Abstract
Peri-urban agriculture is a common practice around many towns and cities in Africa because of the ready urban market for farm commodities. However, it is constrained by a myriad of factors like lack of land tenure and poor soil fertility management strategies. This study focussed on soil physicochemical properties and fertility management in Ruiru Sub County, which is a peri-urban area, in Kiambu County of Kenya. Data was obtained from soil samples that were collected from ten small contact farms identified by the Sub-County Ministry of Agriculture and analysed for selected physicochemical parameters critical in soil fertility management. The results from this study indicated that most farmers were tenants growing leafy vegetables on small farms ~0.1 ha. Soil fertility was mainly maintained using organic manures, while tillage was done by hand. Both practices signal the limitations imposed by the small farm size and lack of land ownership. The soil pH was 6.3 ±0.87, which was ideal for protontransfer reactions in the soil and availability of nutrients for plant uptake. Soil fertility was mostly limited by the interaction of soil pH, K and Ca (30%), total N, OC and Zn (27%) and Cu (15%), Mg (10%) and P (9%). Therefore, the management of Ca fertilisation in this area is key because it is the Ca concentration of the soil solution that influences K and pH through ion exchange and K release. 
 Key words: Organic manures, Inorganic fertilizers, Crop farming, Principle component analysis
Highlights
Peri-urban farming is a reality that will not go away soon
It has significant potential to reduce poverty and increase food security and sovereignty in urban households (Chihambakwe et al, 2018) poor soil fertility management is a major cause for low crop productivity
The soil physical properties have a profound influence on soil fertility management, but they are less studied
Summary
Peri-urban farming is a reality that will not go away soon. Its main attraction is the ready market with better prices that is provided by the ever-rising urban populations especially in market towns (Mochache et al, 2020). Lack of land tenure for many peri-urban farmers makes soil fertility management even more complicated. Their availability from organic manures, which are the main source of plant nutrients in peri-urban cropping systems, often fluctuates and is low (Nciizah and Wakindiki, 2012a). Whereas the contribution of macronutrients in soil fertility management in Africa is extensively studied, little is known about micronutrients.
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