Indexing

Abstract: The study examined the influence of farmers’ education level on the practice of improved agricultural technologies by farmers in Nyamusi division of Nyamira County. Multi-stage and stratified sampling techniques were applied for sample selection. Data collection was done by use of semi-structured questionnaires. Both descriptive and inferential statistical techniques were used for data analysis. Among the descriptive statistic techniques used included Mean, Standard Deviations and frequencies. For Inferential statistics, correlation, Chi-square and cross tabulation were used to establish relationships between dependent and the independent variables. Internal consistency technique was used to ensure reliability of the research instrument through the computation of Cronbach’s Coefficient Alpha and was found to be 0.81 which meant that the data collection instrument was consistent and reliable. A total of 332 questionnaires were filled by the sampled farmers but only 304 were completely and adequately filled and analysed giving a Questionnaire Return Rate (QRR) of 91.6%. The analysed data was presented using tables. The study revealed that 44.4% of the farmers had completed primary level education.  The study established that farmer level of education did not significantly influence the practice of agricultural technologies. In order to boost farmer literacy levels, the study recommends that the Directorate of Adult and Continuing Education should consider working with farmer groups in promoting functionality of literacy centres.
Keywords: Improved Agricultural technologies, Farmer Education Level.
Title: Influence of Farmer Level of Education on the Practice of Improved Agricultural Technologies: A Case of Nyamusi Division, Kenya
Author: Mirasine Meiguran, Evans Basweti
ISSN 2350-1049
International Journal of Recent Research in Interdisciplinary Sciences (IJRRIS)
Paper Publications

Abstract: Groundnut (Arachis hypogea L.) is a major annual oilseed crop and its economic and nutritive quality makes the crop a beneficial enterprise for rural farmers in Ndhiwa Sub-County. Researchers have recommended adoption of technology and increased contact with extension agents as one way of increasing production but productivity remains low. Crop productivity or yield is a function of environment, plant, management and socio-economic factors that interact at optimum levels to give maximum yields. The study focused on farmer characteristics which are part of socio-economic factors using the ex-post facto research design. The objective was to determine the influence of farmer characteristics on the production of groundnuts in Ndhiwa Sub County, Kenya. Purposive, multistage and simple random sampling was used in the study. Data on famer characteristics was obtained from 323 farmers out of the population of 21,820 farmers involved in groundnut production during the 2014 main cropping season.  Document analysis was used to collate and analyze secondary data. Cobb-Douglas production function model and multiple regression analysis were used to study the behaviour and effects of independent variables on the dependent variable and test hypotheses. The results of the study showed that majority of the farmers were in households that were male headed with an average of seven persons. The household heads were middle aged, experienced in groundnut farming and had low levels of formal education. Age, gender of head of household, household size, level of formal education and experience in farming all had a positive relationship with groundnut production. However, only gender and experience in farming were significant at p <0.05 level of significance. Based on the findings the study recommended that interventions that target female headed households and improvement of farmers’ traditional knowledge on production should be put in place to improve production.

Keywords:  Farmer characteristics, groundnut and production.
Title: Influence of farmer characteristics on the production of groundnuts, a case of Ndhiwa Sub County, Kenya
Author: Erick O. Onyuka, Prof. Joash Kibbet , Prof Christorpher O. Gor
ISSN 2350-1049
International Journal of Recent Research in Interdisciplinary Sciences (IJRRIS)
Paper Publications

Abstract: A DC to DC converter is a lossless dc transformer that supply regulated output voltage under varying load and input voltage condition and also the converter parameter values changes with time and physical quantity like temperature etc. This paper presents the design and simulation of an open loop buck converter for magnet load using Simulink and Sim Power System library of MATLAB.

Keywords:  Buck Converter, Magnet Load, Simulink (MATLAB).
Title: Effect of Passive Damping on the Performance of Buck Converter for Magnet Load
Author: Rajul Lal Gour
ISSN 2350-1049
International Journal of Recent Research in Interdisciplinary Sciences (IJRRIS)
Paper Publications