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The Effect of Organic-Based Nutrient Management Strategies on Soil Nutrient Availability and Maize Performance in Njoro, Kenya

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Abstract

A field experiment based on the concept of organic nutrient management was conducted in Njoro, Kenya, to test the effect of improved legume fallows, crotalaria (CR), lablab (LB), garden pea (GP) and natural fallow (NF, as control) on available soil N and P and maize performance. The experimental design was a split plot fitted to a randomized complete block. The main plots were two cropping systems involving the improved legume fallows and NF preceding sole maize and maize–bean (M/B) intercrop. The sub-plots were two residue management types: residue incorporation and residue removal with farm yard manure (FYM) incorporated instead. Residue incorporation resulted in higher concentrations of N and P in soil than FYM in both cropping systems. Under sole maize, grain yield following LB was significantly higher than after CR, GP and NF. In the M/B intercrop, maize grain yield following LB was significantly higher than after GP and NF, with no significant differences in yields following CR and LB. Maize dry matter (DM) yields followed a similar trend. Overall, maize grain and DM yields were higher in sole maize cropping system than in M/B intercrop but an additional 0.5–0.6 kg ha–1 of bean grain yield was realized in the latter cropping system. The improved fallow legumes enhanced soil productivity, besides the seeds providing ancillary protein in diet locally, with resultant higher yields of the succeeding crop.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the Agronomy and Soil Science Departments, Egerton University, for respectively providing the experimental site and the laboratory facilities. We also thank the ÖAD (Österreichischer Akademischer Austauschdienst) for funding the research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Crops, Horticulture and Soils, Egerton University, Njoro, Kenya

    J.J. Lelei

  2. Department of Land Resource Management and Agricultural Technology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya

    R.N. Onwonga

  3. Division of Organic Farming, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria

    B. Freyer

Authors
  1. J.J. Lelei
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  2. R.N. Onwonga
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  3. B. Freyer
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to J.J. Lelei .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Soil Health Program, Alliance for a Green Revolution in Afric, Agostino Neto Road, Airport Res. Area 6, Accra, Ghana

    Andre Bationo

  2. , African Network for Soil Biology and Fer, Tropical Soil Biology & Fertility Inst., c/o ICRAF, Off UN Avenue, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya

    Boaz Waswa

  3. , African network for Soil Biology and Fer, Tropical Soil Biology & Fertility Inst., c/o ICRAF, Off UN Avenue, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya

    Jeremiah M. Okeyo

  4. , Socio-economics and Biometrics, Kenya Agricultural Research Institute, Nairobi, 00800, Kenya

    Fredah Maina

  5. , African Network for Soil Biology and Fer, Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility Inst, c/o ICRAF, Off UN Avenue, Nairobi, 00100, Kenya

    Job Maguta Kihara

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Lelei, J., Onwonga, R., Freyer, B. (2011). The Effect of Organic-Based Nutrient Management Strategies on Soil Nutrient Availability and Maize Performance in Njoro, Kenya. In: Bationo, A., Waswa, B., Okeyo, J., Maina, F., Kihara, J. (eds) Innovations as Key to the Green Revolution in Africa. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2543-2_29

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