In Situ Soil Moisture Conservation: Utilization and Management of Rainwater for Crop Production

Kathuli, P.; Itabari, J. K.

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-13000-2_11

Cited by 10 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…According to a study by Magombeyi and Taigbenu (2008) , chololo pits (a variation of Zai pits) resulted in the highest yield in comparison to conventional treatments. In Masinga, Machakos county in Kenya, Zai pit without application of soil fertility ammendments significantly (p < 0.05) increased sorghum grain yields by ten times more than conventional treatments with no amendments ( Kathuli and Itabali, 2015 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Zai pits for heightened sorghum production in drier parts of Upper Eastern Kenya

Kimaru-Muchai

Ngetich

Mucheru-Muna

et al. 2021

Heliyon

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Water harvesting technologies and soil conservation measures promote water-nutrient synergy and increase agricultural production in the dryland zones of sub-Saharan Africa. To alleviate water stress, soil fertility decline and reduce runoff, soil and water conservation measures are promising options whose impact on agricultural productivity has not been fully explored. The objective of the study was to assess the effect of using zai pits in combination with selected soil fertility ammendments. An experiment was conducted in Tharaka Nithi County, Kenya to assess effects of using Zai pits in combination with selected amendments on sorghum production. The experiment was set up in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) involving 12 soil and water conservation treatments with three replications per block. Experimental data were subjected to analysis of variance and mean separation done using least significant difference (LSD) at p < 0.05. Zai pit in combination with tithonia amendment had the highest yields of 4.30 Mg ha −1 during short rains season of 2013 while Zai pit in combination with cattle manure had the highest yield of 4.18 Mg ha −1 during short rains season of 2014. Conventional planting with full rate NPK had the highest benefit-cost ratio (BCR) of 3.58 while Zai pit without input had the least BCR of 0.99. The experiment showed that Zai pit technology contributed to increments of yields in comparison to conventional planting although its BCR was lower than conventional planting with similar amendments. However, both Zai pit and conventional practices should be used in combination with organic and inorganic amendments to enhance yields in sorghum production.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Zai pits for heightened sorghum production in drier parts of Upper Eastern Kenya

Kimaru-Muchai

Ngetich

Mucheru-Muna

et al. 2021

Heliyon

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“…For example, Vinyungu have been used in Iringa rural areas, southern Tanzania highlands, for growing food crops [141]. Other comparable techniques of using micropit systems include Zai, Tassa, and Chololo [20,142]. e advantage of these techniques includes water storage, improving soil fertility around the crop root zone, and improving groundwater recharge.…”

Section: Water Harvestingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As temperature and water stress amplified, cropping systems become more stressed. At its extreme range, temperature influences excessive water loss through evapotranspiration [20]. However, impacts of climate change are reported to be more exposed to tropical developing countries especially sub-Saharan Africa [21][22][23].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Review on Managing Agroecosystems for Improved Water Use Efficiency in the Face of Changing Climate in Tanzania

Kimaro

2019

Advances in Meteorology

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Agroecosystems are important for food production and conservation of biodiversity while continuing to provide several ecosystem services within the landscape. Despite their economic and ecological benefits, most agroecosystems in Tanzania are degraded at alarming rates. Rapid increase of human population and unprecedented impacts of climate change have influenced depletion of natural resource base within agroecosystem in recent decades compared to what communities have experienced before. Increased food demands owing to population increase have increased pressure on exploitation of land resources including water. Cultivation area and irrigation water demands have increased steadily in the last six decades. Nevertheless, approaches used for water supply have not been improved; thus, water use efficiency in most irrigation schemes is quite poor. Conversely, climate smart agricultural practices are practiced less in Tanzania. There is poor adoption of recommended adaptation among smallholder farmers due to several socioeconomic reasons. One of the key objectives of climate smart agriculture is to improve bio-geochemical interactions within landscape and decrease competition of natural resources between humans and other component of agroecosystems. This underscores the assumptions that most cropping systems in Tanzania are not managed sustainably. Moreover, comprehensive assessment of hydrological dynamics within smallholder farming in Tanzania is highly lacking. Therefore, actual causes and extent of water resources depletion are largely unknown among stakeholders. In most tropical landscapes, water resources degradation is influenced by interaction of both anthropogenic and biophysical factors operating at different times and space scales. As the capacity of water-supplying sources continues to decline, Tanzania needs profound changes in agricultural production systems in order to nourish the growing human population. This calls for strategic approaches that have wider adaptability. A literature survey study with the following objectives was conducted (i) to assess current state of agricultural water use and irrigation activities in Tanzania and (ii) to determine major constraints for sustainable water management and identify appropriate adaptation measures for their improvement across diverse cropping systems.

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“…Intensive plot‐level management is required to counter land degradation at landscape level. Experience in the region indicates that soil structure and fertility could be rehabilitated by (a) reducing water runoff and land erosion through creation of permeable microdykes (e.g., stone bunds or grass strips), (b) re‐establishing macroporosity of soil and deep rooting capacity through localized tillage (e.g., zaï or half‐moons), (c) stabilizing porosity by incorporation of organic matter, (d) revitalizing surface horizon by application of composted organic matter (e.g., domestic waste compost and animal manure), (e) increasing soil pH over 5 to reduce Al and Mg toxicity, and, finally, (f) ensuring balanced crop nutrition by complementing organic amendments with nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) inputs (Kathuli & Itabari, ; Roose, Kaboré, & Guénat, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ramial wood amendments (Piliostigma reticulatum) mitigate degradation of tropical soils but do not replenish nutrient exports

et al. 2018

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Restoring degraded soils to support food production is a major challenge for West African smallholders who have developed local innovations to counter further degradation. The objective of this study was to evaluate a local farmer's technique that uses ramial wood (RW) as soil amendment (Piliostigma reticulatum shrub). Three treatments were applied in an experimental plot in Burkina Faso: control (no amendment), low RW (3 Mg fresh mass·ha−1·yr−1), and high RW (12 Mg fresh mass·ha−1·yr−1). RW was chipped to <5‐cm pieces and either buried or mulched. Topsoil carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) in control and low‐RW treatments declined after 7 years of continuous sorghum cultivation. Use of high‐RW amendment stabilized soil C content while N and P declined, thus not replenishing nutrient exports. Net contribution to soil C in the layer measuring 0–15 cm was 15% of the applied C in the high‐RW amendments. Although biomass and grain yields were higher in high‐RW treatments, crop productivity declined throughout the experiment for all treatments. Termite casts on RW treatments evidenced the potential role of wood‐foraging termites in diluting the impact of RW on soil fertility build‐up and soil water content. We conclude that mitigating soil degradation under semiarid conditions in Burkina Faso would require large amounts of woody amendments, particularly if the level of termite activity is high. Additional nutrient sources would be needed to compensate for removal in exported products so that biomass and grain production can be stabilized or increased.

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In Situ Soil Moisture Conservation: Utilization and Management of Rainwater for Crop Production

Cited by 10 publications

References 4 publications

Zai pits for heightened sorghum production in drier parts of Upper Eastern Kenya

Zai pits for heightened sorghum production in drier parts of Upper Eastern Kenya

A Review on Managing Agroecosystems for Improved Water Use Efficiency in the Face of Changing Climate in Tanzania

Ramial wood amendments (Piliostigma reticulatum) mitigate degradation of tropical soils but do not replenish nutrient exports

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