Abstract
Deteriorating soil fertility, low unreliable rainfall and soil moisture stress has resulted to low crop yields among farmers of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), necessitating a search for more sustainable production practices. Zai technology has the ability to promote soil moisture retention and enhances soil fertility. A four-seasons field experiment was conducted to assess the impact of Zai technology combined with cattle manure and inorganic fertilizer on selected soil properties and sorghum yields in Kabati, Kitui County. The experiment was set up in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with eight treatments replicated thrice with sorghum Gadam as the test crop. Soil sampling was done at the beginning of the first season and at the end of the fourth season at a dept of 0–15 cm across each plot for laboratory analyses. From the results, the increase in electrical conductivity was significant at p < 0.05 in all the treatments after four cropping seasons. Total organic carbon significantly increased in Zai with cattle manure (p = 0.045), conventional with no input (p = 0.038) and conventional with cattle manure (p = 0.045). Available phosphorous significantly (p < 0.05) increased in treatments under Zai technology while total nitrogen significantly (p < 0.05) reduced after the four cropping seasons. There was a significant (p < 0.05) interactive effect of the tested factors on soil pH, electrical conductivity, total nitrogen, and available phosphorous at the end of the experiment. Moreover, there was significant (p < 0.05) interactive effects on grain yields (SR18 and SR19 seasons) and stover yields (SR18, LR19, and SR19 seasons), with higher yields being recorded in treatments under Zai technology. This study demonstrates the importance of Zai technology in increasing crop yield by trapping water and enhancing its retention and infiltration into the soil for uptake by plants. This study concluded that positive impacts on important soil properties and crop yield could be realized when Zai technology is utilized alongside either sole inorganics or a combination of organic and inorganic amendments and this could be used as a strategy to improve crop production in eastern Kenya and other similar areas.
Highlights
According to FAO (2010), rain-fed agriculture contributes to about 60% of the world crop production
Significant differences in soil properties and sorghum grain and stover yields among different fertilization treatments under Zai and conventional systems were recorded in this study
Treatments under Zai system recorded higher pH, electrical conductivity, organic carbon, phosphorous, and nitrogen levels as compared to conventional treatments and this could be due to the ability of the Zai pit system to hold nutrients in place by preventing nutrient loss through run-off by erosion
Summary
According to FAO (2010), rain-fed agriculture contributes to about 60% of the world crop production. For most countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), rainfed agriculture is a significant sector of their economy with close to 70% of the total population living in rural areas and largely depending on small-scale subsistence agriculture for their livelihood security (Rockstrom, 2000). In this region, rain-fed agriculture, which is characterized by droughts in most parts (Rockstrom and Karlberg, 2010), has threatened the food demand projected by 2050 (Grafton et al, 2015). Rain-fed agriculture is one of the most vulnerable sectors to climate variability and change as reported by (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2007)
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