Abstract
Opportunities for sustainable agriculture development in Kenya which heavily depends on healthy soil and soil microbial diversity can be found in the promotion of organic farming. The increasing populations, higher demands for animal and plant products, climate change impacts, and weather conditions necessitate novel ideas and technologies to try reverse the adverse effects of excessive use of inorganic fertilizers and to maximize the potential of the land. Sapropel, a promising biological deposit from freshwater lakes, has found its limelight in its use in agricultural crop production as a soil conditioner and biofertilizer. This could be an ultimate practice for sustainable food and energy production in Kenya. This review aims at presenting information in the literature about the potential use of the organic fertilizer based on sapropels in intensified crop production and their main effects on plant growth. It discusses soil fertility, the composition of sapropels, and their application and advantages in agricultural production. It is evident from the review that sapropel can be considered as a resource that is valuable with wide application possibilities in agriculture. Sapropel can present an important contribution to the solution of the conservation of the fertility of the soil for integrated nutrient management systems to maintain agricultural productivity and help in environmental conservation.
Highlights
In Kenya, agriculture is very important in economic growth, contributing 33% of the gross domestic product (GDP) and 27% of the GDP indirectly through multisectoral linkages [1, 2]
Fe (III)-reducing bacteria like Geobacter sp. [24, 28], Cyanobacteria, and other plant growth-promoting bacteria belonging to Gammaproteobacteria and Bacilli [29,30,31] have been found in sapropel. erefore, the presence of living organisms is important in decomposition and transformation of organic substances into individual components available to the plants
Research carried out in the Middle East countries on the use of peat and sapropel based on organic-mineral fertilizers (OMF) as either a fertilizer or as a soil conditioner on cucumbers in greenhouses led to increase in yield
Summary
In Kenya, agriculture is very important in economic growth, contributing 33% of the gross domestic product (GDP) and 27% of the GDP indirectly through multisectoral linkages [1, 2]. E sector promotes nonagricultural economy including manufacturing, providing inputs and markets for nonagricultural operations such as building/construction, transportation, tourism, education, and other social services, enhancing agricultural productivity, and market access can help reduce poverty, in rural areas [5,6,7]. Sufficient supply of crop nutrients partly influences the ability to improve productivity, sustainability of agricultural systems is an important global issue [9]. E high level of fertilizer applications is vital to supply necessary food for the ever-increasing population and to meet higher demands for animal and plant products A large amount of agricultural budgets is allocated to Advances in Agriculture subsidize fertilizers in the hope of improving national food production. e high level of fertilizer applications is vital to supply necessary food for the ever-increasing population and to meet higher demands for animal and plant products
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