Assessment of the Adoption of Organic and Conventional Farming Methods in Kisii Central Sub-County, Western Kenya

Charles N Nyamwamu,B Elizabeth Onkundi

doi:10.18052/www.scipress.com/jhpr.12.18

Charles N Nyamwamu, B Elizabeth Onkundi

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.18052/www.scipress.com/jhpr.12.18

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Abstract

This study sought to determine the extent of adoption of various organic and conventional crop and soil management practices in the farms. Ten farms were sampled at an equidistance of one kilometre along a transect laid across each of the eight randomly selected sub-locations in the sub county. A sample size of 80 farms was randomly selected from the Sub-County. The eighty farms were regrouped into two; Organic and conventional farms. A survey of the crop management practises was carried out and the observed methods recorded down. The data collected was analyzed using the Statistical paired t test and descriptive statistics. Use of pesticides recorded the highest percentages (60%) in conventional methods while mulching recorded relatively high percentage (42%) in organic methods. Use of plastic cover recorded the lowest percentage of 4% in conventional methods while vermin-compositing was not embraced in conventional methods. Conventional methods were 3.33 points higher than organic (95% CI [-9.37596, 16.04263]). Conventional and Organic farming methods were strongly and negatively correlated (r = -0.069, p > 0.05). However, there was no statistical significant difference between conventional and organic methods (t5 = 0.674, p > 0.05), [Appendix 1(iii)]. The knowledge obtained will be useful to the farmers and other participants globally to improve crop productivity. The information collected will also enable farmers seek for unconventional ways to alleviate the problem of heavy usage of agrochemicals in order to embrace organic farming for the long run sustainability of the agricultural sector.

Highlights

Organic farming is a system of agricultural production without any use of agrochemicals with an environmentally and socially responsible approach [5]
This study sought to determine the extent of adoption of various organic and conventional crop and soil management practices on the farms in Kisii central Sub county and the information collected will enable farmers seek for unconventional ways to alleviate the problem of heavy usage of agrochemicals in order to embrace organic farming for the long run sustainability of the agricultural sector
This study considered six organic methods of soil conservation and crop production; mulching, compost-shed, pesticides, bio-slurry, vermi-composting and plastic cover

Summary

Introduction

Organic farming is a system of agricultural production without any use of agrochemicals with an environmentally and socially responsible approach [5]. This farming practice occur at grass-roots level, which restores soil fertility [8]. According to [5, 6, 28] conventional farming systems employ use of agro-chemical inputs and lead into reduction of soil productivity and negatively affect environmental services. [10] had affirmed that intensive agriculture and excessive use of agrochemicals have resulted into degradation of soil, water and genetic resources and in turn, negatively effecting crop yields

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