Ridge-furrow mulching system in semiarid Kenya: A promising solution to improve soil water availability and maize productivity |
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| Institution: | 1. State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, Institute of Arid Agroecology, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China;2. Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization, Kabete, 14733-00800 Nairobi, Kenya;1. College of Grassland Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China;2. Agronomy College, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China;3. Key Laboratory of Arid Climatic Change and Reducing Disaster of Gansu Province, Key Open Laboratory of Arid Change and Disaster Reduction of CMA, Institute of Arid Meteorology, China Meteorological Administration, Lanzhou 730020, China;4. New Zealand China Friendship Society, Christchurch, New Zealand;1. College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100 Shaanxi, China;2. Ottawa Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri–Food Canada, 960 Carling Ave., Ottawa, ON K1A OC6, Canada;1. College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China;2. College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China;3. Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 960 Carling Ave., Ottawa, Ontario K1A OC6, Canada;1. Key Laboratory of Arid Climatic Change and Reducing Disaster of Gansu Province, Key Open Laboratory of Arid Change and Disaster Reduction of CMA, Institute of Arid Meteorology, China Meteorological Administration, Lanzhou 730020, China;2. State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agroecosystem, Institute of Arid Agroecology, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China;3. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Centre, Ottawa K1A 0C6, Canada;4. Key Laboratory of Agricultural Soil & Water Engineering in Arid and Semiarid Areas of Ministry of Education, Institute of Water Saving Agriculture in Arid Areas of China, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China;5. The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia;1. College of Agronomy, Northwest A & F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China;2. State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro–ecosystems, Institute of Arid Agroecology, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China;3. Yuzhong Agricultural Technology Extended Center, Lanzhou 730100, China;1. Key Laboratory of Agricultural Soil and Water Engineering in Arid and Semiarid Areas, Ministry of Education, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China;2. College of Water Resources and Architectural Engineering, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China;3. State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China;4. Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A & F University, Yangling 712100, China;5. College of Hydraulic Science and Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225009, China |
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| Abstract: | In semiarid Kenya, field productivity of maize has been at a low integrity level due to insufficient use of rainwater use. From 2012 to 2013, an innovative ridge-furrow mulching system (RFMs) was tested using local maize (Zea mays L.) hybrid, KCB in KARI-Katumani Farm, Kenya in long and short rainy seasons. Field experiments were conducted in a randomized complete block design with four treatments: 1) RFMs with transparent polyethylene film (RFT), 2) RFMs with black polyethylene film (RFB), 3) RFMs with grass straw mulching (RFS), and 4) RFMs without mulching (CK). Soil moisture & temperature, grain yield, water use and economic benefit were determined and analyzed. The results indicated that both RFT and RFB treatments significantly increased soil water storage amount in the depth of 0–60 cm. Grain yield and water use efficiency (WUE) in both treatments were increased by 66.5–349.9% and 72.9–382% respectively, compared with those of CK over two growing seasons. In addition, grain yield and WUE in RFS treatment were only increased by from 4.2–127.1% compared with those of CK. Particularly, two types of plastic films displayed different effects on modifying topsoil temperature. Transparent film mulching significantly increased topsoil temperature by 1.3 °C (p < 0.05) higher than CK, to facilitate growth and grain formation in long (but cool) growing season. In contrast, black film mulching lowered soil temperature by 0.3 °C lower than CK in short (but warm) growing season, which led to better soil thermal balance. Overall, RFMs with film mulching could serve as an effective solution to increase maize productivity, and hence a promising strategy to cope with food security under climate change in semiarid Kenya. |
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| Keywords: | Ridge-furrow mulching system Soil moisture Grain yield Maize Semiarid Kenya |
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