The role of plant residues in soil productivity: farmers' knowledge and practices in Embu District, Kenya

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dc.contributor.authorGitari, J. N.
dc.contributor.authorMugendi, D.N.
dc.contributor.authorMureithi, J. G.
dc.contributor.authorKung'u, J.B.
dc.contributor.authorGachene, C.K.K.
dc.date.accessioned2015-06-19T09:12:51Z
dc.date.available2015-06-19T09:12:51Z
dc.date.issued2005
dc.descriptionProceedings of the 21st Annual Confrence of the SSEA that was held in Eldoret Kenya from 1st-5th December 2003en_US
dc.description.abstractPlantresidues from trees, crops or weeds playan important role in determining the soil fertilitystatus in smallholder farmers of the centralhighlands of Kenya region. A study wasconducted in Embu district of Kenya, locatedin the densely populated windward side of the south-eastern slopes of Mount Kenya,to document farmers knowledge and practices in the prevalence and utilisation ofthese residues. A total of 134 small-scale farmers cutting across five major agroecological zones of the 30 km transect were interviewed. Farmers indicated that trees, crops or weed residues found in their farms were associated with generation of plant residueswhicheitherimproveorimpoverish the farm niches where they are found. Plant residues that were associated with soil fertility enhancement included: Zea mays, Physeolus vulgaris, Grevillea robusta, Combretum molle, Cordia africana, , sycomorous, and Camellina sinensis. other hand, the residues of Eucalyptus saligna, Macadamia integrifolia, Cupressus lusitanica, Croton megalocarpus, mearnsii, Sorghum bicolour and Mangifera indica continued to impoverish the soil in the farm fields where they occur. The farmers years attributed the good or poor crop performance in farm sections with certain types of plant residues to the decomposability as well as the levels of crop nutrients contained in these residues. The implication of these farmers' perception on the farming patterns prevailing in this region were that there was a shift toward more cultivation of crop or trees species that were associated with soil fertility enhancement.en_US
dc.identifier.issn9966879595
dc.identifier.urihttp://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/12991
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherThe Soil Science Society of East Africa National Research Laboratoriesen_US
dc.subjectSmallholder farmersen_US
dc.subjectfarmers' knowledgeen_US
dc.subjecttreesen_US
dc.subjectcropsen_US
dc.subjectsoil improvementen_US
dc.subjectsoil impoverishingen_US
dc.subjectfarm nichesen_US
dc.titleThe role of plant residues in soil productivity: farmers' knowledge and practices in Embu District, Kenyaen_US
dc.typePresentationen_US
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