Potential of Cultivating Dry Season Maize along a Hydrological Gradient of an Inland Valley in Uganda

Abstract

Inland valley wetlands with higher soil moisture than surrounding uplands offer a yet unexplored opportunity for increasing maize production in East Africa. For three consecutive years, we conducted field experiments to assess the potential of an inland valley in Central Uganda for producing dry season maize. A randomized complete block design was used with six treatments including farmer’s practice, unfertilized control, organic and inorganic fertilizer applications at high and low rates. These were repeated four times at each of the three hydrological positions of the inland valley (fringe, middle, and center). The maize grain yield of 3.4 t ha–1 (mean across treatments and years) exceeded the national yield average by 42%. High and sustained soil moisture in the center position of the inland valley was associated with the highest grain yields irrespective of the year. Due to soil moisture deficit in the fringe and middle hydrological positions, grain yields were not only lower but also highly variable. Intensive manuring with a combination of green and poultry manure produced high yields that were comparable to those with mineral fertilizers (both at 120 kg N ha–1). Lower amounts of either mineral or organic fertilizer (60 kg N ha–1) provided no yield gain over the unfertilized control. Inland valley wetlands, thus, offer promise for farmers to harvest an additional maize crop during the dry season, thus contributing to farm income and regional food security.

Time series and power law analysis of crop yield in some east African countries

“…[ 75 ] suggested that relaxing liquidity constraints could help to encourage farmers’ adaptation through the implementation of soil, water and land management strategies; thereby, positioning east Africa for food sufficiency in the face of the current global food crisis. [ 76 ] noted that intensive manuring with a combination of green and poultry manure produced high yields of maize in central Uganda that were comparable to those with mineral fertilizers. [ 77 ] demonstrated that households in Kenya adapting to climate change and climate variability through uptake of technologies such as early planting, use of improved crop varieties, and crop diversification produced 4877 kilograms of maize yield equivalent / hectare per year against 3238 kilograms of maize yield equivalent / hectare per year for households that did not adapt (a 33.6% difference between the two groups).…”

“…[75] suggested that relaxing liquidity constraints could help to encourage farmers' adaptation through the implementation of soil, water and land management strategies; thereby, positioning east Africa for food sufficiency in the face of the current global food crisis. [76] noted that intensive manuring with a combination of green and poultry manure produced high yields of maize in central Uganda that were comparable to…”