Climate Variability and Response Strategies among Smallholder Sweet Potato Farmers in Gatundu North Sub-County, Kiambu County, Kenya
| dc.contributor.author | Gacheru, Jemimah Wanjiru | |
| dc.contributor.author | Wemali, Evelyn | |
| dc.contributor.author | Gathuru, Gladys | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-01-14T12:33:50Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-01-14T12:33:50Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2024 | |
| dc.description | Article | |
| dc.description.abstract | Climate change and climate variability as manifested in prolonged droughts and frequent floods among other effects is a challenge world over, affecting climate sensitive sectors such as agriculture. Climate variability could be particularly damaging to smallholder farmers that are dependent on rain-fed agriculture including those that grow sweet potatoes in many parts of Kenya such as Gatundu North Sub-County of Kiambu County. The aim of this research was therefore to assess the relationship between smallholder sweet potato production and climate variability in Gatundu North Sub-County. The study used monthly rainfall totals, monthly average maximum and minimum temperatures, annual sweet potato production and responses fromselected smallholder sweet potato farmers. There was a decreasing trend in annual rainfall totals, this trend was however not significantbut the rainfall was highly variable. Annual average maximum and minimum temperatures had an upward trendbut variability was negligible. There was a downward trend in annual sweet potato production. Annual sweet potato production and annual rainfall/annual average maximum and minimum temperatures had a weak negative correlation. The coping strategies being utilized by smallholder sweet potato farmers included crop diversification, irrigation, planting fast-maturing varieties, cultivating in swampy areas, cultivating under other plants to provide shade and adjustment of planting dates. It was concluded that there was no significant relationship between changes in rainfall and temperature and sweet potato production in the study area implying that the coping strategies being used by surveyed farmers were effective in mitigating the deleterious effects of climate variability on the crop and should therefore be strengthened. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://dx.doi.org/10.20431/2454-9444.1002001 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/32058 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | International Journal of Research in Environmental Science (IJRES) | |
| dc.title | Climate Variability and Response Strategies among Smallholder Sweet Potato Farmers in Gatundu North Sub-County, Kiambu County, Kenya | |
| dc.type | Article |