Improving Soil Fertility and Crops Yields through Organic and inorganic inputs in Smallholder Farmers’ fields in Western Kenya.

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume VI, Issue IV, April 2022 | ISSN 2454–6186

Improving Soil Fertility and Crops Yields through Organic and inorganic inputs in Smallholder Farmers’ fields in Western Kenya.

Josephine Nanjala Barasa¹, Julius O. Ochoudho¹, Syphyline J. Kebeney¹, Augustine Wafula Barasa^2
1University of Eldoret, School of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Department of Soil Science,
²University of Eldoret, School of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Department of Agricultural Economics

Abstract: Organic (FYM) and inorganic (Mavuno) manure and their combination were evaluated on sorghum grain yields and some soil chemical characteristics in the 2016 SR and 2017 LR growing seasons FYM, Mavuno and or their combinations significantly (p<0.05) increased soil N, P and pH in the immediate and residual seasons. The sorghum grain yields trends for Busia site were such that: (FYM + Mavuno) >FYM>Mavuno>Control with (1.36, 1.29, 1.19 and 0.35) t ha-1 respectively in 2016 short rains season. The sorghum grain yield trends for 2017 long rains were as follows: (Mavuno) >(FYM=Mavuno)with same yields>Control giving (2.28, 2.17, 2.17 and 1.67) t ha-1 respectively. The grain yields for Teso site were: (FYM + Mavuno) >FYM>Mavuno>Control that resulted into (1.65, 1.49, 1.11 and 0.34) t ha-1 sorghum grain yields respectively in 2016 SR and (FYM+Mavuno) >FYM>Mavuno>Control giving (2.86, 2.79, 2.76 and 1.59) t ha-1 respectively for 2017 LR cropping seasons. All treatments resulted in significantly higher nutrient concentrations in the soil above the control with FYM (5.32,Mavuno (5.31),FYM+Mavuno(5.20) and Control (4.45) in 2016 SR and FYM (5.15),Mavuno (5.20),FYM+Mavuno(5.23) and Control (5.06) in 2017 LR for Busia. Teso had a similar trend with FYM (5.55),Mavuno (5.21),FYM+Mavuno (5.28) and Control (4.42) in 2016 SR and FYM (5.64),Mavuno (5.65),FYM+Mavuno(5.55) and Control (5.36) in 2017 LR .Soil pH, due to its effect on nutrient availability contributed to higher soil total N, P contents due to treatments application. Therefore, FYM, Mavuno and their combination can improve sorghum grain yield on nutrient deficient smallholder farms.

Keywords: Fertilizer, Sorghum, soil fertility

I.INTRODUCTION

Soil fertility management approaches play a leading role in providing essential nutrients required for crop growth and yields. However, in Sub Saharan African (SSA) soil fertility depletion is still a challenge when trying to improve crop yields, food security, and poverty alleviation among smallholder farmers (Sanginga and Woomer, 2009; Stewart,2020). Factors that include continuous cropping without adequate nutrient replenishment, soil loss through erosion, soil acidity and lack of appropriate knowledge on soil fertility management are the major cause of poor crop yields on small hold farms (Okalebo et al., 2006, Njeru, 2009; Wawire, 2021).The problem of low soil fertility and the need to improve the general low crop yields on small hold farms, has provoked the government of Kenya through, `The National Accelerated Agricultural Inputs Access Programme’’ (NAAIAP) (GOK, 2014;Bjornlund, 2021) to introduce

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