Papers by Monicah Mucheru-Muna
International Journal of Agronomy, Jun 23, 2023
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SSRN Electronic Journal
Cereal-legume intercropping, a common practice among farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), is impo... more Cereal-legume intercropping, a common practice among farmers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), is important for crop diversification, soil fertility improvement, household nutrition and climate adaptation. However, cereals often outcompete the intercropped legumes for growth resources resulting in low legume yields. The objectives of this study were: i) assessing the effects of different intercropping options (crop spatial configurations) and maize crop management innovations on productivity and economic benefits to farmers and ii) examining how farmers adapt new intercropping technologies to meet their household food security needs. The study was undertaken within 6 researcher-designed and managed trials in high and low rainfall agroecological zones of Babati District, northern Tanzania, during four cropping seasons (2018-2021). The cropping systems tested included a sole maize system rotated with a legume-legume intercrop (Doubled-up legume), an innovation involving two maize rows intercropped with two legume species (Mbili-Mbili), maize-legume intercrop both with and without de-topping, maize-legume intercrop (2 maize plants at 50 cm intra-space, de-topped), maize-legume system (maize with vertical leaf architecture) and a farmer practice. In 2019 season, 120 farmers were trained on testing Mbili-Mbili system in own fields. The number of participating farmers had grown to 225 by 2021 cropping season. A study was conducted to assess the adaptations farmers made on Mbili-This preprint research paper has not been peer reviewed.
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Smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa are confronted by low crop production due to phosphorus... more Smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa are confronted by low crop production due to phosphorus deficiency and a limited investment capacity in P inputs. Alternative P fertilizer types are being commercialized which aim at improved P use efficiency through specialized formulations. These products include, amongst others, leaf sprays, seed coatings and conditioners with humic acids. We evaluated these products in pot trials under greenhouse conditions and in multi-locational participatory field trials with farmer groups in three distinct agro-ecological zones in Kenya. The products were applied in conjunction with TSP fertilizer at half the recommended economic rate, as the P supplied through these products was insufficient to attain adequate crop yields. P response was assessed by including treatments without P addition, and TSP applied at half and full recommended rate. In the pot trial, none of the products significantly (P<0.05) increased the shoot dry matter yield of 6-week...
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Heliyon
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Developing Country Studies, 2020
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In Sub-Saharan Africa, agricultural production has been on the declined mainly due to low soil fe... more In Sub-Saharan Africa, agricultural production has been on the declined mainly due to low soil fertility exacerbated by climate variability as a result of rise in global atmospheric greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Several soil fertility amendments have been developed, experimented, adopted and found to improve both yields and general soil health. However, very few studies has been conducted to quantify the contribution of each the soil fertility amendment towards national GHG budget. This creates a huge data gap which may result to uncertainties in the national GHG inventories and may result to poor targeting of mitigation and adaptation measures thus the need to fill it. Also, Kenya as a developing country has been reporting to the UNFCCC on its current status of GHG emissions using default IPCC Tier I emission factors which tend to over-estimate the national greenhouse status in developing world. It is on these premises that we established this empirical study which was laid down ...
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A study to assess adoption potential of organic resources for replenishing soil fertility by farm... more A study to assess adoption potential of organic resources for replenishing soil fertility by farmers within Chuka Division, Meru South District was done in 2002. The study examined feasibility, acceptability, biophysical responses, and farmers’ experiences as indicators of adoption. Results showed that farmers initially selected soil fertility improvement resources that combined organic and inorganic resources, with majority of farmers implementing tithonia and cattle manure possibly due to availability. Later more farmers were interested in leguminous trees that could also provide fodder. However farmers used the new technologies on relatively small plots (0.02 to 0.05 acres) indicating that they wanted to see the results first. Farmers have benefited in terms of increased crop yields. Some of the constraints farmers were experiencing was lack of inadequate biomass for incorporation and lack of cash to purchase inputs (hybrid maize and inorganic fertilizer). Farmers responded by pl...
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Social Science Research Network, 2022
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SSRN Electronic Journal, 2022
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Handbook of Climate Change Resilience, 2018
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A study was carried out to assess the effectiveness of mulching, mbili intercrop, minimum tillage... more A study was carried out to assess the effectiveness of mulching, mbili intercrop, minimum tillage and tied ridging on soil and water conservation and improvement of maize yields under a rainfed farming system. The treatments, in three replicates, were laid out in a randomised complete block design on 2% slope runoff plots on a Nitisol in the sub humid region and a Cambisol in the semi-arid region of the central highlands of Kenya. Data on grain yield, soil properties, sediment, runoff and soil moisture were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) using SAS 9.1.3. Results indicated highest maize grain yield of 4.9 Mg ha -1 under mbili intercrop followed by mulching (4.4 Mg ha -1 ). Minimum tillage resulted into the lowest (4.0 Mg ha -1 ) yield in the sub humid region. In the semi-arid region, weather variability characterised by meteorological dry spells occurred during the LR11 cropping season leading to total crop failure. During SR11/ 12, mulching and tied ridging were averagely...
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Declining crop productivity is a major problem facing smallholder farmers in Central highlands of... more Declining crop productivity is a major problem facing smallholder farmers in Central highlands of Kenya. This decline is caused by continuous cultivation of soils without adequate addition of external inputs in form of manures and fertilizers. This low soil fertility has an enormous contribution to one of the greatest challenges facing Kenya currently; the inadequate food production for the rapidly growing population. A multidisciplinary farmers participatory trial was established in the main maize growing areas of Meru South District, Kenya in 2000 with the main objective of offering small-scale resource poor farmers feasible soil nutrient replenishment technologies for improving soil fertility. Results indicate that, the average maize grain yield across the treatments ranged from 1.1 to 4.0 Mg ha-1 during the five seasons. On average tithonia with half recommended rate of inorganic fertilizer recorded the highest maize yield followed by sole tithonia while crotalaria and absolute ...
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Heliyon, 2021
Crop productivity in most smallholder farming systems in Sub-Saharan Africa experience low use of... more Crop productivity in most smallholder farming systems in Sub-Saharan Africa experience low use of soil amendment resources, low and erratic rainfall, frequent dry spells, and droughts. Rain-fed agriculture has a high crop yield potential if rainfall and soil nutrient input resources are utilized effectively. Thus, in 2011, we set up an on-farm experiment in Meru South (sub-humid) and Mbeere South (marginal sub-humid) sub-counties in upper Eastern Kenya to assess conservation-effective management (CEM) practices effects on maize (Zea Mays L.) yields response and soil nutrients. The CEM practices were; tied ridging (TR), mulching (MC), and minimum tillage (MT), with conventional tillage (CT) as a control. There were frequent dry spells and droughts during the experimental period. The experiment ran for four seasons, from the long rains season of 2011 (LR11), short rains seasons of 2011 (SR11), long rains season of 2012 (LR12), short rains 2012 (SR12), and long rains season of 2013 (LR13). In Meru South, TR and MT treatments had significantly higher phosphorus content (100% and 66%, respectively) than the control. Also, in the same site, Cu and Zn were high in MT than in CT treatments. In the Mbeere South site, the aboveground biomass yield was significantly higher in TR treatment (by 71%) than CT during SR11, while in LR12 season, it significantly increased by 72% and 46% under MC and TR treatments, respectively, than the control. The TR treatment had significantly higher aboveground biomass than the control (84% and 115%) in the SR12 and LR13 seasons. In Meru South, MC treatment had significantly higher aboveground biomass, which was significantly higher, by 39%, during the SR11 season and 46% in TR treatment in SR12 season than the control. This study highlighted tied ridging as the best-fit practice for enhancing maize crop aboveground biomass production in rain-fed farming systems of marginal lands and sub-humid regions receiving unreliable rainfall. Further, we recommend longer-term experimentation to explore CEM effects on soil nutrients.
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Heliyon, 2021
Integrated soil fertility and soil water conservation technologies are possible solutions to the ... more Integrated soil fertility and soil water conservation technologies are possible solutions to the low per capita food production in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Nonetheless, the rate of adoption of these technologies by smallholder farmers has stagnated over the years despite being recommended. This has been attributed to the existence of wide communication gaps among researchers, extension agents, and farmers. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the influence of communication factors on the adoption of the selected technologies among smallholder farmers in the drylands of Tharaka-Nithi County. We used a cross-sectional survey design and collected data using an interview schedule from 400 randomly selected farming households. Binary logistic regression was employed for data analysis. Results showed that accessibility of extension agents after introducing the technology significantly influenced the adoption of combined organic and inorganic fertilizers (p = 0.056), mulch (p = 0.051), and Zai pit (p = 0.058). Similarly, practical orientation significantly influenced the adoption of combined organic and inorganic fertilizers (p = 0.001), mulch (p = 0.010), and Zai pit (p = 0.003). Information repetition significantly influenced the adoption of combined organic and inorganic fertilizers, mulch, and Zai pit at p-value 0.003, 0.001, and 0.001, respectively. Training was essential for mulch and Zai pit technologies at (p = 0.030) and (p = 0.001) respectively, while farmer group membership significantly influenced adoption for combined organic and inorganic fertilizers (p = 0.045) and Zai pit (p = 0.057) technologies. Extension agents should increase their interactions with farmers after the introduction of technologies. Equally use of demonstrations should be encouraged during the dissemination of these technologies among the farmers as they enhance the chances of adoption of the technologies.
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A preliminary study to assess adoption potential of legumes and other organic soil replenishment ... more A preliminary study to assess adoption potential of legumes and other organic soil replenishment resources was carried out in Chuka division, Meru south District, Kenya during 2002 long rains season. The study examined feasibility, acceptability, biophysical responses, farmers experiences constraints and modifications of technologies as indicators of adoption. In a collaborative project between Kenyatta University and Kenya Agricultural Research Institute on integrated soil fertility management, a follow-up was done on how farmers selected technologies for soil fertility improvement after field days held every growing season, and a formal survey was carried out to find out how farmers implemented and modified the technologies. Selection of technologies by farmers was variable. Farmers initially selected soil fertility improvement resources that combined both organic and inorganic resources, but majority of the farmers implemented tithonia and cattle manure. Herbaceous legumes were l...
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SSRN Electronic Journal, 2022
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Papers by Monicah Mucheru-Muna