Explain factors affecting agricultural production in Kenya

Agricultural production is influenced by external factors:
Human factors
Biotic factors
Climatic factors
Edaphic factors.

Human Factors
These are human characteristics which affect the way decisions are made and operations carried out.
Level of education and technology:
Skills
Technological advancements .
Human health/HIV-AIDS:
These affect the strength, the vigour, vision and the determination to work.
HIV/AIDS is the biggest threat to human health today and has long lasting effects on agriculture, such as;
Shortage of farm labour.
Loss of family support.
Low living standards leading to despondency and hopelessness.
Increased criminal activities.
More time spent by the Government and NGO's in Carring for the sick.
Economy;
Stability in the countries' economy affect agricultural production.
Government Policy:
These are governmental laws which have been enacted to protect farmers, land and livestock.
They include:
Food policy
Policies on control of livestock parasites and diseases.
Policies on marketing of both local and export products and others.
Transport and communication:
For agricultural goods to move from the farm to the consumers.
Cultural practices and religious beliefs:
These activities hinder important changes in a society that may bring agricultural development.
Market forces:
Demand and supply forces which affect prices of commodities in a free market.
Biotic Factors
These are living organisms which affect agricultural production.
Pests - Destructive organisms which destroy crops.
Parasites - These are invertebrates which live in or on other living organisms.
Decomposers - Organisms which act on plants and animal tissues to form manure.
Pathogens - Micro-organisms which cause diseases.
Predators - Animals that kill and feed on other animals.
Pollinators - They transfer pollen grains from the stamens to the pistil of a flower.
Nitrogen fixing bacteria -They are micro-organisms which convert atmospheric nitrogen to nitrates ready for use by the plants.

Climatic Factors(weather elements).
Rainfall,
Temperature,
Wind,
Relative humidity
Light.
Weather - Atmospheric conditions of a place at a given time period.
Climate - weather conditions of a place observed and recorded for a period of 30-40 years.

Rainfall
Supplies Water:
Which is necessary for the life process in plants and animals.
Which makes the plant turgid hence provides support.
Acts as a solvent for plant nutrients.
Cools the plant during transpiration.
Which is used as a raw material in photosynthesis.

When plants lack enough water they respond in different ways as follows:
By closing the stomata to restrict water loss.
Hastens maturity.
Some will roll their leaves.
Other plants have developed permanent adaptation to water stress such as:
Growing needle like leaves.
Develop fleshy leaves for water storage.
Develop long roots.
Wilting and death in extreme conditions.
Important Aspects of Rainfall:
Rainfall reliability;
This is the dependency on the timing of the onset of the rains.
Amount of rainfall;
Quantity of rain that falls in a given area within a given year.
Rainfall distribution ;
The number of wet months in a year.
Rainfall intensity;
Amount of rainfall that falls in an area within a period of 1 hour.
Temperature
This is the degree of hotness or coldness of a place measured in degrees Celsius.
Cardinal range of temperature is the temperature required by plant to grow and thrive well.
Optimum range of temperatures - the best temperature for the best performance of plants.

Effects of Temperatures on Crop Production:
Low temperatures:
Slow the growth rate of crops due to slowed photosynthesis and respiration.
High incidences of disease infection.
Improves quality of crops such as tea and pyrethrum.
High Temperatures
Increase evaporation rate leading to
Wilting.
Hastens the maturity of crops.
Increase disease and pest infection.
Improves quality of crops such as pineapples, oranges and pawpaws.
Wind
Wind is moving air.
Good effects of wind include:
Seed dispersal
Cooling of land
Pollination in crops
Brings rain bearing clouds

Negative effects of wind:
Increases the rate of evaporation of water.
Causes lodging of cereals and distorts perennial crops.
Increases evapo-transpiration.
Spreads diseases and pests.
Destroys farm structures.
Relative humidity
The amount of water vapour in the air
Affects the rate of evapo-transpiration.
Forms dew which supplies soil with moisture under dry conditions.
High humidity induce rooting in cuttings.
Increases disease multiplication and spread.



Light
Provide radiant energy harnessed by green plant for photosynthesis.

Important aspects of light:
Light intensity ;
The strength with which light is harnessed by chlorophyll for photosynthesis.
Light duration;
The period during which light is available to plants per day.
Plant response to light duration is known as photoperiodism.
Short-day plants - require less than 12 hours of daylight to flower and seed.
Long-day plants - require more than 12 hours of daylight to flower and seed.
Day-neutral plants require 12 hours of daylight to flower and seed.
Light wavelength;
This is the distance between two - successive crests of a wavelength.
It dictates the difference between natural and artificial light.
Chlorophyll absorbs certain wavelengths of light.

Edaphic Factors Influencing Agriculture
These are soil factors.
Soil is the natural material that covers the surface of the earth,
Made of weathered rock particles and decomposed animal and plant tissues, and on which plants grow.
Importance of Soil
Provides anchorage to the plants by holding their roots firmly.
Provides plants with mineral salts/ nutrients which are necessary for their growth.
Provide the plants with water.
Contains oxygen necessary for respiration of the plants and soil micro-organisms.

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Edwinnyongesa8 answered the question on December 5, 2018 at 18:44