 0723 938 649Joseph Kimunge Macharia, P.O.Box36, Mukurweini, Nyeri, Tel. 0722506114.Samuel Njoroge, Technical manager,P.O. Box 14748-20100, Nakuru,Tel. 0723 793 414. Samuel Thiongo, Ruthimitu OrganicGroup, PO Box 489-00605, Uthiru, Tel:0722 565 642.Need potato beet? I have potato beetand other organic farm productswhich are ready for sale. Contact me!Doris Njuguna, Tel: 0723741 955

tips and bitsNeed clean water? Try the SODIS method...

Broad spectrum treatment for chickens

from farmers, for farmers

Do you lack clean water? Are yourchildren getting sick because ofdrinking untreated water? Then youshould try the SODIS-method toclean the water. SODIS stands forSolar Water Disinfection. Developedin Switzerland, it is a very easymethod to apply. All you need areempty transparent plastic bottles.You fill the bottle three-quarters withwater from the well or the river,shake it 20 seconds, then fill the bot-tle completely. Then lay the bottle inthe sun. After 6 hours in the sun, allmicroorganisms which cause water-borne diseases are destroyed. Thewater is safe to drink.

How does SODIS work? Sunlighttreats the contaminated waterthrough two mechanisms: Very pow-erful rays called the ultraviolet (UV)go through the plastic bottle and killthe microorganisms. The process isvery fast because the temperature inthe water bottle rises due to heatfrom the sun. If the water tempera-ture in the bottle is higher, the clean-ing process is three times faster. Whydo you have to shake the bottle? Thereason is simple: The more air in thebottle, the faster the microorganismsget killed.

You may ask, "What can I do whenit is cloudy"? Normally, the bottles

need to be exposed to the sun for 6hours if the sun is shining or 50%cloudy. If the sky is too cloudy, let thebottles renmain exposed to the sunfor two consecutive days. Duringdays of continuous rainfall, SODISmethod does not work well. Rainwa-ter harvesting is recommended dur-ing these days. If you take the water from a river, youmay discover some dirt in the water,since it is not clear. You shouldremove this dirt, because the cleaningprocess of dirty water will proceedmore slowly. In this case, you take apiece of cotton and sieve the waterthrough the cotton. Fill it in the bot-tle, then shake it and lay it in the sun.You can then drink the water withoutany fear of a stomachache! Felix Mbitu Murimi, P.O.Box 1435200800 Nairobi

Organic farmers can make their ownnatural antibiotics for the control ofdiseases in chickens. Below is arecipe:Boil the bark of Erythrina abyssinica(also known as the rubber stamp treeor omurembe in Luhya) and the barkof Croton megalocarpus (mukinduri inKikuyu and musine in Luhya). Mix 1part of the solution with 3 parts ofwater and give to the chickens todrink for 3 days and repeat every 3

Erythrina abyssinica (TOF)

months. It is advisable to administerthis mixture before any outbreak.David Osiako, Umoja Forest groupGroup, P.O.Box 49 Kesogon.

Myth: A good farmer is the onewhose field has been ploughed andcleared of everything. A farmer withcrop residues is lazy.Fact: A good farmer is the one whoconserves the soil with crop residueswhich provide organic matter andincreases yield.Myth: Many farmers think theymust plough to make the soil soft sothat plant roots can penetrate easily.Fact: The opposite is true; ploughingdestroys the soil structure and cre-ates a hardpan. Adapted from Conservation Agriculture: AManual for Farmers, by the Institute ofRural Reconstruction, Nairobi 2005.

Facts and myths