Closing the Crop Yield Gap between Organic and Conventional Farming Systems in Kenya: Long-term Trial Research Indicates Agronomic Viability

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorBautze, David
dc.contributor.authorKaranja, Edward
dc.contributor.authorMusyoka, Martha
dc.contributor.authorRüegg , Johanna
dc.contributor.authorGoldmann, Eva
dc.contributor.authorKibo, Milka
dc.contributor.authorKampermann, Ivonne
dc.contributor.authorCotter, Marc
dc.contributor.authorMuriuki, Anne
dc.contributor.authorNdung’u, Samuel
dc.contributor.authorMucheru-Muna, Monicah
dc.date.accessioned2025-07-24T08:24:51Z
dc.date.available2025-07-24T08:24:51Z
dc.date.issued2024-11-04
dc.descriptionArticle
dc.description.abstractThe production gap between current and attainable yields is highest on Africa's smallholder farms, and some studies indicate that they might not benefit from the yield gains offered by conventional farming. Simultaneously, alternative farming systems like organic provide biodiversity and soil fertility advantages, but their ability to produce sufficient food is still under debate. Additionally, comparative data on the productivity of organic versus conventional in tropical regions are scarce or short-term. We investigated the crop productivity of organic and conventional farming systems using 15 years in two long-term systems comparison trials in Kenya. The trials were established in 2007 at two sites in the Central Highlands of Kenya. At each site, conventional and organic systems were compared at high input levels. The trial involved a three-year crop rotation cycle of maize, vegetables, legumes, and potatoes, repeated five times since its establishment. Management practices were kept similar in the first four rotations and revised in the fifth to improve systems representing best practices. Our results showed that while maize and baby corn had relatively low yield gaps (−13 to +12 %) between organic and conventional systems, cabbage, French beans, and potato had high yield gaps (−50 to −30 %). We attributed this to nutrient limitations and higher pest and disease damage. The yield gap could partially be closed by adopting best practices in the organic system, including system diversification and effective soil fertility, nutrient, and integrated pest management.
dc.description.sponsorshipBiovision Foundation for Ecological Development, Coop Sustainability Fund, the Liechtenstein Development Service (LED), and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
dc.identifier.urihttps://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/30778
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherJournal of Agriculture and Food Research
dc.titleClosing the Crop Yield Gap between Organic and Conventional Farming Systems in Kenya: Long-term Trial Research Indicates Agronomic Viability
dc.typeArticle
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
Full-text Journal Article.pdf
Size:
212.61 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
2.66 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download
Collections
RP-Department of Environmental Science