Conditions favoring Wheat Farming
Main wheat farming regions in Kenya include;
-Nakuru
-Gentle slope - The land where wheat is grown is gently or fairly level and this has allowed for mechanization.
-Altitude - The growing areas have a high altitude ranging from 1500 – 2900 mm. This reduces the incidence of diseases.
-Moderate rainfall - The wheat growing areas receive moderate rainfall ranging from 500 mm to 1,270 mm which promotes the growth of wheat.
-Warm temperature - Warm temperatures of 15°C to 20°C at least for three months. This enables maturity of the wheat.
-Fertile soils - Deep fertile volcanic soils which lead to high production.
-Dry spell - Warm dry sunny spell which enhances ripening of wheat and harvesting.
-Altitude - The growing areas have a high altitude ranging from 1500 – 2900 mm. This reduces the incidence of diseases.
-Moderate rainfall - The wheat growing areas receive moderate rainfall ranging from 500 mm to 1,270 mm which promotes the growth of wheat.
-Warm temperature - Warm temperatures of 15°C to 20°C at least for three months. This enables maturity of the wheat.
-Fertile soils - Deep fertile volcanic soils which lead to high production.
-Dry spell - Warm dry sunny spell which enhances ripening of wheat and harvesting.
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| Wheat farm |
-Nakuru
-Trans Mara
-Uasin Gishu
-Nyandarua
-Narok
-Meru Central
-Trans Nzoia
-Keiyo
-Laikipia.
-Uasin Gishu
-Nyandarua
-Narok
-Meru Central
-Trans Nzoia
-Keiyo
-Laikipia.
Wheat Harvesting
-When the crop is ready for harvesting, the small scale farmers use simple tools e.g.sickles or sharp knives to cut the wheat heads.
-The cut wheat is threshed dried and winnowed. Large scale farmers use machines mainly combine harvesters.
-When the crop is ready for harvesting, the small scale farmers use simple tools e.g.sickles or sharp knives to cut the wheat heads.
-The cut wheat is threshed dried and winnowed. Large scale farmers use machines mainly combine harvesters.
Wheat Marketing
-The producers may sell the wheat to the National Cereals and Produce Board, a Government parastatal or directly to the millers e.g. Unga Limited.All the wheat produced is consumed locally.
-The producers may sell the wheat to the National Cereals and Produce Board, a Government parastatal or directly to the millers e.g. Unga Limited.All the wheat produced is consumed locally.
Benefits of wheat farming in Kenya
-Promotion of industrialization - Wheat farming has led to the development of related industries in the growing areas and also in the major urban centres e.g.,Nairobi, Eldoret and Nakuru.These are mainly industries that deal in confectioneries.
-Improvement of infrastructure - Roads have been established in the wheat growing areas to assist in the transportation of the Rift Valley Province, this has assisted in the improvement of infrastructure.
-Saves foreign exchange - Wheat farming helps the government to save foreign exchange by reducing the amount of wheat imports.
-Employment - Many people have gotten employment through wheat farming directly and indirectly.
While some have been employed directly on the wheat farms, others are employed in the related industries e.g bakeries and other confectioneries.
-Source of income - Through wheat fanning, farmers have earned an income directly through the sale of their crops. This has raised their standards of living and helped in alleviating poverty in the country.
-Promotion of industrialization - Wheat farming has led to the development of related industries in the growing areas and also in the major urban centres e.g.,Nairobi, Eldoret and Nakuru.These are mainly industries that deal in confectioneries.
-Improvement of infrastructure - Roads have been established in the wheat growing areas to assist in the transportation of the Rift Valley Province, this has assisted in the improvement of infrastructure.
-Saves foreign exchange - Wheat farming helps the government to save foreign exchange by reducing the amount of wheat imports.
-Employment - Many people have gotten employment through wheat farming directly and indirectly.
While some have been employed directly on the wheat farms, others are employed in the related industries e.g bakeries and other confectioneries.
-Source of income - Through wheat fanning, farmers have earned an income directly through the sale of their crops. This has raised their standards of living and helped in alleviating poverty in the country.
Problems facing wheat farming
-Inadequate capital - Some of the small scale farmers do not have enough capital for the purchase of expensive farm input such as fertilizers, herbicides and hire farm machinery e. g., tractors and combine harvesters.
-Pests and diseases - The crop is in some instances affected by pests e.g., dusty brown beetle, aphids and the quelea birds and diseases e. g., stem rust, leaf rust, glume blotch. These destroy the crop leading to low yields.
-Climatic hazards - Heavy stormy rains during the rainy seasons destroys the crop as the Wheat is flattened leading to rotting.
-Drought before the wheat is ready may destroy the entire crop.
-Price fluctuation - Price fluctuations on the domestic market leads to losses for the farmers as at times, they are made to sell their produce at very low prices.
-Inadequate storage facilities - During times of bumper harvest the existing storage facilities are rendered inadequate making the farmers produce to go to waste.
-Inadequate capital - Some of the small scale farmers do not have enough capital for the purchase of expensive farm input such as fertilizers, herbicides and hire farm machinery e. g., tractors and combine harvesters.
-Pests and diseases - The crop is in some instances affected by pests e.g., dusty brown beetle, aphids and the quelea birds and diseases e. g., stem rust, leaf rust, glume blotch. These destroy the crop leading to low yields.
-Climatic hazards - Heavy stormy rains during the rainy seasons destroys the crop as the Wheat is flattened leading to rotting.
-Drought before the wheat is ready may destroy the entire crop.
-Price fluctuation - Price fluctuations on the domestic market leads to losses for the farmers as at times, they are made to sell their produce at very low prices.
-Inadequate storage facilities - During times of bumper harvest the existing storage facilities are rendered inadequate making the farmers produce to go to waste.
Wheat pests and diseases
1.Rusts - Chlorotic flecks or brown necrotic spots on leaves or stems; yellow streaks or patches on foliage; brown necrotic streaks on foliage; raised orange pustules may be present on lesions.
1.Rusts - Chlorotic flecks or brown necrotic spots on leaves or stems; yellow streaks or patches on foliage; brown necrotic streaks on foliage; raised orange pustules may be present on lesions.
2.Powdery Mildew - Patches of cottony, white-gray growth on upper surface of leaves which turn gray-brown; chlorotic patches develop on leaves opposite fungal growth; fungal fruiting bodies usually become visible as black dots on the mildew.
3.Bacterial leaf streak and black chaff - Sudden appearance of water-soaked, light brown, elongated lesions on upper leaves; lesions quickly dry out and turn into necrotic streaks on the leaves; black stripes occur on glumes and purple black lesions appear on rachis and peduncle if infection is in the head.
4.Common bunt (Stinking smut) - Slender heads which take longer to turn color than healthy heads; glumes spread apart to reveal spori or "bunt balls" (balls containing fungal spores) which are a similar size to normal kernel but are gray-brown in color; bunt balls break open on harvest and give off a fishy odor.
5.Barley yellow dwarf - Yellowing leaves, particularly the flag leaves; stunted plants due to shortened internodes; leaves may be red, purple, orange, green or brown; leaves may be distorted.
6.Basal glume rot -Dull brown to black discoloration of glumes which is more pronounced on the inner side; seeds may be shriveled; if infection is severe, entire glume may be discolored; small water-soaked lesions may form on leaves.
7.Eyespot - Elliptical lesions that first appear on leaf sheath and gradually spread to stem; lesions are yellow-brown to tan in color and occur length-ways down the stem; lesions can occur individually or groups of lesions can coalesce to form large areas of discoloration.
8.Fusarium head blight (Scab) - One or more spikelets on newly emerged head bleached; pink or orange fungal masses may be visible at the base of infected spikelet; infected spikelets do not produce seed or produce shriveled and/or discolored seed; severe infections can cause the kernels to have a chalky appearance and are frequently lost during harvest
9.Tan spot - Oval or diamond shaped necrotic lesions with brown centers and yellow halos on leaves.
10.Armyworms (Armyworm, Western striped armyworm) - Entire leaves consumed; notches eaten in leaves; egg clusters of 50-150 eggs may be present on the leaves; egg clusters are covered in a whitish scale which gives the cluster a cottony or fuzzy appearance; young larvae are pale green to yellow in color while older larvae are generally darker green with a dark and light line running along the side of their body and a pink or yellow underside.
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