Preparing planting materials is a fundamental step in annual crop production, directly influencing crop establishment and yield quality. In the Kenyan agricultural context, where smallholder farmers and extension officers play a vital role, understanding the preparation and selection of planting materials ensures sustainable productivity and resource efficiency. This chapter focuses on defining key terms related to planting materials, assembling the necessary land preparation tools and equipment, and understanding their uses. Practical competence in these areas supports effective crop establishment in diverse Kenyan agro-ecological zones.

1.1 Prepare Planting Materials

1.1.1 Definition of Terms

Understanding the terminology associated with planting materials is essential for agriculture and extension professionals to communicate effectively and implement best practices. The following terms are commonly used within Kenyan crop production systems:

Seed

Seed refers to the mature fertilized ovule of a plant that contains the embryo and is capable of developing into a new plant. In Kenya, certified seeds from institutions such as Kenya Seed Company are preferred for higher germination rates and disease resistance.

Figure: examples of what seeds looks alike.

Seedling

A seedling is a young plant that has emerged from a seed and is in its early growth stage. Seedlings are often raised in nurseries before transplanting to the field, especially for crops like tomatoes and cabbages in Kenyan horticulture.

Figure: image of sleeved seedlings.

Propagule

A propagule is any plant material used to propagate a new plant, including seeds, cuttings, tubers, bulbs, or grafts. For example, sweet potato vine cuttings serve as propagules in Kenyan farming systems.

Figure: propagule as a planting material.

Figure(example2): propagule planting materials.

Germination

Germination is the process by which a seed develops into a seedling, involving the emergence of the radicle and plumule. Factors affecting germination include moisture, temperature, and seed viability, critical considerations during planting in regions such as Central Kenya.

Viability

Viability refers to the ability of a seed or propagule to germinate and develop into a healthy plant. Seed viability testing is often conducted by extension officers to ensure planting materials meet quality standards before distribution.

Planting Material

Planting material encompasses any biological material used for crop establishment, including seeds, seedlings, cuttings, tubers, or bulbs. Selection of appropriate planting material impacts crop performance and pest and disease management.

Certified Seed

Certified seed is seed that has been officially inspected and meets prescribed standards of purity, germination, and health. Use of certified seed is promoted by the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) to improve crop yields and food security.

Seed Treatment

Seed treatment involves applying chemicals or biological agents to seeds before planting to protect against pests and diseases. For instance, maize seeds may be treated with fungicides to prevent soil-borne diseases common in Rift Valley farms.

Nursery

A nursery is a controlled environment where seedlings are raised before transplanting to the field. Nurseries are essential in Kenyan horticulture, enabling farmers to produce healthy seedlings for crops such as onions and peppers.

Figure: This is an outlook of a nursery structure.

Figure: vegetable nursery.

Cuttings

Cuttings are sections of stems, roots, or leaves used as vegetative planting material to propagate plants. For example, cassava farmers in Western Kenya use stem cuttings as planting material for rapid multiplication.

1.1.2 Assemble Land Preparation Tools and Equipment

Efficient land preparation requires assembling the correct tools and equipment suited to the scale and type of crop production. In Kenya, extension officers advise farmers on tool selection based on soil type, farm size, and mechanization level.

Purpose of Land Preparation

Land preparation puts the soil in a fit state to receive planting material. It aims to:

• Clear unwanted vegetation, stumps, stones and crop residues from the field.
• Loosen compacted soil so roots can penetrate and air and water can move.
• Produce a fine, even tilth so that seed makes close contact with soil and germinates uniformly.
• Bury weeds and residues, reducing competition and returning organic matter to the soil.
• Shape the land into ridges, furrows or beds where the crop or the irrigation method requires it.
• Destroy pest and disease stages living in the soil surface.

What Assembling Means

Assembling is gathering every tool, implement and machine needed for the operation, and confirming each one is complete, clean, sharp and working before work begins. It matters because:

• Work proceeds without stopping to look for a missing tool.
• Delays are avoided, and land preparation is timed to the onset of rains.
• Faulty tools are found in the store rather than in the field, where they cause accidents.
• Labour and hired machinery, both charged by time, are not wasted.

Pre-assembly checks: inspect each tool for damage, cracked or loose handles, blunt edges, rust, soil and plant residues, missing bolts, and for machinery, oil and fuel levels, tyre pressure and greasing points.

Classification by Function

Primary tillage is the first, deep working of the soil, which cuts, lifts and inverts it and buries residues. Secondary tillage is the lighter working that follows, breaking clods and levelling the surface to leave a fine seedbed.

Basic Hand Tools

• Hoes (jembe): Used for digging, weeding, breaking soil clods, making shallow furrows and earthing up around plants. The jembe is prevalent in Kenyan farms for its versatility.
• Fork jembe (digging fork): Several strong tines on a handle. Breaks up compacted soil, digs planting holes, works in manure or compost, and aerates soil without inverting it.
• Spades: Employed for digging and turning soil, especially in nursery bed preparation.
• Mattocks: Designed for breaking hard soil layers and removing roots.

Four mattocks laid out on a white sheet (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

• Axe: A sharp metal blade on a handle, for felling small trees, cutting shrubs and roots, and splitting stumps and logs during clearing.
• Panga (machete): A broad, heavy blade for clearing bushes, tall grass and weeds, cutting saplings and opening small furrows. The commonest clearing tool on Kenyan smallholdings.
• Slasher: A long handle with a heavy curved blade, swung to cut thick grass and undergrowth where machinery cannot reach, and to cut down old crop stalks.
• Rakes: Used to gather cleared debris, stones and residues, level the soil surface after ploughing, and break small clods into a fine seedbed.
• Sickles: Utilized for harvesting and clearing crop residues.
• Wheelbarrow: Carries manure, compost, cleared stones and debris, and moves tools to and from the field.

Animal-Drawn Equipment

In regions with larger farms or where mechanization is limited, animal-drawn implements improve efficiency. These include:

• Ploughs: Moldboard and disc ploughs pulled by oxen or donkeys to turn and aerate soil.
• Harrows: Used for breaking soil clods and smoothing the seedbed after ploughing.
• Ridgers: Pulled behind oxen to throw soil into ridges for potatoes, sweet potatoes and groundnuts.

Mechanical Equipment

Mechanical tools are increasingly adopted by commercial farmers and cooperative groups in Kenya for timely land preparation. These include:

• Tractors: Supply the power for ploughs, harrows, rotavators and ridgers, haul trailers, and drive PTO-operated machines. Essential in large-scale maize and wheat farms in the Rift Valley.
• Mouldboard plough: Primary tillage. Cuts, lifts and inverts the furrow slice, burying weeds and residues and bringing fresh soil to the surface.
• Disc plough: Primary tillage using concave discs. Works where a mouldboard plough struggles, in hard, dry or sticky soils and heavy trash, and clogs less readily.
• Disc harrow: Secondary tillage. Breaks clods left by ploughing, levels and pulverises the soil, and mixes in residues and fertiliser.
• Rotavators: Machines with rotating blades that pulverize soil to create a fine seedbed in one pass, improving seed-soil contact. Useful for small-seeded crops.
• Mower: Cuts and shreds tall grass and crop residues before tillage, and is important in minimum tillage systems where residues stay on the surface.
• Ridger (hiller): Forms ridges and furrows for ridge-planted crops, for drainage in wet fields, and for furrow irrigation.
• Seed drills: Equipment that enables precise planting depth and spacing, enhancing germination rates.

Equipment Assembly and Maintenance

Gathering tools before land preparation ensures workflow efficiency. Tools should be inspected for:

• Sharpness: Blades on hoes, pangas, axes and plough shares must be sharpened to reduce labor intensity and to cut cleanly rather than tear.
• Cleanliness: Tools free from soil and plant residues prevent disease transmission from one field to another.
• Lubrication: Moving parts on mechanical equipment require regular lubrication to prevent wear, and bare metal surfaces are oiled against rust.
• Repairs: Broken handles or bent parts must be fixed to avoid accidents and inefficiency.
• Servicing: Powered equipment follows the manufacturer's schedule for oil changes, filter replacement and greasing.
• Storage: Tools are stored under cover, off the ground, hung or racked in an organised manner, with cutting edges guarded.

Proper assembly also involves organizing tools at the farm site for easy access during land preparation activities.

Safety Equipment

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is vital for farmers and extension workers during land preparation. This includes:

• Gloves: Protect hands from blisters and cuts.
• Boots: Provide foot protection against sharp objects and snake bites.
• Eye protection: Guards against dust and flying debris.

clear safety glasses for eye protection (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

• Overall: Protects the body and keeps loose clothing away from moving machine parts.
• Dust mask: Worn when working dry, dusty soil or during mechanised tillage.

Kenyan agricultural extension services emphasize PPE use to reduce occupational hazards during farm operations.

Chapter Summary

This chapter focused on the preparation of planting materials essential for successful annual crop production. It began with defining key terms related to planting material preparation and proceeded to detail the various land preparation tools and equipment, including axes, pangas, rakes, slashers, and machinery such as tractors and rotavators. The chapter explained the specific uses of each tool and equipment in preparing the land for planting and emphasized the importance of their proper maintenance to ensure longevity and efficiency. It then described the different types of planting materials, ranging from seeds and seedlings to cuttings, slips, and tubers, highlighting their roles in crop establishment. The discussion extended to critical field management practices such as mulching, gapping, thinning, training, fertilizer application-pruning, and trellising, which support crop growth and yield. Finally, the chapter underscored the integration of these practices in carrying out effective field management for annual crops.