Abstract:
Variability in agro-climatic parameters is increasingly a source of concern in the rainfed agricultural
regions of the world. To a large extent, Kenya relies on rainfed agriculture for her food requirements.
However, the agro-climatic characteristics within the Lake Victoria basin region of Kenya are quite
variable. This study evaluated the variability of seasonal agro-climatic parameters in Lake Victoria basin
region in order to understand how growing seasons influence sustainable agricultural planning. To
evaluate these characteristics, analyses of the dry spells, reference evapotranspiration (ETo), rainfall
characteristics (amount, onset, cessation and length) were done using H614 maize variety as the reference
crop. Dry spells were analyzed using a daily rainfall threshold (DRT) of 5 mm, and dry spell trends
interpolated in GIS. ETo was obtained using the ETo calculator while the rainfall characteristics were
analyzed using the RAIN software package combined with descriptive methods. The results reveal that
there exist variability in all agro-climatic parameters analyzed. It is shown that proper integration of agro-
climatic variability into seasonal agricultural planning is needed for sustainable agricultural production.
Re-introduction of indigenous crops will heavily depend on access to climate knowledge and proper
dissemination of results, through technical advisory and extension services.
