Tillage and Farmyard Manure Effects on Crusting Compacting Soils at Katumani, Semi-arid Kenya

Discovery and Innovation Pub Date : 2009-02-16 DOI:10.4314/DAI.V20I3-4.48147

E. Biamah, G. Sterk, L. Stroosnijder

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引用次数: 2

Abstract

In semi-arid Kenya, the most dominant soil types are of limited agricultural productivity due to crusting and compaction. The occurrence of soil crusting and compaction is attributed to seasonal rainfall characteristics, physical soil properties and bad tillage practices. Soil crusting and compaction decrease rainwater infiltration and increase surface runoff. Seasonal rainwater losses through increased runoff volumes reduce soil moisture and hence result in agricultural drought. The objective of this study was to examine the hydrological effects of two tillage practices with and without farmyard manure on surface runoff and soil loss of crusting and compacting soils under field conditions at Katumani in semi-arid Kenya. Field investigations on rainfall characteristics, surface runoff, soil loss, soil bulk density and soil shear strength covered two rainy seasons (short and long rains) and were done on a Chromic Luvisol. The field treatments were zero tillage and conventional tillage, and two farmyard manure applications (5 and 10 Mg ha-1). The results obtained showed significant effects of conventional and zero tillage and farmyard manure on infiltration and soil moisture, surface runoff and soil loss. Soil crusting and compaction significantly influenced the hydrological response of all treatments. These responses were attributed to seasonal rainfall events of varying amounts, intensities and duration, and treatment differences in soil surface conditions and aggregation. Farmyard manure (FYM) application enhanced infiltration and reduced soil crusting, compaction, and surface runoff during the initial stages of the rainy season. But in the mid-stages of the rainy season, the effects of FYM on soil aggregation diminished. Conventional tillage without farmyard manure led to high surface runoff and soil loss in this structurally unstable soil. Zero tillage performed poorly under these soil conditions because of high soil crusting and compaction, low rainwater infiltration and subsequent increase in surface runoff generation. zero tillage, conventional tillage, farmyard manure, crusting and compacting soils, semi-arid Kenya Discovery and Innovation Vol. 19 (4) 2007: pp. 254-263

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耕作和农家肥对半干旱肯尼亚卡图马尼土壤结皮压实的影响

在半干旱的肯尼亚，最主要的土壤类型由于结壳和压实，农业生产力有限。土壤结壳和压实的发生与季节降雨特征、土壤物理性质和不良耕作方式有关。土壤结壳和压实减少雨水入渗，增加地表径流。由于径流量增加而造成的季节性雨水损失减少了土壤水分，从而导致农业干旱。本研究的目的是研究在半干旱的肯尼亚卡图马尼的田间条件下，有和没有农家肥的两种耕作方式对地表径流和结皮和压实土壤的土壤流失的水文影响。在Chromic Luvisol上进行了两个雨季(短雨和长雨)的降雨特征、地表径流、土壤流失量、土壤容重和土壤抗剪强度的实地调查。田间处理为免耕和常规耕作，两次施用农家肥(5和10 Mg hm -1)。结果表明，免耕和农家肥对土壤入渗、水分、地表径流和土壤流失量均有显著影响。土壤结壳和压实对各处理的水文响应均有显著影响。这些响应归因于不同数量、强度和持续时间的季节性降雨事件，以及土壤表面条件和聚集性的处理差异。在雨季的初始阶段，施用农家肥(FYM)增强了入渗，减少了土壤结壳、压实和地表径流。但在雨季中期，FYM对土壤团聚体的影响减弱。在这种结构不稳定的土壤中，不施用农家肥的传统耕作导致大量地表径流和土壤流失。在这些土壤条件下，免耕表现不佳，因为土壤结壳和压实程度高，雨水入渗低，随后地表产流增加。零耕作，传统耕作，农家肥，结壳和压实土壤，半干旱肯尼亚发现与创新Vol. 19 (4) 2007: pp. 254-263

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Discovery and Innovation

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