Browsing by Author "Kinoti, Kaburu Franklin"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The effects of grass strips on crop growth, yield and terrace development
    (2012-04-03) Kinoti, Kaburu Franklin
    Investigations were carried out during the rainy seasons of 1996 on humic nitisol at Kabete Steepland Research Site, University of Nairobi to study the effectives of grass strips as a means of soil and water conservation and on crop performance. The study assessed the performance of seven different grass species on terrace development, moisture conservation, fodder production, crop growth and yield. Measurements on moisture, crop growth and crop yield were made on the lower, middle and upper slope position of each terrace formed by the individual strips. The results obtained indicated that Donkey grass was the best in promoting bench development with 6.2 % mean slope. This was followed by Creeping signal (5.1%), Bana (4.7%), Tall signall and Guantamala (4.2%), Tall guinea (4.0%) and lastly Makarikari with only 1.8%, which was due to its poor ground cover. The corresponding embankment heights increased with increased slope reduction. Bana Tall guinea and Guatamala grasses depleted more moisture on the lower slope position during dry spells but conserved more in the 60 cm depth during rainy periods mainly due to their deep rooting depths. Generally more moisture was conserved by all the grasses on the lower slope position compared to the upper slope position during rainy periods. Bana and Tall guinea grasses had significantly (p=0.01) decreased maize plant heights and yields on the lower and upper positions due to their competitive effects. The yield of Bana was 1190kg/ha and 1420kg/ha in the lower and upper terrace positions respectively compared to 2400kg/ha in the middle terrace position. Tall guinea yields were 925 and 999kg/ha for lower and upper positions respectively compared to 2030kg/ha for the middle. Yield differences among positions for Makarikari, Creeping signal, Donkey and Guatamala grasses were not significant. There was general poor crop performance on the upper terrace position for all the grass strips. On fodder production bana grass tall guinea produced the highest yields (16.96 and 12.23 tons per hectare respectively) although they put more land out of cultivation due to their growth characteristics. Makarikari performed poorly in both fodder production and terrace development and therefore deemed not suitable in the area. Of those grasses evaluated, Bana and Tall guinea would be more appropriate for farmers who are confronted by conservation needs and require fodder for animals. On considering better crop performance without need for fodder the other grasses would be more appropriate.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Factors that determine the performance of technology-Based firms in kenya
    (2011-08-02) Kinoti, Kaburu Franklin
    This study aimed to investigate, in a knowledge based framework, the determinants of performance of Kenyan technology-based firms focusing on the role of human capital, social capital and traditional firm-level characteristics on firm new knowledge acquisition through R&D and technology acquisition (innovation inputs) and the transformational process leading to innovation output and firm performance. The empirical analysis focused on a sub-sample of 320 high and medium-high technology firms drawn randomly from a population of 772 firms located in Nairobi. The sample population was stratified using seven technology-based industrial sectors and three employment size bands. Data collection was done using a self-administered structured questionnaire and analysis done using SPSS version 11.5. The innovative capability was analyzed by use of descriptive statistics while the relationship linking investment in new knowledge, innovation and productivity was established by separately modeling the & terminants of technology acquisition, R&D, innovation output and firm productivity. The study employed logit analysis for R&D decision and innovation outcome, probit analysis for technology acquisition, Tobit for R&D intensity and augmented Cobb Douglass production function for productivity. Empirical evidence revealed that the firm's innovations were largely incremental and that the innovative capability of the firms was largely inadequate. The results demonstrated that size and exporting variables were significant predictors of R&D decision, technology acquisition, innovation output and firm economic performance but not R&D intensity. Of the two innovation inputs, only technology acquisition increased probability of introducing innovations. On the other, hand innovation output contributed significantly to increased firm performance as measured in terms of value-added. Human capital variables had significant positive effect on all the dimensions under study while the role of social capital was multifaceted in its effect. While general linkages with competitors and other institutions had significant influence on the firms to invest in new knowledge, only linkages with customers had significant and positive effects on the likelihood of the firms to innovate. On the productivity side linkages with competitors joined linkages with customers in increasing valued added. Lastly the following conclusions can be drawn. First, it appears that R&D directly contributed to higher firm performance during the study period by increasing the absorptive capacity and not indirectly through innovation propagation as the main hypothesis posited, at least for Kenyan technology-based firms. Thus policies geared towards increasing the capability to transform R&D activities into commercial innovations would significantly increase the innovative performance of the firms. Second, since exporting large firms that had higher level of scientific and technical workforce and qualified managers, had cooperated with customers and competitors, had invested in R&D activities and technology acquisition and had launched new or improved products processes to the markets performed better than those that did not, public policies meant to stimulate increased firm growth and export promotion deepening access to qualified human resources promotion of linkages between firms and other institutions; promotion of in-house R&D and external acquisition of technology in both embodied and disembodied form should have positive results in terms of the overall performance of the firms.