Though the majority of people in Kenya and at Kopsiro Division in particular, rely on ethnomedicinal plant species to manage human ailments, the indigenous knowledge largely remains undocumented. Therefore, an ethnobotanical study was conducted on medicinal plant species used to manage human ailments at Kopsiro Division Mt. Elgon District Kenya. The objectives were to identify and document plants traditionally used for medicinal therapy by the Sabaots, to find out the method used for preparing and administering the drugs and to find out the conservation practices for the medicinal plants. Observations and semi-structured interviews were used to gather ethnobotanical data. 107 plants belonging to 56 families were identified and reported to be of medicinal value to the locals. Roots (47.3%) were the most frequently used parts of the plant followed by the bark (23.35%) then leaves (22.75%). The whole plant (1.8%), seed (1.2%), fruit (1.2%), sap (1.2%), flower (0.6%) and wood (0.6%) are least used in that order. The study revealed other hitherto undocumented medicinal plant species that may be new records for treating various ailments. Traditional medicine in Kopsiro division offers cheap, accessible and convenient remedy that suits the traditional lifestyle of the local community in comparison to the conventional medicine. Most medicinal plant species reported in this study were found to be under threat and this calls for urgent conservation measures so as to maximize the sustainable use of these vital resources in the study area.

The greatest limitation to utilization of maize stover by ruminants as a feed is the high concentration of lignin, which limits fibre digestibility. However, ruminants can effectively utilize maize stover if its nutritive value is improved using white rot fungal species. This study was designed to determine optimal bio-physical conditions for mycelial growth and select the most ideal fungal species and pre-treatment options for improving nutritive value of maize stover. Four popular edible Pleurotus fungal species (viz. Pleurotus florida, Pleurotus ostreatus, Pleurotus sajor caju and Pleurotus pulmonarius) were subjected to varying temperatures, pH levels, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) concentration and illumination to establish the extent of mycelial growth rate. Inclusion of H2O2 was used to determine optimal levels for preservation and prevention of contamination from other indigenous microbiota. Effects of pre-treatment options on chemical composition and nutritive value of maize stover were also examined. Mycelial growth rate of Pleurotus species on potato dextrose agar (PDA) varied (P < 0.05) with temperature, pH level and H2O2 concentration following a quadratic trend. Optimal temperature, pH and H2O2 concentration for mycelial growth on PDA were 25 °C, 5 and 0.01 mL/L, respectively. Under the different bio-physical conditions, P. sajor caju had the highest mycelia density and growth rate. Chemical composition of solid-state fermented maize stover differed (P < 0.05) among the Pleurotus species. Maize stover fermented with P. sajor caju had the highest crude protein (CP) of 86.6 g/kg DM, in-vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) of 731 g/kg DM, in-vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) of 670.4 g/kg DM and metabolizable energy (ME) of 10.0 MJ/kg DM but with the lowest lignin (sa) of 50 g/kg DM. At 25 °C, P. sajor caju had the highest mycelial growth rate on PDA and highest lignin (sa) breakdown in the maize stover substrate. It was, therefore, selected as the most ideal fungal species for improving nutritive value of maize stover. Pre-treatment of maize stover with Lactobacillus plantarum and molasses under anaerobic condition for 7 days before inoculation with P. sajor caju resulted into a substrate with the highest (P < 0.05) CP (96.6 g/kg DM), IVDMD (752.3 g/kg DM), IVOMD (687.2 g/kg DM) and ME (10.2 MJ/kg DM). However, neutral detergent fiber exclusive of residual ash (NDFom) and lignin (sa) fractions decreased (P < 0.05) as a result of subjecting maize stover to pre-treatment with L. plantarum and molasses prior to fermentation with P. sajor caju. Therefore, pre-treatment of maize stover with L. plantarum and molasses for 7 days prior to fermentation with P. sajor caju for 14 days in darkness at 25 °C offered the greatest potential for breaking the lignin barrier.

Effects of seasonal rainfall (RF) and maximum temperature (T m ) variations on milk yield of Ankole cows grazed solely on rangepastures were investigated. The resulting changes in herbage growth (HG), herbage yields (HY), herbage crude protein (CP h ) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF h ), as well as body condition score (BCS) of ten milking cows taken every two weeks were analysed for their correlation with milk yield (MY). Results showed that MY was significantly correlated (P = 0.05) with BCS and NDF h , but not with RF and CP h . The correlation with T m , HY and HG were not significant.Multiple linear regression analysis showed that milk yield increased with body condition and declined with herbage yield according to the model: MY = 3.70*BCS-3.90*HY-6.67. This implied that throughout most of the year, cows depended on mobilisation of body reserves built in the wet season to meet the requirements for milk production. As herbage matured, milk yield declined because cows could not maintain the dietary quality needed for optimal digestion and feed intake. Cows fed to maintain good body condition yielded more milk. Therefore, to minimise maturity, appropriate stocking rates should be applied to maintain young herbage and sustain milk yield.

The study was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary diatomaceous earth (DE) on egg quality traits in deep litter hens. A total of 280 Lohmann Brown pullets were at 20 weeks of age divided into 4 groups. Three groups were fed on one of the three experimental diets supplemented with 2%, 3% or 4% DE, while the fourth group was fed on a control diet without DE supplementation. Each group had seven replicates of 10 birds. One egg was collected randomly per replicate (for a total of 7 eggs per group), weighed and determined for: yolk weight, albumen weight, eggshell weight, eggshell thickness, specific gravity, albumen height, yolk height, yolk colour and Haugh unit. Findings showed that DE supplementation resulted into significant (p<0.05) increase in eggshell weight and yolk height. Dietary supplementation with DE in the current study was, however, not effective on other egg quality parameters such as on eggshell weight percentage, egg specific gravity, yolk colour and Haugh unit. However, results of the study also showed that DE supplementation improved significantly (p<0.05) egg quality especially by improving viscosity as flocks grew older as compared to younger flocks. Further research should focus on the effect of dietary DE on eggshell and bone strength of layer birds. Research should also explore the interactions among the minerals found in DE (e.g. calcium, phosphorus and magnesium) and how these interactions affect egg quality in laying hens.

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