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Nitrogen leaching losses and balances in conventional and organic farming systems in Kenya

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Title Nitrogen leaching losses and balances in conventional and organic farming systems in Kenya
 
Creator Musyoka, M.W.
Adamtey, N.
Muriuki, A.W.
Bautze, D.
Karanja, E.N.
Mucheru-Muna, M.
Fiaboe, K.
Cadisch, G.
 
Subject FARMING SYSTEMS
LOW INPUT FARMING
DATA COLLECTION
RAIN
ORGANIC FARMING
 
Description Organic farming has been proposed as a solution to foster agricultural sustainability and mitigate the negative environmental impacts of conventional farming. This study assessed N losses and soil surface N balances in conventional and organic farming systems in a sub-humid and semi-humid (Chuka and Thika) sites in Kenya. Nitrate–N (NO3−–N) leached was trapped at 1 m depth using the Self Integrating Accumulator core method and the changes in mineral-N were assessed at different soil depths and different crop growth stages. Both conventional and organic farming systems lost substantial amounts of NO3−–N at the early growth stages of all the crops. Cumulative NO3−–N leached was similar in all the farming systems in each cropping season. More NO3−–N was leached during potato cropping (22–38 kg N ha−1) than during maize (0.9–5.7 kg N ha−1) and vegetable cropping (1.9–2.9 kg N ha−1). Under maize cultivation, three times more NO3−–N was leached at Chuka site than at Thika site. During the potato cropping, between 79 and 83% of the N applied in the low input systems was leached, compared to 10–20% in the high input systems. Only Org-High exhibited a positive soil surface N balance (797–1263 kg ha−1) over a whole rotation period at both sites. We recommend reducing N applications for potato in all farming systems and at the early growth stages for all the crops in order to reduce N loss to the environment. We also recommend increasing N application rates in the low input systems and to developing a model to guide application of organic inputs.
Biovision Foundation
Swiss Coop Sustainability Fund, Liechtenstein Development Service
Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology
Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency
Peer Review
 
Date 2019-07-10T11:19:13Z
2019-07-10T11:19:13Z
2019-06-01
 
Type Journal Article
 
Identifier Musyoka, M.W., Adamtey, N., Muriuki, A.W., Bautze, D., Karanja, E.N., Mucheru-Muna, M., ... & Cadisch, G. (2019). Nitrogen leaching losses and balances in conventional and organic farming systems in Kenya. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems, 1-24.
1385-1314
https://hdl.handle.net/10568/102129
 
Language en
 
Rights Copyrighted; all rights reserved
 
Format 1-24
 
Source Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems