The effectiveness of mobile kraals in soil fertility management and potential for soil health enhancement under semi-arid conditions in Zimbabwe

The traditional way of applying manure which involves extraction of manure from fixed kraals for application in crop fields is ineffective and labour intensive. The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) implemented a research study in Matabeleland North, Masvingo...

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Autores principales: Moyo, Martin, Dube, Farayi, Magaisa, Alec, Mupeyiwa, Justin
Formato: Informe técnico
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics 2024
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/172692
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author Moyo, Martin
Dube, Farayi
Magaisa, Alec
Mupeyiwa, Justin
author_browse Dube, Farayi
Magaisa, Alec
Moyo, Martin
Mupeyiwa, Justin
author_facet Moyo, Martin
Dube, Farayi
Magaisa, Alec
Mupeyiwa, Justin
author_sort Moyo, Martin
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description The traditional way of applying manure which involves extraction of manure from fixed kraals for application in crop fields is ineffective and labour intensive. The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) implemented a research study in Matabeleland North, Masvingo, and Manicaland province to evaluate the effectiveness of mobile kraaling or direct soil fertilization on crop fields using cattle and goats. Whilst the mobile kraaling technology proved to be effective in enhancing crop productivity and soil biochemistry, it is not yet known to what extent it enhances soil microbial abundance, diversity, and functionality. Recommending or upscaling the mobile kraaling technology as an agroecological farming practice calls for further research to assess if it enhances soil health, which is a key principle in agroecology. This paper therefore aims to report the findings from the mobile kraaling study and to present the proposed next research actions validating it as an agroecological farming practice. We first outline the challenges that necessitated the mobile kraaling study, present the findings, and discuss possible future opportunities. The information on how the mobile kraaling technology impacts crop productivity, soil biochemistry, and soil health will inform decision-making, future research, and policy.
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publishDate 2024
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spelling CGSpace1726922025-12-08T09:54:28Z The effectiveness of mobile kraals in soil fertility management and potential for soil health enhancement under semi-arid conditions in Zimbabwe Moyo, Martin Dube, Farayi Magaisa, Alec Mupeyiwa, Justin soil analysis soil quality soil fertility smallholder farmers The traditional way of applying manure which involves extraction of manure from fixed kraals for application in crop fields is ineffective and labour intensive. The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) implemented a research study in Matabeleland North, Masvingo, and Manicaland province to evaluate the effectiveness of mobile kraaling or direct soil fertilization on crop fields using cattle and goats. Whilst the mobile kraaling technology proved to be effective in enhancing crop productivity and soil biochemistry, it is not yet known to what extent it enhances soil microbial abundance, diversity, and functionality. Recommending or upscaling the mobile kraaling technology as an agroecological farming practice calls for further research to assess if it enhances soil health, which is a key principle in agroecology. This paper therefore aims to report the findings from the mobile kraaling study and to present the proposed next research actions validating it as an agroecological farming practice. We first outline the challenges that necessitated the mobile kraaling study, present the findings, and discuss possible future opportunities. The information on how the mobile kraaling technology impacts crop productivity, soil biochemistry, and soil health will inform decision-making, future research, and policy. 2024-12 2025-01-31T17:26:59Z 2025-01-31T17:26:59Z Report https://hdl.handle.net/10568/172692 en Open Access application/pdf International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics Moyo, Martin; Dube, Farayi; Magaisa, Alec; Mupeyiwa, Justin. 2024. The effectiveness of mobile kraals in soil fertility management and potential for soil health enhancement under semi-arid conditions in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe: ICRISAT
spellingShingle soil analysis
soil quality
soil fertility
smallholder farmers
Moyo, Martin
Dube, Farayi
Magaisa, Alec
Mupeyiwa, Justin
The effectiveness of mobile kraals in soil fertility management and potential for soil health enhancement under semi-arid conditions in Zimbabwe
title The effectiveness of mobile kraals in soil fertility management and potential for soil health enhancement under semi-arid conditions in Zimbabwe
title_full The effectiveness of mobile kraals in soil fertility management and potential for soil health enhancement under semi-arid conditions in Zimbabwe
title_fullStr The effectiveness of mobile kraals in soil fertility management and potential for soil health enhancement under semi-arid conditions in Zimbabwe
title_full_unstemmed The effectiveness of mobile kraals in soil fertility management and potential for soil health enhancement under semi-arid conditions in Zimbabwe
title_short The effectiveness of mobile kraals in soil fertility management and potential for soil health enhancement under semi-arid conditions in Zimbabwe
title_sort effectiveness of mobile kraals in soil fertility management and potential for soil health enhancement under semi arid conditions in zimbabwe
topic soil analysis
soil quality
soil fertility
smallholder farmers
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/172692
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