Azolla farming is gaining popularity in Kenya as a sustainable approach to feed production. With the high cost of animal feed, many farmers are turning to Azolla farming to supplement their feeds and reduce the cost of production
Livestock and poultry industries are a crucial part of Kenya’s agricultural sector. They provide livelihoods for a significant portion of the population and contribute to food and nutrition security in the country. However, the high cost of feed is causing this sector to decline. This is because many farmers are unable to afford the cost of production. Feed accounts for up to 70% of the total cost of production in dairy animal farming. This is the most critical factor to consider while venturing into livestock production. To address this issue, various sustainable approaches for feed production have been implemented as an alternative to commercial feeds. One of these popular sustainable approaches is Azolla farming, which many farmers are adopting to supplement their feeds and reduce the cost of production.
In order to learn more about Azolla farming, we embark on our journey to Kirinyaga County. Here we meet a young farmer called Kelvin. Kelvin is an influential young farmer who is doing Azolla and poultry farming.
Kelvin’s journey to Azolla farming.
Kelvin started Azolla farming about one year ago after visiting his friend who was doing Azolla farming on his farm. Being passionate about Azolla after he heard about the nutritional benefits of Azolla on social media platforms, Kelvin bought about half kilograms of Azolla seeds and he started his farm. Kelvin started his Azolla farming using containers before expanding his business into using ponds. Currently, Kelvin has four ponds of Azolla from which he feeds his chickens and sells the seeds to the farmers.
What is Azolla?
“Azolla is an aquatic plant that grows on the surface of stagnant or slow-moving water bodies such as ponds,” Kelvin said. “ This aquatic plant is fed to both poultry and livestock, and it’s known for its high nutritional value of 45% protein when wet and when dry has 20 to 30% protein content” ” Kelvin added.
Preparing the pond and the materials needed to start Azolla farming.
According to Kelvin starting an Azolla pond is simple and one only requires a few materials such as a dam liner, a source of water, manure, shade, and Azolla seeds. One also needs to meet the conditions for proper growth and multiplication of the Azolla plant.
“The size of the pond one needs depends on the amount of Azolla one needs to start with,” Kelvin said. “For a beginner, one should put a pond of 4 × 6 feet (1.83 meters), which can accommodate half kilograms of the Azolla seed,” Kelvin explained. For this, pond, a farmer will harvest one kilogram of Azolla per day under good management according to Kelvin.
Requirements for proper growth of Azolla.
According to Kelvin, Azolla needs freshwater of 10 to 15 cm in the multiplication pond with an adequate water level in the pond of about 4 inches (10.16 cm). Azolla also requires light and grows well under partial shade. For that reason, Kelvin has elevated a partial shade for his Azolla farm. Another factor Kelvin says is critical is getting the right pH, as Azolla thrives well in a slightly acidic soil of about 5.2 to 5.8.
Planting the Azolla in the pond.
“Place the topsoil mixed with cow dung and water in the pond and let it uniformly spread on the pond. Make sure the depth of water is about 4 to 6 inches (ca. 15 cm), then spread one kilogram of Azolla in 4 by 2 meters pond,” Kelvin explained. According to Kelvin, one can use different types of manure but since azolla is highly affected by pH he recommends cow manure.
How long does Azolla take to mature?
According to Kelvin, Azolla is one of the plants that have the fastest growth rate, and within ten days of culturing, you can start your first harvest if you take good management practices of your pond. “After harvesting your Azolla, keep on adding manure, and you can re-harvest the second time in 10 to 15 days,” Kelvin said. “I recommend farmers to have plans of harvesting every day because of challenge like tadpoles which influences Azolla if it gets too crowded and also due to poor aeration,” Kelvin said. Kelvin is currently harvesting 3 kg of azolla per day on his 2 × 3 meters ponds.
How to harvest Azolla?
To harvest Azolla, Kelvin advises waiting for 15 days after planting. During this time, the Azolla will have spread over the pond and will be ready for harvest. To collect it, you can use a plastic container with sieves. Simply scoop the Azolla out of the pond, allowing any excess water to drain back in. Kelvin recommends farmers rinse the Azolla thoroughly with clean water before feeding it to their livestock. This is to remove all the particles and the smell from the cow dung mixture.
You can feed Azolla to your flock when it’s wet or dry. According to Kelvin, feeding Azolla when it’s wet is advisable as it contains a high protein content of about 45%. Kelvin suggests a ratio of 1:1 when mixing Azolla with commercial feed for poultry.
Azolla is a protein-rich plant that acts as a good supplement in poultry production, to keep the cost of production down. As a protein-rich plant, Azolla can boost the growth rate of poultry by up to 10%. Kelvin mentions that he has observed an increase in egg production and weight gain in his poultry since he started using Azolla. “This gives me good profit,” Kelvin said.
Other uses of Azolla:
Azolla is a protein-rich plant with diverse uses. Kelvin uses his surplus Azolla as fertilizer for planting maize and vegetables. To use it as fertilizer, Kelvin makes some modifications to the Azolla while it is still in the pond. For example, he adds excess manure, which turns the color of Azolla from green to pinkish. “Azolla acts as good fertilizer and can speed up the growth rate of your crops,” Kelvin said.
Advantages of using Azolla farming as a supplement for animal feeds:
Kelvin explains that Azolla farming offers several advantages as animal feed supplements. First, Azolla has a protein content of about 45% when wet, which livestock farmers are looking for. Therefore, it can act as a good replacement for expensive protein feeds such as fish meal and soybean-manufactured feed. Secondly, Azolla has a high multiplication rate, which provides a high quantity and quality of feed in a short period. “Azolla has the advantage of a high multiplication rate, which means that it can produce a large quantity of high-quality feed in a short period,” Kelvin said.
Challenges in Azolla farming.
Azolla farming, like any other farming activity, has its own set of challenges. Firstly, some frogs can harm the growth of Azolla. Secondly, Kelvin highlighted the issue of pond overflow, stating that if a farmer fails to maintain their pond well, an overflow can wash away the Azolla, especially during the rainy season. Additionally, meeting the right pH level is crucial for the multiplication of Azolla. Kelvin said that if farmers fail to get the correct pH in the pond, Azolla will not grow as expected. Lastly, Azolla grows in partial sunlight, and direct sunlight can hinder its growth. Therefore, it is essential to elevate a shade to obtain good results.
Market.
According to Kelvin, the demand for Azolla is unmet. Many customers are looking for Azolla to supplement their livestock feed. For Kelvin, his Azolla is for his poultry farming, but he has kept two separate ponds from which he sells the Azolla seeds to the farmers who are interested in Azolla farming. Kelvin sells his Azolla at 1000 KSh per Kg.
Kelvin, a young farmer, is highly motivated to become successful in his farming career, as there are no white-collar jobs in the country. He has successfully integrated Azolla and poultry production and has witnessed the numerous benefits of Azolla. Therefore, Kelvin calls for youths to start venturing into Agriculture. Besides, Kelvin offers training to farmers who are willing to venture into Azolla farming on his farm. If you would like to venture into Azolla farming, you can reach Kelvin at 0741523724. Or visit his Facebook page at ‘Võçky Võçky’ or ‘Mwangi Kelvin’. You can also visit him at his farm in Mukui, Kirinyaga County.
