Complementary effects of organic and mineral fertilizers on maize production in the smallholder farms of Meru South District, Kenya
Low soil fertility is a major constraint to maize production in the small holder farms of Meru South District. This is mainly attributed to the mining of nutrients due to cropping without external addition of adequate nutrients. Mineral fertilizers are expensive hence un affordable by most small hol...
| Autores principales: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Formato: | Journal Article |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés |
| Publicado: |
Scientific Research Publishing, Inc.
2012
|
| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/51483 |
| _version_ | 1855538095031582720 |
|---|---|
| author | Mutegi, Edwin Mwiti Biu Kung'u , James Mucheru-Muna, M. Pieter, Pypers Mugendi, Daniel Njiru |
| author_browse | Biu Kung'u , James Mucheru-Muna, M. Mugendi, Daniel Njiru Mutegi, Edwin Mwiti Pieter, Pypers |
| author_facet | Mutegi, Edwin Mwiti Biu Kung'u , James Mucheru-Muna, M. Pieter, Pypers Mugendi, Daniel Njiru |
| author_sort | Mutegi, Edwin Mwiti |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | Low soil fertility is a major constraint to maize production in the small holder farms of Meru South District. This is mainly attributed to the mining of nutrients due to cropping without external addition of adequate nutrients. Mineral fertilizers are expensive hence un affordable by most small holder farmers. The use of organic matter to increase and maintain soil fertility is being considered as a solution to help the low-income small holder farmers. A study was conducted in Mucwa location, Meru South District to determine the levels of complementarity between organic and mineral N amendments on maize yields and their influence on soil chemical properties. The experiment was set in a complete randomized block design (CRBD) with three replicates. The treatments were compared with the response obtained from control. The general soil fertility parameters changed slightly with Calcium, Magnesium and Potassium increasing in all treatments. The organic Carbon and total Nitrogen was higher in treatments that received sole organic N sources than in sole mineral N and a combination of organic and mineral N sources. The highest maize grain yield of 4.8 t·ha-1 and 4.2 t·ha-1 were realized from sole application of calliandra during the 2005 Short rains and 2006 Long rains cropping seasons. Generally the maize grain yields were lower in treatments with mineral N alone compared to the treatments with organics. Treatments with sole calliandra and sole tithonia had the highest benefit cost ratio (BCR), followed closely by manure treatment. More so, integration of organic and mineral N sources resulted to higher net benefit and BCR than the application of the recommended rate of mineral fertilizers. Results obtained indicated that the use of either organic or combined organic/mineral N soil amendment appear to be superior to using mineral amendment sources alone. |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | CGSpace51483 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2012 |
| publishDateRange | 2012 |
| publishDateSort | 2012 |
| publisher | Scientific Research Publishing, Inc. |
| publisherStr | Scientific Research Publishing, Inc. |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace514832024-10-03T07:40:58Z Complementary effects of organic and mineral fertilizers on maize production in the smallholder farms of Meru South District, Kenya Mutegi, Edwin Mwiti Biu Kung'u , James Mucheru-Muna, M. Pieter, Pypers Mugendi, Daniel Njiru zea mays organic fertilizers inorganic fertilizers yields soil fertility small farms abonos organicos abonos inorganicos rendimiento fertilidad del suelo explotacion en pequena escala Low soil fertility is a major constraint to maize production in the small holder farms of Meru South District. This is mainly attributed to the mining of nutrients due to cropping without external addition of adequate nutrients. Mineral fertilizers are expensive hence un affordable by most small holder farmers. The use of organic matter to increase and maintain soil fertility is being considered as a solution to help the low-income small holder farmers. A study was conducted in Mucwa location, Meru South District to determine the levels of complementarity between organic and mineral N amendments on maize yields and their influence on soil chemical properties. The experiment was set in a complete randomized block design (CRBD) with three replicates. The treatments were compared with the response obtained from control. The general soil fertility parameters changed slightly with Calcium, Magnesium and Potassium increasing in all treatments. The organic Carbon and total Nitrogen was higher in treatments that received sole organic N sources than in sole mineral N and a combination of organic and mineral N sources. The highest maize grain yield of 4.8 t·ha-1 and 4.2 t·ha-1 were realized from sole application of calliandra during the 2005 Short rains and 2006 Long rains cropping seasons. Generally the maize grain yields were lower in treatments with mineral N alone compared to the treatments with organics. Treatments with sole calliandra and sole tithonia had the highest benefit cost ratio (BCR), followed closely by manure treatment. More so, integration of organic and mineral N sources resulted to higher net benefit and BCR than the application of the recommended rate of mineral fertilizers. Results obtained indicated that the use of either organic or combined organic/mineral N soil amendment appear to be superior to using mineral amendment sources alone. 2012 2014-11-12T13:42:23Z 2014-11-12T13:42:23Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/51483 en Open Access Scientific Research Publishing, Inc. Mwiti Mutegi, Edwin; Biu Kung'u, James; Mucheru-Muna; Pieter, Pypers; Njiru Mugendi, Daniel. 2012. Complementary effects of organic and mineral fertilizers on maize production in the smallholder farms of Meru South District, Kenya. Agricultural Sciences. 3 (2) : 221-229. |
| spellingShingle | zea mays organic fertilizers inorganic fertilizers yields soil fertility small farms abonos organicos abonos inorganicos rendimiento fertilidad del suelo explotacion en pequena escala Mutegi, Edwin Mwiti Biu Kung'u , James Mucheru-Muna, M. Pieter, Pypers Mugendi, Daniel Njiru Complementary effects of organic and mineral fertilizers on maize production in the smallholder farms of Meru South District, Kenya |
| title | Complementary effects of organic and mineral fertilizers on maize production in the smallholder farms of Meru South District, Kenya |
| title_full | Complementary effects of organic and mineral fertilizers on maize production in the smallholder farms of Meru South District, Kenya |
| title_fullStr | Complementary effects of organic and mineral fertilizers on maize production in the smallholder farms of Meru South District, Kenya |
| title_full_unstemmed | Complementary effects of organic and mineral fertilizers on maize production in the smallholder farms of Meru South District, Kenya |
| title_short | Complementary effects of organic and mineral fertilizers on maize production in the smallholder farms of Meru South District, Kenya |
| title_sort | complementary effects of organic and mineral fertilizers on maize production in the smallholder farms of meru south district kenya |
| topic | zea mays organic fertilizers inorganic fertilizers yields soil fertility small farms abonos organicos abonos inorganicos rendimiento fertilidad del suelo explotacion en pequena escala |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/51483 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mutegiedwinmwiti complementaryeffectsoforganicandmineralfertilizersonmaizeproductioninthesmallholderfarmsofmerusouthdistrictkenya AT biukungujames complementaryeffectsoforganicandmineralfertilizersonmaizeproductioninthesmallholderfarmsofmerusouthdistrictkenya AT mucherumunam complementaryeffectsoforganicandmineralfertilizersonmaizeproductioninthesmallholderfarmsofmerusouthdistrictkenya AT pieterpypers complementaryeffectsoforganicandmineralfertilizersonmaizeproductioninthesmallholderfarmsofmerusouthdistrictkenya AT mugendidanielnjiru complementaryeffectsoforganicandmineralfertilizersonmaizeproductioninthesmallholderfarmsofmerusouthdistrictkenya |