Browsing by Author "Sylvester Katuromunda"

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Assessing Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture in Kampala, Uganda
(United Nations Environment Programme, 2014) Sylvester Katuromunda; Elly N. Sabiiti; Constantine B. Katongole; Hannington Sengendo; Charles P.K. Basalirwa; Gertrude Atukunda; Sarah K. Nambuubi
Building Urban Resilience : Assessing Urban and Peri-urban Agriculture in Kampala, Uganda
(United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), 2014-09) Elly N. Sabiiti; Constantine B. Katongole; Sylvester Katuromunda; Hannington Sengendo; Charles P.K. Basalirwa; Gertrude Atukunda; Sarah K. Nambuubi
Effect of combined application of cattle manure and mineral fertilisers on the growth characteristics and quality of Pennisetum purpureum fodder
(Department of Agricultural Production, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Makerere University,, 2021) Sylvester Katuromunda; E N Sabiiti; M A Bekunda
Smallholder urban and peri-urban dairy farmers use elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) fodder on top of crop wastes for feeding livestock. However, with limited application of soil fertility management techniques, there has been progressive deterioration of soil fertility. Consequently, fodder yields have declined leading to reduced milk output, and in turn, to unstable household incomes and food insecurity. This study investigated whether composted cattle manure alone, or in combination with mineral fertilizers could improve fodder production. Application of cattle manure at low (ML), medium (MM) and high (MH) rates, or in combination with mineral fertilisers at medium (MFM) and high (MFH) rates significantly increased the leaf area indices (LAIs) and dry matter (DM) yields of Pennisetum purpureum fodder. The mean LAIs of treatments ML, MM, MH, MFM and MFH were 3.58, 3.69, 3.31, 3.28 and 3.56 respectively, and were significantly higher than 2.89 for the control which did not receive manure and fertilisers. Fodder yields from these treatments were 7.15, 6.99, 6.74, 6.80 and 7.01 ton ha-1. Fodder obtained from ML, MM and MFH contained greater proportions of leaf than fodder from the control, indicating that there was greater vegetative growth in these treatments than in the control. Since the leaves of plants usually contain less fibre and thus are more easily digested than stems, higher leaf content was an indication of improvement in fodder quality. The in vitro organic matter digestibilities of fodder from all treatments were similar but greater than that of the control
Effect of legume foliage supplementary feeding to dairy cattle offered Pennisetum purpureum basal diet on feed intake and manure quality
(National Agricultural Research Organisation, 2012) Sylvester Katuromunda; E.N. Sabiiti; A. Mateete Bekunda
The growing population of dairy cows in urban and peri-urban areas coupled with improvement in feeding is generating more manure, which if properly conserved can become an input to crop/ fodder production. The objective of this study was to investigate whether the method of storing faeces excreted by cows fed on Pennisetum purpureum–legume foliage diets affects the manuring quality of the resultant manure. Four diets comprising sole Pennisetum fodder, Pennisetum + Calliandra, Pennisetum + Centrosema and Pennisetum + Desmodium were fed to cows. Faeces excreted were subjected to four methods of storage for three months as follows: Placing faeces in pits and covering with soil (T1), wrapping faeces in polythene sheets and placing them in pits (T2), placing faeces in pits and leaving the pits open (T3), and stockpiling faeces on open flat ground (T4). Composts derived from faeces subjected to T3 and T4 methods exhibited maturity. Apart from nitrogen in the compost derived from faeces of cows supplemented with Calliandra, the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium concentrations in all the composts significantly declined. Organic matter losses from composts got from T3 and T4 were significantly greater than that of T2. It was concluded that storing cow’s faeces using T3 method would be the most appropriate and low-cost management intervention for improving cattle manure nutrient conservation.
Effect of selected climate smart agronomic practices on maize growth and yield
(Makerere University Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, 2022) Muhangi, Y; Talwana, H; Sylvester Katuromunda
Maize (Zea mays L.) is one of the major food crops grown by majority of smallholder households in Uganda, and it serves as their main source of food and income. But over the years, maize productivity in the area has been gradually declining, especially as a result of climate variability manifested by reduced frequency of rainfall and increased temperature. Maize farmers are encouraged to use improved agronomic practices, commonly referred to as climate smart agronomic practices (CSAPs) to counteract the adverse effects of climate variability, and consequently sustain maize grain yields. However, the effects of these climate smart agronomic practices (CSAPs) as implemented by farmers on maize productivity have not yet been established. Therefore, this study was conducted to validate the effect of CSAPs on maize growth and yield. The treatments included (T1) Maize intercropped with common beans, (T2) maize planted in basins of three maize plants, (T3) maize planted in basins of two maize plants, (T4) maize planted in a plot prepared by minimum tillage, (T5) maize planted in plots mulched with dry grass, and (T6) the untreated control of monocropped maize on a conventionally prepared un-mulched plot. The treatments were laid out in a randomised complete block design with three replications, in two districts in 2019A and 2019B. Planting in basins with two plants, minimum tillage and mulching were the three CSAPs that showed superior growth and yield scores.
Effect of Stakeholder Engagement on the Adoption Of Agricultural Technologies by Farmers In Uganda:
(Bishop Stuart University, 2023-06-29) Bernard Tumusiime; Micheal Kiwanuka; Ambrose Rwaheru Aheisibwe; Sylvester Katuromunda
This study assessed how stakeholder engagement strategies used by SNV-TIDE project in planning, capacity building and resource mobilisation influenced the adoption of improved forages in Isingiro District, Southwestern Uganda. A cross sectional survey design was adopted for the study, which covered five purposively selected SNV-TIDE project cooperatives. The data were collected from 50 active cattle farmers and three field supervisors using both a semi-structured questionnaire and an interview guide. Descriptive and inferential analysis including multiple regression techniques were employed to analyse the data. The findings revealed that stakeholder engagement in planning and capacity building contributed 35 and 14.3 percent change respectively, in the adoption of improved forages. Stakeholder engagement in planning and capacity building had a positive significant (p<0.05) influence on the adoption of improved forages among the SNV-TIDE project members. But stakeholder engagement in resource mobilisation had no influence (p>0.05) on the adoption of improved forages. Thus based on the study, it was concluded that engaging stakeholders in planning and in capacity building contributes to the adoption of improved forages. To achieve better results, therefore, stakeholder engagement strategies should put more emphasis on involving stakeholders in the project planning activities and capacity building.
Effect of Supplementary Feeding on the Performance of Ankole x Friesian Crossbred Calves Grazed on Natural Pastures
(Journal of Agriculture and Ecology Research International, 2017-02) Sylvester Katuromunda; Denis Mpairwe; Elly N. Sabiiti; Ewa Wredle
Aims: To determine the effect of protein supplementation to Ankole x Friesian crossbred calves grazing natural pastures on their growth performance, and the economic viability of supplementation. Study Design: Randomized Complete Block Design. Place and Duration of Study: Kiruhura district in Uganda; September to December 2012. Methodology: Nine weaned crossbred calves aged 5-6 months on each of the five experimental farms were divided into three groups. Each group was randomly assigned one of the three dietary treatments comprising: a control where calves depended solely on pastures, supplementation with homemade concentrate (HMC), or lablab hay (LH). Calves were released daily at 8.00 am to graze till 3.00 pm when those on supplementation were returned to their pens for supplementary feeding; meanwhile the control group was left grazing until evening. Body weight (BW) and body condition (BC) of each calf were recorded at three weeks’ intervals. Financial efficiency of supplementation was estimated using the ratio of total revenue (TR) to total variable cost (TVC). Results: The mean total DMI (kg/day) of calves supplemented with HMC (3.28) and LH (2.94) were higher (P < .001) than that of calves on sole grazing (1.90). The mean daily BW gain (g/day) of calves supplemented with HMC (540) was higher (P = .03) than that of calves supplemented with LH (423) and those on sole grazing (357). The BC scores of calves fed HMC and LH were 4.74 and 4.90 respectively, and were higher (P = .04) than that of calves (4.32) on sole grazing. Returns per unit variable cost of production measured by TR/TVC for calves on sole grazing were 1.30 compared to 1.11 and 0.92 for calves fed LH and HMC, respectively. Conclusion: Supplementing crossbred calves grazing natural pastures with HMC improves their growth performance, but might be uneconomical in the short run due to cost of ingredients.
Growth and Yield Response of Improved Sweet Potato Cultivars to Intercropping with Hybrid Maize and Inorganic Fertilizers
(Science publishing Group, 2021-11-17) Sylvester Katuromunda
A field study was conducted in 2018 to determine the growth and yield response of improved sweet potato cultivars to intercropping with hybrid maize and inorganic fertilizer application using a randomized complete block design in a split-plot arrangement and three replications. Maize was intercropped with NASPOT 1, NASPOT 8 and NASPOT 11 potato cultivars. Sole crops and the potato/maize intercrops were fertilized with graded levels of N, P and K comprising a control without fertilizer, 40-20-30, 80-40-60, 120-60-90 and 160-80-120 kg/ha of N-P-K. Vine lengths, and numbers of vine branches and leaves of potato plants under intercropping were higher (P < .05) than those of plants under sole cropping system. In both systems, NPK fertilizer application didn’t (P >.05) affect the vine lengths and numbers of vine branches compared to the control. But numbers of vine branches of plants under sole cropping for all the fertilizer treatments were higher (P < .0001) than those of plants under intercropping system. Generally, NPK application in the sole potato cropping significantly (P =.02) affected the leaf numbers, and the fertilized potato plants had greater (P < .05) leaf numbers than the control. In both systems, NASPOT 11 produced the highest tuber yield, followed by NASPOT 8. Tuber yields were better (P < .01) under sole cropping (43.36 MT/ha) than under intercropping (33.35 MT/ha). Maize grain yields were also better (P < .0001) under sole cropping than under intercropping. But grain yields from all the fertilized intercrops were greater (P < .05) than those of their corresponding control treatments. In all the intercrops, the land equivalent ratios (LERs) were greater than unity indicating yield advantage of intercropping over sole cropping. It was concluded that applying 120-60-90 kg/ha of N-P-K into the potato/maize intercrops results in better tuber yields compared to the unfertilized control. Also, N-P-K application in quantities greater than 40-20-30 kg/ha does not lead to significant differences in tuber yields between the potato/maize intercropping and sole potato cropping systems indicating that inter-specific competition for nutrients in the intercrops is eliminated by the fertilizer. In addition, the application of 80-120 kg N/ha, 40-60 kg P/ha and 60-90 kg K/ha in the intercrops results in better intercrop performance as revealed by higher LERs indicating that improved potato cultivars and hybrid maize are compatible for intercropping. Therefore, farmers can intercrop improved sweet potato cultivars with hybrid maize and apply 120-60-90 kg/ha of N, P and K in the intercrops to maximize yields.
Growth and Yield Response of Newly Released Cassava Genotypes and Hybrid Maize to Intercropping
(International Journal of Research -GRANTHAALAYAH, 2019-07) Benson Ekwaro; Boniface Wanaku; Sylvester Katuromunda
Cassava/maize intercrops have been reported to be highly productive, mainly because of their different growth patterns. However, there is limited information on the influence of maize planting density in the cassava/maize intercrop on the performance of hybrid maize and improved cassava genotypes in Uganda. Thus, this study determined whether recently released cassava genotypes which are selected on the basis of monocrop performance, would perform equally well when intercropped with hybrid maize varieties. Cassava genotypes NAROCASS 1 and NASE 14 intercropped with Longe 6H maize were evaluated using randomized complete block design and three replications. Treatments were: Sole maize (SM), sole cassava (SC), alternate rows of cassava and maize (1C:1M), and one row of cassava alternating with two rows of maize (1C:2M). Intercropping significantly increased the maize plant heights in the 1C:2M system than in sole maize. Cob length and number of rows per cob decreased as the plant population density increased. Maize grain yield under the 1C:1M system was comparable to that of sole cropping. The 1C:2M system gave significantly reduced grain yields when compared with those at 1C:1M. Cassava root yield decreased in the order (SM>1C:1M>1C:2M). Although the yields of both cassava and maize under sole cropping were higher than their intercrop counterparts, intercropping was more productive than sole cropping as evidenced by the land equivalent ratios.
Optimum Combination of Plant Spacing and Mulching On Productivity of Red-Leaf Lettuce
(African Crop Science Society, 2023-01) Sylvester Katuromunda; P. Namuwulya
Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is increasingly a popular vegetable salad, especially in the tropics where it is reputed for providing health benefits such as lowering cholesterol levels, fighting insomnia, preventing growth of cancerous cells and providing antioxidants. In Uganda, its yields are suboptimal, reportedly due to poor agronomic practices. The objective of this study was to determine the optimum combination of planting density and mulching of red-leaf lettuce under Uganda field conditions. A field experiment was conducted at the Agromax Uganda Limited farm in Kampala in 2018. The study involved two treatments, namely mulching using black polythene and varying intra-row spacing (15, 25 and 35 cm), all against inter-row spacing of 40 cm. The treatments were laid out in a split plot arrangement, in a randomised complete block design, with three replications. The main plot factor was mulching; while the subplot treatment was plant spacing. The interaction effect of plant spacing and mulching with polythene was significant (P<0.05) on plant heights, number of leaves per plant, leaf length and breadth, and fresh weight. Mulching at the widest intra-row spacing (35 cm) resulted in shorter plants (22.9 cm) with the highest leaf numbers per plant (23.6), longest and widest leaves (21.8 and 19.5 cm, respectively); and consequently the highest fresh yield (381.3 g m-2). It is, therefore, prudent that this plant spacing and plastic mulching be on a wider scale to validate the results across the country.
Soil Moisture Stress and Nitrogen Supply Affect the Growth Characteristics and Yield of Upland Rice Cultivars
(ScienceDomain International, 2017-01) Emmanuel P. Momolu; Jimmy Lamo; Sylvester Katuromunda
Aims: To assess the effect of soil moisture stress and nitrogen fertilizer application on the growth characteristics and yield of upland rice cultivars. Study Design: Completely randomized design in a factorial arrangement. Place and Duration of Study: National Crops Resources Research Institute, Namulonge, Uganda between March and July 2015. Methodology: The experiment comprised four nitrogen (N) application levels (0 as control, 40, 80 and 120 kg N/ha) as main plots and four soil moisture levels (25% as control, 15, 10 and 5%) as sub-plots. Results: Plant heights for stressful moisture levels (15, 10 and 5%) at all N levels were lower (P < .001) than those of the control treatments at the respective N levels. Also, rice plants under stressful treatments at each N level took longer (P < .001) to mature when compared with the control treatments at the respective N levels. Subjecting rice plants that were supplied with 0 kg N/ha to moisture stress did not significantly (P > .05) affect the number of panicles produced when compared with the control. Under the 40 kg N/ha level, number of panicles produced by rice plants subjected to 15 and 10% moisture stress levels (3.56 and 4.00) were significantly lower than those of the control (6.00). For the 80 and 120 kg N/ha levels, number of panicles decreased significantly at all moisture stress levels when compared with the respective control treatments. Subjecting rice plants to moisture stress at the 40, 80 and 120 kg N/ha levels significantly (P < .001) reduced the grain yield when compared with the respective control treatments. Conclusion: Namche-3 rice cultivar performed optimally when subjected to 15% moisture stress and 120 kg N/ha application rate. Thus, farmers growing Namche-3 rice in areas with limited soil moisture may apply N at 120 kg/ha if they are to realize better grain yields.
Yield Performance of Newly Developed Cassava Varieties in Response to Inorganic Fertilizers
(Canadian Center of Science and Education, 2021-07-22) Sylvester Katuromunda; Benson Ekwaro; Boniface Wanaku
A study was conducted at Kyambogo University Farm in randomized complete block design with three replications to assess the effect of NPK (17:17:17) fertilizer on the growth and tuber yields of two newly developed cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) varieties, NAROCASS 1 and NASE 14. Cassava varieties were assigned to the main plots, while fertilizer rates (zero/control, 200, 400, 600 kg/ha) were sub-plots. Fertilizer was applied in two splits, at planting and four months after planting. Fertilizer application significantly (P<0.05) increased the cassava stem heights to first branching and at harvest, and the number of stems per plant when compared with the control treatments. Mean stem heights to first branching and at harvest of plants that received NPK were higher than those of the respective control treatments by 62.8 and 70.5% for NAROCASS 1, and 57.0 and 76.5% for NASE 14, respectively. Fertilizer rate of 400 kg/ha significantly increased the lengths, numbers of tubers and tuber yields per plant when compared with the control treatments. Mean lengths, numbers of tubers and tuber yields of plants that received NPK were higher than those of respective control treatments by 48.2, 36.9 and 68.3% for NAROCASS 1, and 39.9, 50.5 and 67.6% for NASE 14, respectively. Therefore, to achieve optimum tuber yields of newly developed cassava varieties, farmers should integrate NPK fertilizer application into already existing management practices, particularly the use of high quality planting materials and integrated pest, disease and weed management. However, government ministries concerned should ensure that inorganic fertilizers are readily accessible and affordable to farmers.