Assessment of the Vulnerability and Adaptation Strategies to Climate Variability of the Bos-Taurus Dairy Genotypes in Nandi and Nakuru Counties in Kenya

The study assessed the vulnerability and adaptation strategies of the Bos-taurus dairy breed/genotypes (DBG) to climate variability in two diverse production environments (PEDs) namely; Nakuru and Nandi Counties. Long term climatic data analysis presents a declining rainfall trend and ascending trend in temperature in both production environments. Through farmers’ perception ranking, the impacts of climate variability and change (CCV) on DBG ranged from low (2.60) to high (3.96) in the production environments. Impacts were high for seasonal heat stress (3.74), droughts (3.96), flooding (3.57) and feed shortage (3.80) and moderate for disease epidemic (3.39) and water decline (3.26) in Nandi South. Impacts in Rongai were high for frequent droughts (3.60), disease epidemic (3.87) and feed shortage (3.60) and moderate for heat stress (3.30), flooding (2.60) and water decline (3.10). The current and earlier production systems in the two PEDs as well as response strategies to impacts of CCV were different. Production systems in different PEDs have evolved in response to effects of climate variability. The results from the study indicate that the DBGs are vulnerable to impacts of CCV. Therefore, attaining sustainable dairy productivity requires mitigation of CCV impacts and improving productivity through either utilization of adaptive DBGs to the specific PED, genetic manipulation of the DBGs to the specific PED or modification of production environment to suit the DBGs.