Farming technology improves yields in Siaya, Bungoma

Rosemary Oganga, 72, from Siaya County had the maize harvest from her one acre increase considerably despite not having ploughed the land.

She is among smallholders in Western Kenya who have benefited from conservation agriculture technology where farmers suppress weeds by spraying an environmentally friendly chemical as opposed to traditional weeding.

The novel technology is funded by the Australian government and implemented by Kenya Agriculture Research Institute (Kari) with focus on Eastern and Western regions.

Conservation agriculture has seen a considerable increase in yields per acre and saved farmers exorbitant production costs.

“I used to spend well over Sh10,000 in preparing my small piece of land for planting and purchase of fertiliser and seeds but I was lucky to harvest half a bag of maize,” said Ms Oganga when we visited her farm recently.  

Bungoma and Siaya counties are the focal points for the project. The areas have predominantly small scale farmers with pockets of large scale growers. 

Dr George Ayaga, the deputy director Kari centre in Kakamega and project site coordinator, said the venture would be rolled out fully to be adopted by farmers in other parts.

Kenya is among several Comesa member states where the technology is being implemented.  Tanzania, Mozambique, and Malawi embraced conservation agriculture relatively earlier and the results have been impressive, according to Dr Ayaga.

As opposed to the traditional ploughing method, the technology keeps the farm moist through retention of crop residue and also prevents soil erosion which renders the land un-productive, said experts.

“The technology focuses mainly on sustainable production of crops under intensive cultivation of land where two crops, a legume and a cereal, are intercropped twice in a year,” explained Dr Ayaga, adding that maize and beans could do well in Western region.

Farmers who have used the Roundup herbicide on their farms said the chemical was lethal to weeds.

“Nonetheless, you ought to be careful when applying it so that crops are not affected,” said Ms Oganga during a demonstration on her farm.

The chemical enables farmers to grow crops with minimal disturbance of soils and residue on farms, which must be left to decompose right there. 

Use of organic manure as opposed to artificial fertiliser is important in boosting soil fertility. Aloise Ndienge, a research technician from the International Centre for Insect Physiology Entomology (Icipe) concurred with Dr Ayaga.

He said that moist soil that remain undisturbed by the conventional method of land preparation could give better yields.

“Besides reduced production costs, farmers will find this technology time saving and less rigorous during weed control, and even have crops with higher nutrient value,” he said.

Farmers in Siaya and Bungoma counties who use the technology said they noticed a big change in terms of yields, land fertility, and taste of maize and beans.

“We took the trouble of cooking food harvested on different farms and noticed some tasted sweet while others had no taste, some weighed less than others.”

Benson Nyakundi, a technician attached to SIMLESA (Sustainable Intensification of Maize-Legume Systems for Food Security in Eastern and Southern Africa) project at Kari centre in Kakamega told farmers to intercrop food crops with the desmodium plant to ensure that moisture is stored in the soils. 

"We equally advise farmers to be extra careful while applying the Roundup herbicide because it has a scorching effect once it comes in contact with maize or beans, however it has no effect whatsoever on soil," said Dr  Michael Akhwale of Kari Kakamega.

Farmers whose farms are infested with Striga weed need not worry. Use of the Roundup herbicide takes care of the weed in addition to keeping away pests such as the Stalk borer that affects mainly maize.

Conservation agriculture comes hot on the heels of food shortage and dwindling fortunes for maize farmers in Western Kenya following an outbreak of the lethal necrosis disease that wiped out the crop in some areas last season.