Interrelationship
between water hyacinth and the new water weed in Lake Victoria- Homabay County
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*Ouma
Emmanuel Nicholas1 (Reg. #A22/1798/2010)
Supervisor(s):
Prof S. Keya1, Dr A.K. Mwala 1
1University of Nairobi, Department
of Land Resource Management and Agricultural Technology (LARMAT), P.O. Box
29053 – 00625, Nairobi, Kenya.
*
Corresponding author: nicholusouma@yahoo.com
Abstract
Lake Victoria in 1990s was invaded by
water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and recently in 2013 with a new water
weed resembling Napier. This is attributed to environmental degradation in the
watershed, ideal environmental conditions and lack of biological control agents.
It is the aim of this study to determine if there is a difference in
development and accumulation level of nutrients and heavy metal between water
hyacinth and the new water weed and control measures and possible uses of the
new water weed. Plant materials and water will be sampled depending on the
density and distance from the shore. The new water weed will be taken for
classification and the samples will be analyzed for pH, N, P and K. and heavy
metal As, Cd, Cr, Pb, Cu and S. A community survey will be conducted involving
interviewing occupants. Data will be monitored for a
month.
Key
words: new water weed, water hyacinth, heavy metals,
classification, nutrients, use, control measure, nutrients
